Matthew 15:1-2,10-14 NRSVue
1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.”
10Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”
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Reflection on Matthew 15:1-2,10-14
Inspiration from 2026-08-04 Daily Prayer
If I had been around in your day, Lord, I would have been inclined to think that the Pharisees, as a group, seemed always to be complaining. Their style of communication brought out the worst, rather than the best, in their adherents. Help me not to fall into that trap as I attempt to go about your business, and remind me that in matters of the heart, a thimble full of honey is more effective than a barrel full of vinegar.