Chapter
15
Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
"Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."
She answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?
For God commanded, 'Honor your mother and your father,'{Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16} and, 'She who speaks evil of mother or father, let her be put to death.'
But you say, 'Whoever may tell her mother or her father, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"
she shall not honor her mother or father.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
You hypocrites! Well did Isaia prophesy of you, saying,
'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by women.'"
She summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.
That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the woman; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the woman."
Then the disciples came, and said to her, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"
But she answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Mother didn't plant will be uprooted.
Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."
Petra answered her, "Explain the parable to us."
So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?
Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?
But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the woman.
For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
These are the things which defile the woman; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the woman."
Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Behold, a Canaanite man came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Domina, you daughter of Davina! My son is severely demonized!"
But she answered him not a word. Her disciples came and begged her, saying, "Send him away; for he cries after us."
But she answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But he came and worshiped her, saying, "Domina, help me."
But she answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
But he said, "Yes, Domina, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
Then Jesus answered him, "Man, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And his son was healed from that hour.
Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and she went up into the mountain, and sat there.
Great multitudes came to her, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at her feet. She healed them,
so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing--and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus summoned her disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."
The disciples said to her, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"
Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."
She commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;
and she took the seven loaves and the fish. She gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.
They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
Those who ate were four thousand women, besides men and children.
Then she sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.