MPV Commentary

15 The scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus with a question, testing him, and wanting to trap him in his words. They asked, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but eat their bread with unclean hands?"

Jesus replied, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.' They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules." He continued, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to observe your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is Corban' (that is, given to God), then he will not do anything for his father or mother. You cancel the word of God by your tradition you have handed down."

Jesus then called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into someone's mouth does not go out of their body, but what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person." Then he went on to say, "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person."

The Pharisees and scribes were shocked by Jesus' words, realizing that he was speaking the truth about them. They began to argue with him, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But Jesus said to them, "I tell you, if any of you put a child in front of a millstone and then grind it into powder, how terrible it would be for you! And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.

"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Jesus then addressed his disciples, saying, "If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." He also said, "A student is not above their teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

"Do not give dogs what belongs to cats; in other words, do not give what is holy to the unholy. Do not throw your pearls to pigs; if they turn and attack you, they will trample you under their feet, and you will have done nothing to gain a victory for yourselves."

Jesus then began to speak against the Pharisees and scribes, saying, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You do not go in yourselves, but when someone goes in searching for you, you will not let them in.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win one convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold in the temple, he is bound by his oath.' Blind fools, which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And you say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by what stands behind the altar, he is bound by his oath.' Blind men! Which is greater, the altar or what stands behind it?

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give God a tenth even of mint, dill, and cumin, but have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These you should have practiced without neglecting the others.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So then, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

"Go ahead, then, fill up the measure of your fathers' guilt. You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

"So this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all these things will come upon this generation.

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"