94. The Refutation of the Pharisees for Their Vain Traditions. Mt. 15:1–20; Mk. 7:1–23; Jn. 7:1

After these things the Lord Jesus went about in Galilee: for He did not wish to go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. Once the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered to Him. The third Passover had already passed. Seeing some of His disciples eating bread with unwashed, that is, unclean hands, they reproached them. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, holding to the tradition of the elders, do not eat unless they wash their hands thoroughly; and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have undertaken to observe: the washing of cups and pitchers and kettles and couches. Then they came to the Lord and said: Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but transgress it? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread, but eat with unwashed hands.

He said to them in answer: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, saying: Honor your father and mother; and, He that curses father or mother, let him be put to death (Ex. 20:12; 21:17). But you say: If a man says to his father or mother, It is a gift to God, that by which you would have been helped by me; then he is not obliged to honor his father or mother. Thus you have made void the word of God by your tradition, which you have established for yourselves; and many things like this you do. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men (Is 29:13). For you, abandoning the commandment of God, hold to the tradition of men, the washing of cups and pitchers, and many other such things you do. Is it well that you set aside the commandment of God so as to keep your own tradition?

And, calling the whole multitude to Him, He said: Hear Me all and understand: it is not that which goes into the mouth that defiles a man – and nothing that enters from outside can defile him; but what comes out of him, what proceeds from his mouth, that defiles a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!

Then His disciples came and said to Him: Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying? But He answered and said: Every plant which My Father in Heaven has not planted shall be rooted up. Leave them alone: they are blind guides of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

When He had entered the house away from the people, His disciples asked Him about the parable, and Peter on behalf of all said to Him: Explain this parable to us. The Lord Jesus said to them: Are you also still without understanding? Are you also so slow to understand? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters from outside cannot defile a man? Because all that goes into the mouth enters the belly and is cast out in the privy, whereby all food is cleansed. But what comes out of the mouth – proceeds from the heart, and this defiles the man. For out of the abundance of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands – does not defile a man.