Mathew 15:1-20 makes a fairly robust chiasm.
A. Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem
and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the
elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”
B. He answered them, “And why do you break the
commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’
and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’
But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother,
“What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he
need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your
tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites!
C. Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
D. And he called the people to him and said to them,
“Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the
mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of
the mouth; this defiles a person.”
E. Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you
know that the Pharisees were offended when they
heard this saying?”
E’. He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father
has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone;
they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the
blind, both will fall into a pit.”
D’. But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.”
And he said, “Are you also still without understanding?
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes
into the stomach and is expelled?
C’. But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,
and this defiles a person.
B’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,
sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These
are what defile a person.
A’. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
