Jesus teaches that what comes out of a person's mouth is more important than external rituals like hand washing. He criticizes the Pharisees for focusing on traditions instead of following God's commandments, giving the example of using financial gifts as an excuse to neglect caring for parents. Jesus says what comes from within a person, such as evil thoughts and sins, are what truly defile a person, not external actions like eating with unwashed hands.

1. Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
Mat. 15:1-20, Mark 7:1-23
Matt 15
1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem,
saying,
2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they
wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Col 2:8 BEWARE of people that are worried about keeping “the tradition of the
elders”
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.
3 But he answeredand said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the
commandmentof God by your tradition?
Normally traditions are contrary to the word of God;not always.
Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in
mine own nation, being more exceedinglyzealous of the traditions of
my fathers.
2Thess 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions
which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
4 For God commanded, saying, Honourthy father and mother: and, He
that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

2. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by
whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye
made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Mark 7:11-13 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or
mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou
mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his
mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
It is possible for human beings to make the most powerful THING in the
universe of no effect. It is done mainly by observing tradition.
Corban:
Itmeans a gift or offering consecrated to God. Anything over which this word was
pronounced was dedicated to the temple treasury. Land, however mightbe
redeemed before the year of jubilee (the Levites “had no possession” of the
people only the tithe. Jesus condemns this false doctrine in that it was a tradition
that destroyed Gods command for the children to honour their father and
mother. This was an ancient “tax shelter” or “shell corporation” with a 5% fee.
Lev 27:14-19 14 And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy
unto the LORD, then the priest shall estimate it, whether it be good
or bad: as the priest shall estimate it, so shall it stand.
15 And if he that sanctifiedit will redeem his house, then he shall add
the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and it shall be
his.
16 And if a man shall sanctifyunto the LORD some part of a fieldof
his possession, then thy estimation shall be accordingto the seed
thereof: an homer of barleyseed shall be valued at fifty shekels of
silver.

3. 17 If he sanctifyhis fieldfrom the year of jubile, accordingto thy
estimation it shall stand.
18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubile, then the priest shall
reckon unto him the money accordingto the years that remain, even
unto the year of the jubile, and it shall be abated from thy estimation.
19 And if he that sanctifiedthe fieldwill in any wise redeem it, then
he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy estimation unto it, and
it shall be assuredto him.
Prov 28:24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is
no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth
me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
Mark 7:6-7 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias
prophesiedof you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth
me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.
This quote is from:
Isa 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw
near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have
removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is
taught by the precept of men:
Matthew 15:9 Christianity is filled with such nonsense. These are the
traditions which creep into churches and families are replace the words of
God.

4. Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world,
and not after Christ.
“We always have done it” and “Everybody else does it” are the two oxen
that pull the traditional cart all the way into apostasy and maybe into hell.
“Vain” worship is when a religious leader teaches doctrines that are only
man-made commandments.
10 And he calledthe multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which
cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Mark 7:14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said
unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Mat 15:10-11 “Whatis in the well comes up in the bucket.” What is in
the heart of man is manifested by what comes out of his mouth.
Matt 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak
good things? for out of the abundanceof the heart the mouth
speaketh.
Rom 10:10 For with the heartman believeth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Jas 3:6-16 6 And the tongue is a fire, a worldof iniquity: so is the
tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and
setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of
things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unrulyevil, full of deadly
poison.
9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we
men, which are made after the similitude of God.

5. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessingand cursing. My
brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine,
figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let
him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of
wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not,
and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,
devilish.
16 For where envyingand strife is, there is confusion and every evil
work.
12 Then came his disciples,and said unto him, Knowest thou that the
Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
Mat 15:12 Jesus Christ had no problem offending someone by speaking
the truth. The main thing that they did not like about the Lord was His
preaching.
Luke 7:23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
John 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be
offended.
Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstoneand
rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed.

6. 1Pet 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were
appointed.
13 But he answeredand said, Every plant, which my heavenlyFather hath
not planted, shall be rooted up.
Mat 15:13 This is essentially saying, “Don’tworry about them. They are
going to hell anyway.”
14 Let them alone: they be blindleaders of the blind. And if the blind lead
the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Mark 7:16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 15:14 The Lord would not give these religious leaders any time
except to rebuke them and call them bad names.
*THIS verse is a good example of the Lord’s sarcasm.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Mark 7:17 And when he was entered into the house from the
people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
Mat 15:15 IT IS NOT A PARABLE (Mat 15:16). The disciples could not
get things straight. When He was speaking figuratively (Matt. 16:6-12 ),
they thought it was literal. When He was speaking literally (like here), they
thought it was figurative.
*The RCC takes the cup of communion and make it the literal blood of
Christ. Jesus was speaking figuratively about it (John 6:53-56). If He was
speaking literally, then they should drink the cup itself (John 6:63 ; Matt.
26:27-28).

7. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:16 Peterwas often rebuked becausehe was so fastto open his
mouth.
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth
goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from
the heart; and they defile the man.
Mark 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly,
and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
Mat 15:18 The wickedwords that come out of a man affecthim in a bad
way, BOTH spiritually and physically.
19 For out of the heart proceedevil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen
hands defileth not a man.
Mark 7:20-23 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man,
that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Mat 15:19 In scripture, the heart is not the organ that pumps blood. It is the part of
your being with which you believe, love, etc. Your heart is your affections
Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

8. Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the
earth.
* Your mind is not the physical part of your body called “the brain.” Your
mind is your intellect and the things that you think about.