Some Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus about his disciples disobeying the traditions of the elders. Jesus replied, showing that their attitudes and practices were mistaken.

Mark 7:1-23

7 One day some Pharisees and some men who teach the Jewish laws gathered around Jesus. They had come from Jerusalem to investigate him. 2-4 2-4The Pharisees and all of the other Jews strictly observe the traditions that their ancestors taught. For example, they refuse to eat until they first wash their hands with a special ritual, especially after they return from buying things in the marketplace. They think that God will be angry with them if they do not do that, because some person or thing unacceptable to God might have touched ◄them/the things they bought►. There are many other such traditions that they accept and try to obey. Specifically, they wash in a special way their cups, pots, kettles, containers, and beds in order that using these things will not make God reject them.

5 That day, those Pharisees and men who taught the Jewish laws saw that some of his disciples were eating food with hands that they had not washed using the special ritual. So they questioned Jesus, saying, “Your disciples disobey the traditions of our ancestors! ◄You should not let them eat food if they have not washed their hands using our special ritual!/Why do you let them eat food if they have not washed their hands using our special ritual?► [RHQ]” 6 Jesus said to them, “Isaiah rebuked your ancestors, and his words describe very well you people who only pretend to be good! He wrote these words that God said:

These people speak as if they honor me, but they [SYN] really do not think about honoring me at all. 7 It is useless for them to worship me, because they teach only what people have commanded as if I myself had commanded them.

8 You, like your ancestors, refuse to do what God has commanded. Instead, you follow only the traditions that ◄others/your ancestors► have taught.” 9 Jesus also said to them, “You think [IRO] that you are clever in refusing to do what God commanded just so that you can obey your own traditions! 10 For example, our ancestor Moses wrote God’s command, ‘Honor your fathers and your mothers’. He also wrote, ‘The authorities must execute a person who speaks evil about his father or mother.’ 11-12 11-12But you teach people that it is all right that people no longer must help their parents. You teach people that it is all right if people give their things to God instead of giving them to their parents. You allow them to say to their parents, ‘What I was going to give to you to provide for you, I have now promised to give to God. So I cannot any longer help you!’ As a result, you are actually telling people that they no longer have to help their parents! 13 And, by doing that, you disregard what God commanded! You teach your own traditions to others and tell them strongly that they should obey them And you do many other things like that.”

14 Then Jesus again summoned the crowd to come closer. Then he said to them figuratively, “All of you people listen to me! Try to understand [DOU] what I am about to tell you. 15-16 15-16Nothing that people eat causes God to consider them to be unacceptable. On the contrary, it is that which comes from people’s ◄inner beings/hearts► that causes God to reject them.”

17 After Jesus had left the crowd and then entered a house with the disciples, they asked him about the parable that he had just spoken. 18 He replied, “◄I am disappointed that you also do not understand what it means!/Why can you not understand what it means?► [RHQ] ◄You ought to understand that nothing that enters us from outside can cause God to consider us unacceptable to him./Can you not understand that nothing that enters us from outside of us can cause God to consider us unacceptable to him?► [RHQ] 19 Instead of entering and ruining our minds/souls, it goes into our stomachs, and afterwards the refuse passes out of our bodies.” By saying this, Jesus was declaring that people can eat any food without causing God to reject them. 20 He also said, “It is the thoughts and actions that come from within people that cause God to consider them unacceptable to him. 21 Specifically, it is people’s innermost being that causes them to think things that are evil; they act immorally, they steal things, they commit murder. 22 They commit adultery, they are greedy, they act maliciously, they deceive people. They act indecently, they envy people, they speak evil about others, they are proud, and they act foolishly. 23 People think these thoughts and then they do these evil actions, and that is what causes God to consider them unacceptable to him.”