The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 15

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The Gospel According to Matthew Chapter 15

The Bible Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/MAT.15.NIV

In or Out? Faith of Abandoned, Feeding 4000

That Which Defiles

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” (Pharisees- religious leaders of the time- focused on the tradition- washing hand before meal- rather than the true spirit of the law; Love and Caring.)

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? (Law of love is superior than culture or tradition.)

4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ (This is the Fifth Commandment.)

5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. (But some people ignore the spirit of the law, which is love, under the pretext of convenience: "We give everything to God, so we have nothing left to give to our parents."

7 You hypocrites! (who are justifying themselves with legalism- showing up) Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ” (Isa. 29:13, God wants us to love each other. This is how we obey God for His glory.)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand.

11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” (Not the way of eating but the heart proves true cleanness.)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” (Pharisees were offended by the teaching of Jesus.)

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. (Things must to be as God made. Otherwise all go vain.)

14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable (of food or heart, vs.11) to us.”

16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.

17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? (How to eat- washing hand- is a mere physical.)

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. (But heart governs what comes from mouth- speech- which indicates the purity of the heart.)

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. (Evil heart produces evil thoughts and actions. We must guard our heart. Prov. 4:23)

20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Evil thoughts out of evil heart defile a person.)

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. (Mediterranean coast of northeastern Palestine. Active area at the time.)

22 A Canaanite woman (hated/avoided people by Jews) from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” (She was seeking the true savior, and acknowledging Jesus is the One.)

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Jesus pretended to ignore the woman for a second thought.)

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. (She didn't give up her request.)

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (Such a word of rejection!)

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (She humbled herself to the ground. Her humanly pride is useless for the salvation. She also knew that the crumbs, if those are of Jesus, are mighty enough for her blessings.)

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. (Jesus was waiting for this. He gave her chance to show her determination in her faith. And He allowed His healing for her. People discriminate, but not God. God's love is unconditional.)

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand (14:13-21, Again)

29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.

31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel. (Healing was the most urgent and visible ministry of Jesus.)

32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” (Jesus shows mercy to those in need.)

33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (The disciples concerns with what they can't do.)

34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. (Jesus seeks the given/available possibility.)

“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.

36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. (Jesus uses those resources given to Him regardless of the significance of. He is the one who gives the significance to those available.)

37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. (God's supply is good enough for our needs.)

39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan. (His ministry journey continues as long as there is need out there.)