Stay away from them, for they’re nothing more than blind guides. Do you know what happens when a blind man pretends to guide another blind man? They both stumble into a ditch!”
Peter spoke up and said, “Will you explain to us what you mean by your parable?”
Jesus said, “Even after all that I’ve taught you, you still remain clueless? Is it hard to understand that whatever you eat enters the stomach only to pass out into the sewer? But what comes out of your mouth reveals the core of your heart. Words can pollute, not food. You will find living within an impure heart evil ideas, murderous thoughts, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lies, and slander. That’s what pollutes a person. Eating with unwashed hands doesn’t defile anyone.”
Then Jesus left and went north into the non-Jewish region of Lebanon. He encountered there a Canaanite woman who shouted out to him, “Lord, Son of David, show mercy to me! My daughter is horribly afflicted by a demon that torments her.” But Jesus never answered her. So his disciples said to him, “Why do you ignore this woman who is crying out to us?”
Jesus said, “I’ve only been sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” But she came and bowed down before him and said, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus responded, “It’s not right for a man to take bread from his children and throw it out to the dogs.”
“You’re right, Lord,” she replied. “But even puppies get to eat the crumbs that fall from the prince’s table.”
Then Jesus answered her, “Dear woman, your faith is strong! What you desire will be done for you.” And at that very moment, her daughter was instantly set free from demonic torment.
After leaving Lebanon, Jesus went to Lake Galilee and climbed a hill nearby and sat down. Then huge crowds of people streamed up the hill, bringing with them the lame, blind, deformed, mute, and many others in need of healing. They laid them at Jesus’ feet and he healed them all.
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