Matthew 15

 Mat 15:1-3

1 Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 

1. Vs1 The appearance of the scribes and Pharisees seems to indicate what?

2. Vs2 What is tradition? Ritual, long held opinion or belief

3. Vs2 They seem to have a very high value of their tradition.

4. Vs2 Jesus doesn't appear to feel the slightest bit obligated to obey their traditions.

5. Vs2 There doesn't seem to be any OT law about washing hands except for Aaron the high priest washing hands and feet before entering the tent of meeting

1. Cleanliness is next to Godliness?

6. Vs3 The scribes and Pharisees trump the OT commandments with their traditions.

Mat 15:4-6

4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 

1. Vs4 Jesus draws from the 10 commandments again to make His point. Wonder why? Murder, adultery

2. Vs4 Jesus takes the commandment:

Exo 20:12 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee.

And includes

Exo 21:17 And he that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

3. Vs5 What have the Scribes and Pharisees changed this commandment to? 

1. Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God

2. Who would have benefitted from this?

3. Their traditions have trumped God's commands

4. Vs6 He does not honor his father? Some transcripts include `"mother". Who might Jesus be referring to here? God the Father.

5. Vs6 Their traditions have voided out the word of God

Mat 15:7-9

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people honoreth me with their lips;  But their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain do they worship me,  Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. 

1. Vs7-8 

1. Isa 29:13-14 

13 And the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw nigh unto me, and with their mouth and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men which hath been taught them; 14 therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

2. Vs9 In vain do they worship me…

1. Jesus is making reference to their breaking of another commandment? Which one?

Exo 20:7 

Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Hence, Jesus is holding them guilty!

Mat 15:10-14

10 And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. 12 Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

1. Vs10 He calls the multitude. Ironically, He still speaks in parable but says "hear and understand". Wonder if He wishes He could be plainer.

2. Vs11 What does verse 11 mean?

3. Vs11 What proceeded out of their mouth that defiled them?

4. Vs12 Why did the disciples ask Jesus if He realized the Pharisees were offended by verse 11?

1. Maybe they weren't sure if He did it intentionally?

2. Maybe it is difficult for the disciples to accept the idea that the respected religious leaders were defiled

3. Their religious culture was so ingrained within the disciples that it was hard for them to hear.

5. Vs13 What does vs13 mean? 

1. All doctrine of which his Father was not the author must be rooted up or corrected. 

2. In this case, the false doctrines of the Pharisees

6. Vs14 Jesus says "Let them alone…" or "Leave them" or "let them go". Let what go?

7. Vs14 They are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

Mat 15:15-20

15 And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. 16 And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding? 17 Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings: 20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man. 

1. Vs15 Seems the disciples still don't get it.

2. Vs16 Does Jesus seem to get a little annoyed with their ignorance? Possibly

1. You still don't get it yet?

2. Thayers dictionary:

unintelligent, without understanding, stupid, foolish

3. Vs17 Don’t you get that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and then is expelled into the toilet?

1. I guess the implication is that the body takes in of the food that is of value and ejects the rest.

2. Since the body rejects food which isn't of value, food eaten cannot pollute the body.

4. Vs18 Jesus now tells the disciples what will defile the body or the man: 

1. Those things that come from the heart

5. Vs19 Jesus clarifies which things of the heart that defile a man. What are they?

1. Evil thoughts

2. Murders

3. Adultries

4. Fornications (porneia)

5. Theft

6. False witness

7. Blasphemies

Many of these are hinted or directly referred to in the Ten Commandments

6. Vs20 The true source of pollution in man is from within! 

7. Vs20 So to think a person is corrupted because they don't wash their hands is absurd!

Mat 15:21-28

21 And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs. 27 But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour. 

1. Vs21 Jesus goes out of Israel into the gentile territory of Tyre and Sidon.

2. Vs22 A Canaanite (Phoenician) woman approaches him and says “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!”.

1. Any irony in her response vs the response of the Pharisees and scribes? Certainly

1. Those from Tyre/Sidon shouldn't recognize Jesus as "Lord, son of David"

2. Those from Israel should recognize Jesus as "Lord, the son of David"

3. The lady is identified as a Canaanite. Canaanites were the previous inhabitants of Israel / Palestine before the Israelites came in and chased them out.

3. Vs23 Jesus doesn't respond a word. Why? Possible to make sure the disciples take notice?

4. Vs23 The disciples finally come to Jesus. What do they say?

1. Send her away; for she crieth after us. What do they mean?

1. To set free, to free fully, relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon, or (specifically) divorce

2. Heal her so she can stop making so much noise

5. Vs24 What does Jesus say?

1. "I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

2. Does Jesus' response make more sense if the disciples asked Him to:

1. Tell the lady to scram, because she is making a lot of noise?

Or

2. Heal her and send her away?

6. Vs25 She comes and worships Him, saying "Lord help me".

7. Vs26 Jesus says "It is not good to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs." What does He mean?

1. Doesn't He realize that they would be encountering "dogs" outside of Israel? Why go there at all?

2. Wonder if He is trying to teach His disciples something? What?

1. Maybe He is trying to help the disciples to "do" verse 14?

8. Vs27 Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their: masters. What does this mean?

9. Vs28 "O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour." Lesson for the disciples?

1. Jesus comes for the house of Israel

2. Even if not part of the house of Israel, "faith" entitles a person to the benefits. In this cause deliverance from a demon.

Mat 15:29-31

29 And Jesus departed thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there. 30 And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them: 31 insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel. 

Meanwhile back in Israel

1. Vs29 Back in Israel, near the sea of Galilee, Jesus goes up into a mountain and sits there.

2. Vs30 Great multitudes come with many issues such as lame, blind, dumb, maimed. What does Jesus do?

1. Heals them

3. Vs31 Does He seem to require evidence of their faith?

1. It doesn't seem so. Why? They are entitled to the children's bread

2. Multitude wondered and glorify the God of Israel.

3. Notice the difference between their reaction and the Canaanite woman's reaction?

1. The multitudes of Jews glorify God

2. The Canaanite woman worships Jesus calling Him "Lord"

3. Wonder if this is significant? Not certain

Just in Matthew…

1. Wise men Mat 2:11

2. Leper who Jesus heals Mat 8:2

3. Greek ruler Mat 9:18

4. The disciples when Jesus walked on water and showed up as a ghost Mat 14:33

5. Mary Magdalene and other Mary at the tomb of Jesus when he appeared Mat 28:9

6. Eleven disciples after Jesus appeared to them after His death. Thomas may have doubted Mat 28:17

Mat 15:32-39

32 And Jesus called unto him his disciples, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat: and I would not send them away fasting, lest haply they faint on the way. 33 And the disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude? 34 And Jesus said unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few small fishes. 35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36 and he took the seven loaves and the fishes; and he gave thanks and brake, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37 And they all ate, and were filled: and they took up that which remained over of the broken pieces, seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.

1. Vs32 Possibly prophetic words spoken here

2. Vs33-35 Feeding of the four thousand

1. Jesus tells the disciples He doesn't want to send the multitude away hungry

2. Had already occured once before in Mat 14

3. Seven loaves and a few small fishes

4. Why does He command them to sit?

3. Vs36 Pattern 

1. From disciples to Jesus, who blesses, given back to disciples, and disciples give to multitude. Jesus provides all increase

4. Vs37 significance of amount of leftovers? 

1. Seven here

2. Previously twelve

5. Vs38 4000 not including women and children. Previously 5000 not including women and children

6. Vs39 multitudes sent away