mat16

Matthew 15:1-3 Beginning this chapter we find the Pharisees and scribes coming to Jesus from Jerusalem. I would say that they had been sent out to follow Jesus and watch Him looking for anything possible to accuse Him. They came to Jesus and asked why His disciples ate without washing their hands. It is the tradition of the elders to do this before eating. Jesus in turn accused the Jewish leaders of writing their own laws and adding to those that God gave in order to help the people obey the law of God. Jesus did not adhere to these traditions of man, which in many instances went against or made alterations to God’s law. Jesus came back at them with a question in hopes of showing them that they were putting oral tradition in place of God’s written law. As we look at Christianity today we also see that this same thing goes on. Man puts oral, or written tradition down as God’s law. One denomination after the other adds to or takes away from the Law of God to form their denominational doctrine. They do this to make things fit what they want and desire. If they desire to worship on Saturday instead of Sunday they make a doctrine for it and manipulate the Words of God to make it fit. Many place their denomination above the Words of God, it is no longer what can you do for God but what can you do for our Denomination? As we look over the church today and the many traditions pertaining to baptism, communion, eating certain foods, tithing, etc. we find such a variant that it is almost impossible to determine which one is right because they all claim to be right! The only right one is the one that adheres strictly to God’s Word and adds not to it nor takes away from it. We cannot put tradition above scripture or in place of scripture ever!

Matthew 15:4-9 We see hear that Jesus is making sure the people hearing Him understand it is not man speaking, but He is speaking the Words of God for He says, “for God said” and than a little further down He says, “But you say,” meaning that their words come from self and His words come from God. The fourth commandment tells us to honor our father and mother and Exodus 21:17 says those that speak evil of father or mother might be put to death. These are the Words of God but the words they say are convoluted to fit what they want them to fit. Jesus says when you use one tradition to contradict or change the Word of God it is wrong and should not be done. The Word of God is all of the scripture from beginning to ending and it is the spoken word delivered by a follower of God as in teaching or preaching. It is a prophecy spoken by a prophet, and the Word of God is Jesus. When you do the things spoken of in these verses you are a hypocrite, knowing what is truly right but doing differently because it fits your needs or desires. Many of us today do this by simply giving lip service! In other words not really believing what we say, or not really applying what we preach to our own life. Jesus than quotes from Isaiah 29 saying that the people only give honor when it suits them for their evil purposes. They speak in vain making the things of God worthless and bringing the spirit of evil into their life and those around them. Be cautious is what Jesus says to us, be cautious that we discern the law taught by man from the law taught by God!

Matthew 15:10-11 Jesus calls the multitude to Him and says, “Hear and understand.” One must hear to understand and one must understand to put into practice that which they have heard and than they can also apply it or teach it to others. Jesus is letting them know by this phrase that He is about to say something very important. It is not what goes into a man’s mouth that defiles the man but what comes out of his mouth! Washing your hands will not keep sin from your life, but watching what goes into your life can keep sin from your life! A person’s heart always speaks the truth of what is inside.

Matthew 15:12 The disciples come to Jesus after hearing what He said to the Pharisees and probably both seeing and hearing their reactions as they went there way. They told Jesus that they were offended by His words. More than likely the Pharisees and scribes felt the words were aimed directly at them.

Matthew 15:13 Jesus speaks to the disciples saying that anything that is not of God will be rejected! If God did not create it then it was destined to be destroyed and eventually stand before the throne of judgment.

Matthew 15:14 Jesus says to the disciples leave the scribes and Pharisee’s alone for they are blind men leading the blind. These men have chosen the way of life they wanted and nothing is going to change it. How many of us know people that have chose the world over God and no matter what we do or anyone else their minds are made up. When the blind leads the blind both will fall so anyone following after the teaching of the Pharisee’s and scribes will also fall along with them.

Matthew 15:15-20 Peter questions Jesus as to the meaning of what He said and Christ asks him if he still lacks wisdom. Jesus says are you so dull Peter that you do not know the answer? You might say Jesus was totally amazed at Peter’s asking Him this question to something that should have been so easily understood by him. Jesus goes on though to explain that it matters not what goes into the mouth because it goes into the stomach and soon is eliminated. What does matter though is what comes out from the mouth for those things come from the heart and that can defile the man. If evil goes in than evil will come out. Out of the heart of an evil man comes thoughts of murder, theft, adultery, backbiting, slander, false testimony, and much more and these things defile man not eating with unwashed hands!

Matthew 15:21 Tyre and Sidon are located northwest of the Sea of Galilee between the Lebanon Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Sidon is around 60 miles from Galilee and Tyre around 40 miles.

Matthew 15:22 After arriving in this area a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus boldly calling out to Him, “Lord, Son of David,” which is the title many gave to Jesus believing Him to be the Messiah. She spoke out saying that her daughter was demon possessed. The phrase used here means “violently possessed” or “controlled by a demon.”

Matthew 15:23 Jesus does not immediately respond to the woman and His disciples came to Him to see if He wanted them to send her away. She was a foreigner and she continued to cry out to Jesus and the disciples asking for help. This woman was determined and realized that Christ was her only hope.

Matthew 15:24 Jesus responds to the disciples saying He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 15:25 The woman though continued with her cry for mercy, the same cry many of us have uttered and will utter again, “Lord, help me!” She was determined and didn’t care that she was a foreigner. Her daughter needed help and she believed Jesus was the one to help.

Matthew 15:26-28 Jesus spoke saying that it is not right to minister to foreigners while the Jewish people are in need of ministry. But the woman bows before Jesus and pleads with Him saying, yes my Lord, but even the dogs, (Jewish people often called the Gentiles dogs) get the crumbs from the table of their master. Hearing this Jesus said unto her, woman your faith is great let it be done that you ask of me and her daughter was at that moment free from the grips of satan.

Matthew 15:29-31 Jesus then departed from this area and went up the mountain and sat down. Shortly thereafter great multitudes found Him and with them were the blind, deaf, crippled, sick and diseased and they put them before the feet of Jesus and Jesus felt compassion and healed them. The multitude was amazed at the great power of Jesus as they witnessed the lame walking, the dumb speaking, the blind seeing and they glorified the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:32-39 Looking at His disciples Jesus said, come, I feel compassion for the people since they have been with me now three days and are hungry. We must feed them before we send them away. Some feel this feeding is the same as the first one mentioned, but most feel they are two separate events and I agree with that because of Matthew 16:9-10, Mark 8:1-9, and Mark 8:19-20. The first time He fed 5,000 plus women and children, this time He feeds 4,000 plus women and children. And as the first time, Jesus took the fish and loaves and gave thanks blessing the food before He began to divide it up to the disciples to disperse to the people and after all had eaten there was more left than what they started with. Then He departed from the multitude to the western shore of the lake. He comes to an area called Magadan. This name as also been spelled, Magdala, and in Mark 8:10 we find the word, Dalmanutha. Most feel the correct spelling is Magdala the hometown of Mary Magdalene and this location was also known as Dalmanutha.

Father, grant me the great faith shown in this chapter, and the compassion to go beyond the bounds of my safe haven to reach the lost and hurting souls in Jesus name amen.
Where Jesus is Lord!
Living Vine Ministries
Pastor Thomas Miles

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