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Eating With Unwashed Hands
By Ross Quintana
The first thing we need to do is study the definitions or Ramez of the main pieces talked about in the parable so we may decipher the riddle. Just as Messiah gives us definitions for parables to figure out what the two witnesses mean(the literal story and the Spiritual Story). So we also must study the spiritual counterpart of the key words in this Parable.
They are:
Bread = Word of God
Eat = Study
Hands = Spirit of Actions
Wash = to Sanctify or be made clean/acceptable to God
Now you will need to do a study on each one of these words yourself to come to these conclusions, this means taking a look at all scriptures and the use of these words, Some Scriptures will come right out and say this = that, while others will imply it. One of the great ways to do this is to use a program like esword( a free bible software program at
The Pharisees accuse Messiah's students of not washing their hands when they eat bread. Let's plug in what the ramez is saying. We will quickly see that because they do not see as messiah says (spiritually) they are blind though they see things literally or in the flesh. This is also why they did not recognize Messiah because he came not just teaching the Flesh as the Written Torah does first, but he came teaching the spirit of Torah which is the goal of Torah to change your spirit because no Flesh shall inherit the kingdom. it is our Spirit that dwells with God. So they didn't really even understand what they were saying to Messiah when saying:
Mat 15:2
.............Why do your followers......break....the..literal teachings of men?
for they wash not their hands when they....eat.............bread.
for they clean not their spirit when they..study..the word of God.
They didn't realize they were accusing his disciples of the sin they were doing, as it says the same measure you measure will be measured back to you. It was a witness against the way they study the Word of God. Yet because they only see literally not spiritually their sin remained with them and they were blind not knowing it.
Messiah then replies why do you break the spirit of the Torah by the way you keep the literal Torah. Thus dividing the spirit from the flesh and making the person dead.
Mat 15:3
..............But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also....Break
the commandment of God .............by your tradition?
....Spirit of Torah ........the way you keep the Letter of Torah.
Mar 7:9
.............And he said unto them, Full well..you reject...
the commandment of God,...........that ye may keep your own tradition.
Messiah, Spirit of Torah..that you may preserve your literal understanding
Here they reject Messiah because they love the flesh and the authority they have over their flesh but do not yield their spirit to God. They fear him in the flesh and so kill him because they want to rule over the literal Torah and didn't realize those who cling to the flesh shall pass away with the flesh but those who cling to the Spirit of God (Messiah) shall never die.
This is restated in the next part as he brings up honoring your Father and Mother.
Mat 15:4
..............For God commanded, saying,
........................thy father and mother:
Those God puts in authority over you to teach his ways.
and, He that.................curseth
........
.......................................father or mother,
Those who God puts in authority over you to teach you his ways.
Let him die the death.
It then goes into those who dedicate all they have to the Temple to receive the glory of Men and supposed treasures in Heaven, that then will not take care of their Father and Mother when they are in need saying my stuff is dedicated already.
This paint a great picture also of the pharisees boasting in what they do for God and the service of the temple and such, yet they reject Messiah while claiming to honor God by keeping the literal Torah, not having the spirit of Torah or even recognizing it when Messiah comes. In many ways they missed that a repentant heart and humble spirit is an offering acceptable to YHWH not the literal blood of bulls and goats without the spirit of repentance.
Psa 51:17
Therefore they are no help to the Messiah who is put in authority over them as the head is in authority over the body. They in keeping the literal Torah without keeping the spirit of Torah are no help to Messiah who came teaching the goal of the letter is a changed spirit, a spirit of love, and the spirit of God.
Mar 7:12
Mat 15:8
..............This People........draws near(corban meaning offerings)
..............................with their mouth,
with their flesh (literal Torah and the sacrifice system)
and honoureth me with.........
.......Honoring...me with..........words.......but their.....spirit
.......................is far from me.
is far from me (being Earthly not Heavenly).
Mat 15:9
..............But in...emptiness of Spirit..do they worship.....the Torah
teaching for.......
Teaching......understandings
......the commandments of men.
that are only literal (Flesh not Spirit)
Interesting he says their teaching is in Vain(empty) like the golden calf Idolatry is worshipping something earthly that has no spirit. This is essential to understanding what Messiah was teaching (spiritual Torah) the second witness to literal torah. This also shows the problem of Followers since the beginning, worshipping the things of the Earth, the flesh and the work of Men. What is also interesting is he refers to the Torah as himself when he says to the Pharisees who didn't worship him but the Written Torah that they were worshipping him in Vain. Because he is the True Torah (letter and Spirit).
Mat 15:10
...............And he called the multitude, and said unto them,..Let your Flesh
..............and understand:
be Established in both witnesses
Mar 7:14
...............And When he had .gathering of all Israel in Millenium
he said unto them,
He said unto them
..Hearken unto me every one......................and understand:
Keep the literal Torah of God........and be established in Spirit also
This is a great picture and prophecy of the Gathering of Israel when Messiah returns and it says he shall then Write the Law (Torah) on our inward parts(spirit).
Mat 15:12
..............Then came his followers, and said unto him,......See the spirit
that the Pharisees were .......offended,...........after they heard this saying
...of the pharisees.....they were guilty of sin......after hearing you speak.
He says if your hand offends the cut it off, This is to say if your spirit is full of sin cut off the sin so you may enter into the kingdom. This is why them being offended is them being full of sin or guilty of sin. Also to point out that Knowledge, or to Know is drawing close, much like the phrase to know your wife is a drawing close in a way to see what is beyond the surface. I will expound on this understanding in another thread.
Mat 15:13
................But he answered and said,..Every....spirit of man.........
which my heavenly Father hath not planted, ......shall be rooted up.
........that is without the Spirit of God..............cut off at time of Harvest.
Mat 15:14
.................Leave alone.........Leaders who don't see the spirit of Torah
................................the blind.
Leading those who also don't see the spirit of Torah
And if............................the blind
And if.....Those who teach only the literal torah
............................lead the blind,
lead those who also only see the Literal Torah,
.....both shall fall into the ditch.
Both will be left dead in the earth.
Mat 15:15
..................Then Kefa answered and said
Tell us the Ramez or Spiritual Definitions of this riddle.
Mat 15:16 And Yahushua said,...Are ye also yet
................And Yahushua said.....are you also
blind to see the two witnesses of this piece of Torah.
.....Mat 15:17 Do not ye yet understand,
Do you not see the Spiritual model and Flesh
that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly,
.........what goes into the flesh enters physically and
and is cast out into the draught?
...what is not good is cast out
Mat 15:18
your flesh.....come from and show
the heart;......and they defile the man.
your spirit....and that is what is judged.
Mat 15:19
................For out of the Spirit.....goes......evil thoughts,
........................murders,
anger against your brother without cause,
.............adulteries,....................fornications,
Joining yourselves to Evil,........Perversion,
................thefts,..........................................false witness,
Taking what is not yours,.....Lies not being established by 2 witnesses
Unholiness.
Mat 15:20
.............These are the things which......
.............but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
To eat with unwashed hands literally does not make you unacceptable.
Now reread the entire scriptures in the Peshat (literal) then go back and reread the entire text of the Ramez. To close this teaching I would say my take on this parable is that We should strive as he says to clean the inside of the cup (the Spirit) gaining the spirit of love, not getting caught up in the flesh and open our eyes to see the spiritual teachings of Torah, Only then may we wash our Spiritual hands and sit and eat with our Messiah and with God. Shalom!