When they got into the boat the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshipped Jesus. They said, Surely thou art the Son of God. Then they reached the land of Gennesaret. When the people heard, they sent word all around the country. They brought to Jesus all who were diseased. They besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And all who touched His garment were made perfectly whole.
15 Then scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus. They asked, Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Jesus answered, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? God commanded: Honor thy father and mother. Let him be put to death who curses father or mother. But ye say that whoever says to his father or mother that it is a gift by whatever thou might profit by me, dishonoring the father or mother, shall be free. Your tradition has made the commandment of God useless.
Ye hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy: This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me. In vain do they worship me. They teach the commandments of men as doctrines.
Jesus then called the multitude and said, Hear and understand. Nothing that goes into the mouth defiles a man. But that which comes out of the mouth defiles a man. His disciples approached him and said, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by your words? Jesus said, Every plant that was not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted. Ignore them. They are blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.
Next, Peter approached Him and said, Explain the parable to us. Jesus replied, Are ye still without understanding? Do ye not yet understand that whatever goes in at the mouth goes into the belly and is expelled. But those things which come out of the mouth come from the heart. They defile the man because out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man. To eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.
Then Jesus went into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. A woman of Canaan came to Him and said, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My daughter is grievously tormented with a devil. Jesus said not a word to her. Finally, His disciples came and said, Send her away for she cries after us. Jesus replied, I am not here for the lost sheep of the house of Israel only.
She came forward and worshipped Him. She said, Lord, help me. He answered, It is not fit to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. She answered, True, Lord. Yet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. Jesus said to her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it done unto thee as thou wilt. So her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Jesus left and went to rest in the mountains near the sea of Galilee. Soon, great multitudes came to Him. They brought those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others. They placed them at Jesus' feet and He healed them. The multitude wondered when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. They glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus called His disciples aside and said, I have compassion on the multitude because they have been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I will not send them away hungry lest they faint on the way. His disciples said, Where should we find enough bread in the wilderness to fill so great a multitude? Jesus asked them, How many loaves have ye? They said, Seven and a few little fish.
Jesus commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. He broke them and gave them to His disciples and the disciples gave them to the multitude. They all ate and were full. They took up the food that was left, seven baskets full. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. Then Jesus sent away the multitude and took a boat to the coasts of Magdala.