1 Some Scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem and gathered around YAHUSHA. 2 They saw that some of His followers ate food with hands that were not clean, meaning that they did not wash their hands in a special ceremonial way. 3 The Pharisees and all the other Jews never eat before washing their hands in a ceremonial way. They do this to follow the traditions they have from their elders who lived long ago. 4 And when these Jews buy something in the market, they never eat it until they wash it in a special way also. They also follow other rules from their people who lived before them. They follow rules like the washing of cups, pitchers, and pots.
5 The Scribes and Pharisees said to YAHUSHA, “Your followers don’t follow the traditions we have from our great leaders who lived long ago. They eat their food with hands that are not clean. Why do they do this?” 6 YAHUSHA answered, “You’re all hypocrites. Isaiah was right when he wrote these words from Alahim about you saying: ‘These people honour Me with the words from their lips, but their hearts are so far away from Me, I’m not even important to them. 7 Their worship of Me is worthless. The things they teach are only human rules and traditions.’ 8 You have stopped following Alahim's commands, instead preferring the man-made rules you got from others.”
9 Then He said, “You show great skill in avoiding the commands of Alahim so that you can follow your own teachings! 10 Moses said, ‘You must respect your father and mother.’ He also said, ‘Whoever says anything bad to their father or mother must be killed.’ 11 But you teach that people can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you, but I won’t give it you. I’ll give it to Alahim instead.’ 12 You are telling people that they do not have to do anything for their father or mother. 13 So you are teaching that it is not important to do what YAHUAH said. You think it’s more important to follow those traditions you have, which you pass on to others. And you do many wicked things like that.”
14 YAHUSHA called the people to Him again, saying, “Everyone should listen to Me and understand what I’m saying. 15 There’s nothing people can put in their mouth that will defile them and make them wrong. People are made wrong and unclean by what comes out from inside them. BY THEIR BEHAVIOUR 16 If you’ve got ears then listen to what I’m really saying to you!”
17 Then YAHUSHA left the people and went into the house. His followers asked YAHUSHA about what He’d told the people. 18 He said, “Do you still have trouble understanding? Surely you know that nothing that enters the mouth from the outside can make people unacceptable to Alahim. 19 Food does not go into a person’s mind. It goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body.”
YAHUSHA IS NOT TALKING ABOUT FOOD LAWS (OR DECLARING FORBIDDEN ‘FOODS’ NOW PERMITTED) ... HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE BEHAVIOUR THAT COMES OUT OF PEOPLE’S HEART - FROM THEIR THOUGHT-LIFE !!
20 And YAHUSHA said, “The things that make people defiled and wrong are the things that come from the inside. 21 All these evil things begin inside a person, in the mind: perverse thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, 22 adultery, greed, doing cruel things to people, lying, doing things that are morally wrong, jealousy, insulting people, proud talking, and stupid, foolish living. 23 These wicked behaviours come from inside a person. And these are the things that make people unacceptable to Alahim.”
24 YAHUSHA went from there to the area around Tyre. He did not want the people in that area to know He was there, so He went into a house. But He could not stay hidden. 25 A woman heard that He was there. Her little daughter had an evil spirit inside her. So the woman came to YAHUSHA and bowed down near His feet. 26 She was not a Jew. She was born in Phoenicia, an area in Syria. She begged YAHUSHA to force the demon out of her daughter. 27 YAHUSHA told the woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.” THE CHILDREN BEING YISHARAL AND EVERYONE ELSE UNCLEAN DOGS FROM THE NATIONS ... YAHUSHA CAME FIRSTLY FOR ANY LEFTOVERS OF HIS FIRST BRIDE YISHARAL, BUT HIS COMPASSION, LOVE AND BLOOD-COVENANT EXTENDS TO ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE AND FOLLOW HIM. SADLY MOST OF `THE LOST SHEEP' (YISHARAL) REJECT HIM ... SO HE REJECTS THEM ... HE DIED AND RAISED UP A NEW COVENANT WITH ALL NATIONS WHO WOULD ENGRAFT INTO HIM THROUGH REPENTANCE AND DIVINE HEART OPERATION.
28 She answered, “That is true, Master. But the dogs under the table can still eat the crumbs of food that the children don’t eat.” 29 Then He told her, “Because of your genuine response, go on, for the demon has left your daughter, I promise!” 30 The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed. The demon was gone!
31 Then YAHUSHA left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon. On His way to Lake Galilee He went through the area of the Ten Towns. 32 While He was there, some people brought a man to Him who was deaf and could not talk clearly. The people begged YAHUSHA to put His hand on the man to heal him. 33 YAHUSHA led the man away from the people to be alone with Him. He put His fingers in the man’s ears. Then He spat on a finger and put it on the man’s tongue. 34 YAHUSHA looked up to the sky and with a loud sigh he said, “Effatha!” (meaning “Open!”)
35 As soon as YAHUSHA did this, the man was able to hear. He was able to use His tongue, and He began to speak clearly. 36 YAHUSHA told the people not to tell anyone about this. But the more He told them not to say anything, the more people they told. 37 They were all completely amazed. They said, “Look at what He’s done. It’s all good. He makes deaf people able to hear and gives a new voice to people who couldn’t talk.”
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