Matthew 15 - Traditions of Men and the Gentile Woman
Some of the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law came to question Jesus about His teachings. Jesus dresses them down about teaching the traditions of men. Jesus heals the Gentile woman who had faith in God.
1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Some of the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law came to question Jesus about His teachings.
2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Why do your disciples disobey the ancient traditions? They were speaking of the ceremonial hand washing before they would eat. Not a commandment of God, but a tradition and ceremony of man that was passed down from the old times. And so it is today, with all the traditions and ceremonies that many church groups practice. Its a show for the people and has nothing to do with God. God wants your love, not a bunch of rituals that have no meaning.
3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Christ answers them with a question; Why do your traditions violate the direct commandments of God? Their traditions had nothing to do with God, they were useless. (Mark 7:6-8, 7:13, Colossians 2:8, 1 Titus 1:14).
4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. God's law is to honor your father and mother, and anyone who reviles their parents must die. (Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, Proverbs 20:20, 30:17). Wow! Some pretty strong stuff here about honoring and respecting your parents. (These laws should be followed out more today)! Respect for the elders is slowly disappearing from our society.
5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; The church and their traditions say to give to the church even if your parents are in need. What they are really saying here is that if you give a gift to the church (called Corban), then there is no sin in dishonoring your parents. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. (Mark 7:11). Again, Corban is a gift to the church. They say to their parents, "Sorry, I can't help you, because I have vowed to give to the church what I would have given to you." (It was common among the Jews that the Pharisees released a child from supporting his parents; and even deemed it sacrilege if he afterwards gave anything for their use. What a bunch of rip-offs! The book of Timothy says it best: But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. (1 Timothy 5:8). Anyone who won't care for his or her own family, does not have the right to say that they are a Christian. "Such a person is worse than the heathen."
6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. By their man made rules and traditions, they nullify the direct command of God to "honor and care for your parents." (Jeremiah 8:8, Hosea 4:6, Mark 7:13, Romans 3:31).
7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, A bunch of hypocrites! Isaiah's prophesy about you was right. What did Isaiah say?
8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. These people say they honor me, but their hearts are far away. They talk a good religion, but that is all it is, "a big show."
9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Empty worship! Worthless and a farce because they teach the doctrines of men, instead of God's Word. Jesus is quoting from (Isaiah 29:13) Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Do you know the difference between the truth of God's Word and traditions of men?
10And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Listen and try to understand what I am saying.
11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. You are not made unholy by eating certain food! It is what you say and think that makes you unclean. Real teachers teach God's Word. Rip-offs build you up with traditions of men, false doctrines, and whatever makes you feel comfortable and secure. Another mark for rip-offs, is that they are always begging for money. Never satisfied with what their congregation provides, they always solicit outside the church for more donations.
12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? The Pharisees were offended by what Christ had said to them. O-well, this was tuff stuff for them to handle, but it was the truth.
13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Those like the Pharisees will be rooted up! We are also referring to the "Kenites" (sons of Cain). Those who are not children of the Heavenly Father, but the tares, who are "children" of the devil. (Matthew 13:38-39).
14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. "Ignore them." They are blind guides leading the blind, and both will fall into a ditch. (All we can do with people like this is to plan a seed. It is up to God if the seed takes or not).
15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. Peter should have understood what Christ was saying, but he didn't. He was still wrapped up in the old laws and traditions. (It appears everything had to be proven, explained, or demonstrated to Peter). Was Peter a little slow, or was it just a lack of faith? I'm not coming down on Pater. Maybe this was an example to us. Are we a little slow to learn at times?
16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? You still don't understand what I am saying after all the parables.
17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? Don't you understand that anything you eat passes through the digestive track and out again?
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Evil words come from an evil heart, and defile the man who says them. The religious community was teaching that what you eat was more important for salvation that what you think or feel in your heart.
19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These evil thoughts and actions will get you into big trouble.
20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Traditions and rituals have nothing to do with salvation or the commandments of God. (Traditions and rituals in churches today are all for show). "If it looks religious, it will draw people in."
21Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Christ wanted nothing to do with their rituals and traditions and left them.
22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. This Gentile woman calls Him Son of David. She has an idea of who Jesus was. (Did this woman here of Him before)? Maybe the devil within her daughter gave her the clue. Remember that the devils knew who Christ was back in Matthew 8:29.
23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Christ did not even answer her, and the disciples replied that she is bothering us and send her away.
24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Christ told her that He was sent to save the lost sheep of Israel, not the gentiles. This was only till after the crucifixion, when Christ and salvation was open to all who will.
25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. She pled and worshipped Him.
26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. It doesn't seem right to take bread from the children and cast it to the dogs. This was a kind of slang statement used for a non-believer.
27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Here the woman is in the presence of the "Bread of Life" and all she wants is a crumb.
28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Because of the woman's great faith in taking part of that bread of life, the demon was cast out and her daughter was healed. "No doubt the woman was healed also."
29And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. He returned back to the city of Galilee where He started from. Christ walked around 100 miles total for that lesson.
30And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: He healed them all.
31Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel. They knew who He was and had faith in Him. The crowds marveled and praised the God of Israel.
32Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. They crowds were with Jesus for three days and they ran out of food to feed them.
33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? After Christ fed the 10,000 in the wilderness, they still wondered where the food was going to come from. Do I sense a little lack of faith among the disciples? Do we get confused at times and show our lack of faith?
34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. More than they had before when He fed the multitudes of people.
35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. Christ likes to keep things in order.
36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. Always give thanks to God for the things you have. Once again as before, Christ gave the food to the disciples to give to the multitudes. Just as we as students and teachers of the Word are to feed the flock. "Spread the Good News."
37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. Started with seven loaves of bread and ended up with seven baskets left over. "Seven meaning spiritual completeness."
38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. Around 8,000 people in all.
39And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. Then Jesus sent the people home and got into the boat and crossed to Magadan (the tower). "The old watch tower." Well, maybe the disciples were a little slow at learning the lesson and lacked a little faith when Jesus fed the multitudes. Jesus was patient with them, and will be patient with many of us when we are slow to learn.
Keep the faith,
Barton
