War Club Tells the Good Story 7
7
TRADITIONS MADE BY MEN
1The Separated Ones (Pharisees) and some of the scroll keepers had come from Village of Peace (Jerusalem). Like hungry wolves they gathered around Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
They were looking for ways to accuse him and make him look bad in the eyes of the people, for they were jealous of his reputation.
2They noticed that some of his followers had not ceremonially washed their hands before eating the food.
3The Separated Ones (Pharisees) and many of the tribal people will not eat until they ceremonially wash their hands, following the traditions of the elders. 4They will not eat the food offered at the trading posts unless it is first purified by washing. They also follow many other traditions, such as the washing of drinking cups, bowls, and even the benches they sit on.
5So the Separated Ones (Pharisees) and the scroll keepers asked him, “Why do your followers not walk in the traditions of the elders and ceremonially wash their hands before eating?”
6“Your false faces do not fool me,” he answered back, “The prophet Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah) was talking about you when he said in the Sacred Teachings: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 7Their prayers are empty words and their ceremonies are for show. Their teachings are nothing but rules made up by weak human beings.’#7:7 Isaiah 29:13”
He paused to let these words sink into their ears.
8Then he said to them, “You ignore the instructions given by the Great Spirit and use your traditions to make yourselves look good to others. 9You are as sly as a coyote in the way you set aside Creator’s instructions and replace them with your traditions.
10“The lawgiver Drawn from the Water (Moses) said, ‘Give honor to your father and mother,’#7:10 Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16 and, ‘The ones who dishonor them should be put to death.’#7:10 Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9 11But your tradition says, ‘If someone says to their father or mother, “I have given to the Great Spirit the things that were meant to honor and take care of you,” 12then they no longer have to honor and care for their parents.’ 13This is only one of the many ways you use your traditions to do away with the words of the Great Spirit.”
WHAT MAKES ONE IMPURE?
14Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then gathered the people around him and said, “Listen with your hearts and understand what I tell you. 15There is nothing you can take into your mouth that will make you impure. It is what comes out of your mouth that makes you impure.”#7:15 Some ancient manuscripts add verse 16: The ones with ears to hear should listen and understand.
17Later when they entered a house away from the crowds, the ones who walked the road with him asked the meaning of his wise saying.
18-19“Why do you also not understand?” he answered. “When food enters the mouth, it goes into the stomach, not the heart, and then out of the body.”
In saying this, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) declared that nothing you eat can make you impure.
20“It is what comes out of a person, from within, that makes one impure. 21From people’s bad hearts and broken ways come worthless plans, sexual impurity, stealing, killing, 22unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, evil doings, forked tongues, uncontrolled desires, selfish ways, speaking evil of others, boastful talk, and foolish ways. 23It is things like this that make a person impure, not failing to wash one’s hands.”
HE HEALS THE DAUGHTER OF AN OUTSIDER
24From there Creator Sets Free (Jesus) journeyed into the territory of Rock Land (Tyre) and Hunting Grounds (Sidon). He wanted to keep away from the crowds, so he found a house to stay out of sight but was unable to stay hidden.
25-26A woman came to him who had a daughter with an unclean spirit in her. As soon as she heard about Creator Sets Free (Jesus), she came and humbled herself before him. She was an Outsider#7:25-26 Lit. a Greek from the territory along the coastline of the Great Middle Sea (Mediterranean).#7:25-26 Lit. a Syrophoenician by birth She begged Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to force the evil spirit out of her daughter.
27“The children should be fed first,” he said. “It is not right to take the children’s portion and throw it to the dogs.”
28“But Wisdomkeeper,” she answered back, “even the dogs under the table can eat the children’s crumbs.”
29“Because your words are well chosen,” he replied, “you may return home. You will find that the evil spirit has left your daughter.”
30The woman went home and found her daughter resting on her sleeping mat—the evil spirit had left her.
A POWERFUL HEALING
31From the territory of Rock Land (Tyre) Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went through Hunting Grounds (Sidon) to the Lake of Circle of Nations (Sea of Galilee) in the territory of the Ten Villages (Decapolis).
32The people who lived there brought a man who could not hear or speak right. They begged Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to lay his hands on him. 33So he took the man away from the crowd. When he was alone with him, he put his fingers into the man’s ears, and then spit and touched the man’s tongue.
34He then looked up into the spirit-world above, let out a deep breath, and said in his native language, “Ephphatha!” which means, “Be opened.”
35Right then the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released. He could now hear and speak clearly! 36Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then instructed the people to tell no one. But the more he told them not to, the more they told the story to others. 37The people were amazed beyond belief and full of wonder.
“He does all things well!” they told everyone. “He even heals the ones who cannot hear or speak!”
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