Jesus again finds himself in conflict with the Pharisees, this time because he and his disciples are not following their rules of ritual washing. This conflict quickly goes to something deeper: What it means to be truly clean before God, and how we do--and do not--get there.

Jesus came preaching that men and women should "repent and believe the gospel." But what does it mean to "believe"? The three stories in our text illustrate both positively and negatively the true nature of biblical faith.