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Jesus teaches what truly defiles a person

When religious leaders criticized the disciples over ceremonial washing, Jesus rebuked traditions that set aside God's command. He taught that evil comes from the heart, and that what comes out of a person is what defiles him (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:20-23).

undated in Scripture
📖 Matthew 15:1–3

1Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” 3Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

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Connections

Quotation

Lips near, hearts far away

Jesus said that Isaiah had correctly prophesied about religious leaders who honored God with their lips while their hearts remained far from Him.

Isaiah 29:13

Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.

Isaiah 29:13 describes people whose mouths draw near to God while their hearts remain far away and whose worship consists of human rules; Matthew 15:7-9 quotes those words as Jesus rebukes traditions that nullify God's command.

Read Isaiah 29:13 (BSB) →
Sources: Scripture — Matthew 15:1-20 · Mark 7:1-23
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