1. Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law criticize Jesus' disciples? What was the tradition about ceremonial washing to which all the Jews held?
2. What did Jesus say when they criticized his disciples for not living according to the tradition of the elders? Is the tradition of the elders necessarily bad? When might it have been necessary? (See Lev. 11-15; Num. 19; Neh. 13:30)
3. When and how does tradition become evil? (6,7) What example did Jesus give? (9-13) Can you think of any modern examples of people using man-made customs or ideology to nullify the word of God?
4. What is a hypocrite? How did these Pharisees fulfill Isaiah's prophecy about hypocrites?
II. Clean and Unclean (14-23)
5. How did Jesus challenge the laws about clean and unclean foods? What makes a person clean? Why? How can we become clean in our heart?
III. The Faith of a Phoenician Woman (24-30)
6. Where is Tyre in relation to Israel? Why do you think Jesus went into gentile territory? Why did he want to keep his presence there a secret? Why could he not?
7. Who was the woman who came to him? What was her problem? What was her attitude toward Jesus?
8. How did Jesus respond to her request? Who are the "children"? The "dogs"? What was Jesus' purpose in saying these hard words to this woman? How did the woman take his seeming refusal? What does her response show about her?
9. What did Jesus say about her reply? How did he bless her? What do you think Jesus admired about this woman's faith? How can you and I learn this kind of faith?
