Mateus 15
John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 15
MacArthur writes that "Ancestral traditions refers to the body of oral teachings about the Old Testament law that came to have equal authority with the Law. Commonly known as the Halakah, this collection of Torah interpretations became a fence around God’s revealed law and all but hid it from view. Over a period of several hundred years it had expanded into a mammoth accumulation of religious, moral, legal, practical, and ceremonial regulations that defied comprehension, much less total compliance. It contained such vast amounts of minutiae that even the most learned rabbinical scholars could not master it either by interpretation or in behavior. Yet the more complex and burdensome it became, the more zealously Jewish legalists revered and propagated it." (Galatians) For (term of explanation explains how they transgress) they do not wash their hands when they eat bread - A simple reading might make one think that the disciples eat food with dirty hands. Of course that is not what the scribes and Pharisees are saying. They are referring to ceremonial washing of hands to assure "ritual purity," a practice that Jesus would soon show focused on the external and not on the internal. Their vain attempts at pursuing "religion" missed God's heart desire for a relationship! Jesus recognized a clean heart above clean hands. -- Vance Havner The Gospel of Mark was written primarily to a Gentile audience who would not have understood these statements about washing hands and so Mark adds an explanation... (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) (Mk 7:3-4+). Allen comments that the Pharisees "believed that the traditions of the elders were binding; and it was profoundly offensive to their religious sensitivities that He—as a Teacher in Israel—had not taught His disciples to keep those traditions and observe them carefully." We have all heard the saying "Cleanliness is next to Godliness" but in the current passage it would be more accurate to say that "Cleanliness is next to Godlessness!" And so in this section we will see Jesus challenge the religious leaders with what is really important in the eyes of God -- Is it the inside or outside? Is it washing hands or washing hearts (cf Ezek 36:24-27+, Titus 3:5-6+)? Is it what goes in the mouth or what comes out of the heart heart? (see Mt 15:16-20)
Mateus 15
MacArthur has an excellent commentary on this section - An ancient rabbi said, “There are ten parts of hypocrisy in the world, nine at Jerusalem and one everywhere else.” The same might be said of much of the church. Satan has no greater allies than hypocrites who go under the guise of God’s people. And hypocrites have no greater ally than tradition, because tradition can be followed mechanically and thoughtlessly, without conviction, sincerity, or purity of heart. Because traditions are made by men, they can be accomplished by men. They require no faith, no trust, no dependence on God. Not only that, but they appeal to the flesh by feeding pride and self-righteousness. Often, as in this case, they also serve self-interest. Because traditions require no integrity of heart, they are easily substituted for true worship and obedience. That is why it is easy for people to honor God with their lips while their heart is far away from Him. And that is why ritual, ceremony, and other religious traditions are more likely to take worshipers further from God than bring them closer. And the further a person is from God, the more vain his worship becomes. The only heart that can worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) is the heart that belongs to Him; and the only heart that belongs to Him is the heart cleansed from sin and made righteous by Him. It is this divine cleansing that God has always offered to those who trust in Him. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you,” He said through Ezekiel, “and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (Ezek. 36:26–27). Unless that transformation happens within a person, his righteousness cannot exceed the hypocritical and superficial righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees—in which case he can never enter the kingdom of God (Matt. 5:20). (MNTC-Mttthew) Question - What does the Bible say about hypocrisy? Answer: In essence, “hypocrisy” refers to the act of claiming to believe something but acting in a different manner. The word is derived from the Greek term for “actor”—literally, “one who wears a mask”—in other words, someone who pretends to be what he is not. The Bible calls hypocrisy a sin. There are two forms hypocrisy can take: that of professing belief in something and then acting in a manner contrary to that belief, and that of looking down on others when we ourselves are flawed. The prophet Isaiah condemned the hypocrisy of his day: “The Lord says, ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” (Isaiah 29:13). Centuries later, Jesus quoted this verse, aiming the same condemnation at the religious leaders of His day (Matthew 15:8-9). John the Baptist refused to give hypocrites a pass, telling them to produce “fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8). Jesus took an equally staunch stand against sanctimony—He called hypocrites “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27), “snakes,” and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:33). We cannot say we love God if we do not love our brothers (1 John 2:9). Love must be “without hypocrisy” (Romans 12:9, NKJV). A hypocrite may look righteous on the outside, but it is a façade. True righteousness comes from the inner transformation of the Holy Spirit not an external conformity to a set of rules (Matthew 23:5; 2 Corinthians 3:8). Jesus addressed the other form of hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5). Jesus is not teaching against discernment or helping others overcome sin; instead, He is telling us not be so prideful and convinced of our own goodness that we criticize others from a position of self-righteousness. We should do some introspection first and correct our own shortcomings before we go after the “specks” in others (cf. Romans 2:1). During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He had many run-ins with the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees. These men were well versed in the Scriptures and zealous about following every letter of the Law (Acts 26:5). However, in adhering to the letter of the Law, they actively sought loopholes that allowed them to violate the spirit of the Law. Also, they displayed a lack of compassion toward their fellow man and were often overly demonstrative of their so-called spirituality in order to garner praise (Matthew 23:5–7; Luke 18:11). Jesus denounced their behavior in no uncertain terms, pointing out that “justice, mercy, and faithfulness” are more important than pursuing a perfection based on faulty standards (Matthew 23:23). Jesus made it clear that the problem was not with the Law but the way in which the Pharisees implemented it (Matthew 23:2-3). Today, the word pharisee has become synonymous with hypocrite. It must be noted that hypocrisy is not the same as taking a stand against sin. For example, it is not hypocrisy to teach that drunkenness is a sin, unless the one teaching against drunkenness gets drunk every weekend—that would be hypocrisy. As children of God, we are called to strive for holiness (1 Peter 1:16). We are to “hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). We should never imply an acceptance of sin, especially in our own lives. All we do should be consistent with what we believe and who we are in Christ. Play-acting is meant for the stage, not for real life. GotQuestions.org Matthew 15:8 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. NET Matthew 15:8 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, NLT Matthew 15:8 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ESV Matthew 15:8 "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; NIV Matthew 15:8 " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. GNT Matthew 15:8 Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ· KJV Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. HONORS ME: Isa 29:13 Eze 33:31 Joh 1:47 1Pe 3:10 BUT THEIR HEART: Pr 23:26 Jer 12:2 Ac 8:21 Heb 3:12 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LIP SERVICE FROM HYPOCRITES THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS - A modern saying is they give God "lip service," but lack life submission. It is good to honor God with one's lips, but only if our words truly reflect the worship in our heart! These men are all words and show! The leaders continually made profession that they were honoring Yahweh! One is reminded of Paul's description of hypocrites who "profess (present tense - continually) to know God, BTU by their deeds (THEIR PRACTICE, THEIR "ROTTEN" FRUIT) they deny (present tense = CONTINUALLY DENY) Him, being detestable (bdekluktos from bdeo = TO STINK!) and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.(Titus 1:16+) In short, their earthly life is essentially USELESS in regard to eternal things. That is sad, but is the sad truth of every unbeliever, not matter how grand their earthly accomplishments! What the Bible Teaches - The pharisaical mouth and lips would engage in the synagogue services, appearing to be justified before men, but known to be otherwise by God; what is outwardly esteemed by men is regarded by God as an abomination (Luke 16:15), (this word being the same as that describing the image set up by the anti-Christ, Matt 24:15). Compare the words spoken to God by the Pharisee in the parable (Luke 18:11-12); there was no justification from God since the heart was far from Him. Brian Bell - There is a big difference between tradition and truth -- Tradition is outward; Truth is inward. Tradition has to do w/ritual; Truth has to do w/reality. Tradition is something you keep; Truth is something that keeps you. What a tragedy that religious people would ignorantly practice their religion and become worse for doing it. Jesus doesn’t say, well as long as you’re sincere! (ED: Because you can be sincerely wrong and end up in Hell!) Honors (5091) see above on timao BUT - Term of contrast. A "but" usually "changes direction," and in this case the meaning is clear from the context. THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME - "Isaiah’s words struck at the heart of the Pharisaic system, which pretended to love God, yet worshiped Him in a way that was superficial, contrived, unbiblical, and unacceptable." (MacArthur) Notice Jesus' association of lips with heart, a relationship He will explain in more detail in His parabolic saying in Mark 7:14-23+. THOUGHT - Yet it may also be true of us. We can appear to draw near to God, all the while having our heart far from Him. It is easy to want and be impressed by the image of being near to God without really doing it with our heart.. God is interested in the internal and the real. We are far more interested in the merely external and image. One must take care that their relationship with God is not merely external and image. (Guzik) Alan Carr sums up this verse - A Religious Showing Does Not Indicate Spiritual Worship v. 8 - Just because a person goes to church, sings the songs, bows in prayer and listens to a sermon does not mean that they have truly worshiped! Just because you go to church and do churchy things does not mean that you are genuinely saved! You see, every person in this room is religious. That is evident from the fact that they are in church today. But, not every person here has been redeemed! Only those who have trusted Jesus as their personal Savior can claim that blessing, John 3:3; John 14:6! Brian Bell - Heart is far from Me – You can’t think your way into the kingdom of God. Christianity is a rational faith, a reasonable faith, but you do not get into the kingdom head first. You get into the kingdom heart first! THOUGHT - What traditions will we hand down to the next generation, yet consider them doctrine? We shouldn’t pass on Non-Essentials; we must pass on Jesus. (Bell) Far is porro which means a great way off, at a distance. The verb "is...away from" is apecho (apo = “off from + echō = to have or hold, thus literally = “to hold off from") which in this context speaks of continual (present tense) separation in space or distance from a person, in this case from the Person of God. Note also that apecho is in the active voice which means this their volitional choice, the continual choice of their will! They are far off because they want to be! Woe! That is a frightening thought! See other passages describing heart far from God - Ps 78:35,36 Isa 48:1 Eze 33:31, 32 Mt 7:21 Mk 7:6 Lu 6:46 1 Jn 3:18 Titus 1:16, Jas 1:22-25) Circumcision was the mark of the covenant given to Abraham, and it was looked on with the greatest possible reverence by Jews. The heart of Israel's rebellion against God had always been her heart and even before the people of Israel entered the Promised Land, God declared through Moses they needed a "circumcised" heart. Deuteronomy 10:12; 13; 16 “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,13 and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?...16 “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer. (Dt 10:12,13, 16). Note - The OT repeatedly declares that the only religious ceremony or activity that pleases God is that which comes from a contrite, pure, and loving heart (Joshua 24:23; 1Ki 8:23; 2Chr 11:16; Isa 51:7; 57:15, Ps 51:17). Looks Can Be Deceiving These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. —Matthew 15:8 Today's Scripture: Matthew 15:1-11 On June 22, 2002, a 33-year-old pitching star for the St. Louis Cardinals was found dead in his Chicago hotel room. He was young, physically active, and appeared to be in good health. However, the autopsy revealed that he had a 90-percent blockage in two of three coronary arteries, an enlarged heart, and a blood clot in one of the arteries. His appearance misled many to think that he was physically healthy. Jesus said that appearances can deceive people into thinking that they are spiritually healthy. After the Pharisees accused Him and His followers of breaking religious traditions by not washing their hands before they ate, Jesus said that the Pharisees had laid aside commands of God for man-made, religious traditions. He reminded them that kingdom righteousness was not an outside-in job but an inside-out, transforming work of God. Jesus said that they looked impressive spiritually, but their hearts were diseased and distant: “[They] honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matt. 15:8). Their talk never matched their walk, thus producing the illegitimate child of hypocrisy. Agreeing With God These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. —Matthew 15:8 Today's Scripture: Matthew 15:1-9 The caller to the radio program mentioned religion, so the radio talk show host began to rant about hypocrites. “I can’t stand religious hypocrites,” he said. “They talk about religion, but they’re no better than I am. That’s why I don’t like all this religious stuff.” This man didn’t realize it, but he was agreeing with God. God has made it clear that He can’t stand hypocrisy either. It’s ironic, though, that something God opposes is used by some people as an excuse not to seek Him. Jesus said this about hypocrisy: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9). Notice what Jesus said to perhaps the biggest hypocrites of His day, the Pharisees. In Matthew 23, He called them hypocrites—not once, not twice, but seven times! They were religious people who were putting on a big show, but God knew their hearts. He knew they were far from Him. Hypocrisy is a common sin That grieves the Lord above; He longs for those who’ll worship Him n faith and truth and love. —Bosch The devil is content to let us profess Christianity as long as we do not practice it. QUOTES ON HYPOCRISY From John Blanchard's highly recommended work "Complete Gathered Gold." Hypocrites are like pictures on canvas: they show fairest at farthest. Thomas Adams The hypocrite fries in words, freezes in works. Thomas Adams The hypocrite has much angel without, more devil within. Thomas Adams The hypocrite is like Hosea’s doughbaked cake, only hot on the visible side. Thomas Adams Nothing is more amiable than true modesty, and nothing more contemptible than false. The one guards virtue, the other betrays it. Joseph Addison I will have nought to do with a man who can blow hot and cold with the same breath. Aesop The hypocrite desires holiness only as a bridge to heaven. Joseph Alleine A clean glove often hides a dirty hand. Anon. A hypocrite is a man who lets his light so shine before men that they can’t tell what is going on behind! Anon. A hypocrite preaches by the yard but practises by the inch. Anon. Many wear God’s livery but are not his servants. Anon. To profess to love God while leading an unholy life is the worst of falsehoods. Augustine The hypocrite’s bellows blow out the candle under pretence of kindling the fire. Richard Baxter Keeping up appearances is the most expensive thing in the world. A. C. Benson A man who hides behind the hypocrite is smaller than the hypocrite. W. E. Biederwolf If the world despises a hypocrite, what must they think of him in heaven? Josh Billings Hypocrisy is nothing better than skindeep holiness. John Blanchard It is possible to be back-slapping and backsliding at the same time. John Blanchard Spoken faith is not necessarily saving faith. John Blanchard What you are in public will never blind God to what you are in private. John Blanchard A man who does not practise what he preaches destroys what he builds. Bonaventura An apple, if it be rotten at the core, though it have a fair and shining outside, yet rottenness will not stay long, but will taint the outside also … hypocrisy will discover itself in the end. John Bond God will not be put off with the shell while we give the devil the kernel. Thomas Brooks Self-ends are the operative ingredients in all a hypocrite does. Thomas Brooks The hypocrite is a cloud without rain, a blossoming tree without fruit, a star without light, a shell without a kernel. Thomas Brooks The hypocrite is only constant in inconstancy. Thomas Brooks There is not more counterfeit coin this day in the world than there is counterfeit holiness in the world. Thomas Brooks Do not seek to cover up your sins with the varnish of hypocrisy, the fine gloss that pleases men. William C. Burns Hypocrites are so stupid that they do not feel their sores. John Calvin A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint. Oswald Chambers A hypocrite may well be termed a religious atheist, an atheist masked with religion. Stephen Charnock A running sore may lie under a purple robe. Stephen Charnock If the devil ever laughs, it must be at hypocrites; they are the greatest dupes he has. C. C. Colton Men defend nothing more violently than the pretensions they live by. Allen Drury A man can be outwardly conformed to the Christian way of life while he is inwardly conformed to the spirit of this world. Sinclair Ferguson A man may have the tongue of an angel and the heart of a devil. John Flavel Religion is the best armour in the world, but the worst cloak. Thomas Fuller There is nothing worse than being something on the outside that you are not on the inside. Mohandas Gandhi There are three things I don’t like—they are liver, kidneys and hypocrisy. A. Lindsay Glegg Hypocrisy not only covers faults, but swiftly eats out of the soul every remnant of truth and honour left in it. Richard Glover Piety outside and corruption inside is a revolting mixture. Michael Green Hypocrisy is a lie with a fair cover over it. William Gurnall Hypocrisy is a sin that offers violence to the very light of nature. William Gurnall Hypocrisy is too thin a veil to blind the eyes of the Almighty. William Gurnall We must not spread our sails of profession in a calm and furl them up when the wind rises. William Gurnall Many a Christian, many a church, has everything in the showcase and nothing on the shelves. Vance Havner There is no use singing of milk and honey, figs and pomegranates, if all we have to show is crab apples! Vance Havner Hypocrites and betrayers of Christ are no better than devils. Matthew Henry Hypocrites do the devil’s drudgery in Christ’s livery. Matthew Henry Piety from the teeth outward is an easy thing. Matthew Henry The day is coming when hypocrites will be stripped of their fig-leaves. Matthew Henry Where the hypocrite’s work ends, there the true Christian’s work begins. Matthew Henry A good name upon an unchanged nature is but white feathers upon a black skin. William Jenkyn A rotten apple discovers itself in a windy day. William Jenkyn Hereafter all paint must fall off which is not laid in the oil of sincerity. William Jenkyn There are many who are lip-servants but not life-servants. William Jenkyn How difficult it is to avoid having a special standard for oneself! C. S. Lewis Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst. C. S. Lewis The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. Anne Morrow Lindbergh We play the game; God keeps the score. Erwin W. Lutzer There are over many who have much knowledge and little virtue, and who often speak of God while rarely speaking to him. Malaval It is the mark of a hypocrite to be a Christian everywhere except at home. Robert Murray M’Cheyne Whitewashing the pump won’t make the water pure. D. L. Moody There is something of the hypocrites in us all. Derek Prime There are many who agree with God in principle but not in practice. Richard Owen Roberts The hypocrite will have the lowest place in hell. J. C. Ryle Whatever we are in our religion, let us resolve never to wear a cloak. Let us by all means be honest and real. J. C. Ryle A painted harlot is less dangerous than a painted hypocrite is. William Secker No hypocrite can bear the cross. Henry Smith Nothing devalues the truth more quickly than the counterfeit. R. C. Sproul Conviction of ignorance is the doorstep to the temple of wisdom. C. H. Spurgeon Nothing is more to be despised than a mere painted fire, the simulation of earnestness. Sooner let us have an honest death than a counterfeit life. C. H. Spurgeon Of all things in the world that stink in the nostrils of men, hypocrisy is the worst. C. H. Spurgeon Religion which is begun in hypocrisy will certainly end in apostasy. William Spurstowe How few of us live one life and live it in the open! We are tempted to wear a different mask and play a different role according to each occasion. This is not reality but play-acting, which is the essence of hypocrisy. John R. W. Stott Some people weave around them such a tissue of lies that they can no longer tell which part of them is real and which is make-believe. John R. W. Stott Ignorance is the mother of superstition, not of devotion. Augustus H. Strong Hypocrisy is the loudest lie. George Swinnock Ignorance and confidence are often twins. George Swinnock To be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance. Jeremy Taylor I cannot believe that a man is on the road to heaven when he is habitually performing the kind of deeds that would logically indicate that he ought to be on his way to hell. A. W. Tozer When hypocrites ran up against Jesus it was like a cat running into a mowing machine. A. W. Tozer We must not think to dine with the devil all day and sup with Christ at night. John Trapp The righteous man hath grace beyond expression; the hypocrite hath expression beyond grace. Ralph Venning Hypocrites cannot sail in stormy weather. Thomas Watson Hypocrites love a cheap religion. Thomas Watson The hypocrite hath a squint eye, for he looks more to his own glory than God’s. Thomas Watson The hypocrite’s tongue may be silver, yet his heart stone. Thomas Watson The white devil is the worst. Thomas Watson Not ignorance, but the ignorance of ignorance, is the death of knowledge. Alfred North Whitehead Matthew 15:9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" NET Matthew 15:9 and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" NLT Matthew 15:9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.' " ESV Matthew 15:9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" NIV Matthew 15:9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" GNT Matthew 15:9 μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων. KJV Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. BUT IN VAIN : Ex 20:7 Lev 26:16,20 1Sa 25:21 Ps 39:6 Ps 73:13 Ec 5:2-7 Isa 1:13-15 58:1-3 Mal 3:14 Mk 7:7 1Co 15:2 Jas 2:20 TEACHING AS DOCTRINES: De 12:32 Pr 30:5-6 Isa 29:13 Col 2:18-22 1Ti 1:4 1Ti 4:1-3,6,7 Tit 1:14 Heb 13:9 Rev 22:18 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Isaiah 29:13 Then the Lord said, “Because this people draw near with their words And honor Me with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Mark 7:7+ ‘BUT IN VAIN (maten) DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ (ALL CAPS = quote from OT - Isaiah Deuteronomy 12:32+ “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it. Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. Revelation 22:18+ I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 1 Timothy 1:4+ nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. EMPTY RITUALISTIC HYPOCRITICAL WORSHIP BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME - NLT minces no words rendering it "Their worship is a farce." Jesus must have really stirred their anger when He declared their worship was senseless, to no end, pointless and without result. Jesus had earlier given an example of vain worship declaring “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Mt 6:7+) What the Bible Teaches - The context of Isa 29:13 is important: because of men's activities, God had poured out "the spirit of deep sleep", having closed their eyes, and having covered the prophets (v. 10). Any vision was to them as a sealed book; in Isa 6:10 the prophet had to blind men, in Matt 13:15 the people blinded their own eyes, in John 12:40 the Lord had blinded their eyes. Thus if there is no reception of divine teaching, then there is a vacuum left to be filled with men's teaching, and then there can be no acceptable worship, for this flows from true hearts filled with true doctrine. The mouth and lips cannot make up for what is lacking in the heart. Thus the strong meat mentioned in Heb 5:14 leads to the sacrifice of praise in 13:15. The water that the Lord would give should lead to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:14, 24). But time and again God would not accept offerings that He regarded as vain (Isa 1:11). (What the Bible Teaches Commentary) Broadus - In vain, i. e., it is not acceptable to God, nor profitable for themselves. So at the present day many persons claim a divine authority for ideas and practices which are simply of human origin (comp. on v. 2). We are not only under no obligation to conform to these, but it is our duty to oppose them wherever they tend to the violation or neglect of God’s commandments. It must also be remembered that our common human nature is very prone to be intent upon the forms of religion and neglect its spirit; to honor God with the lips, while the heart is far from him. (Matthew 15 Commentary) TEACHING (didasko - present tense = continually) AS DOCTRINES (didaskalia) THE PRECEPTS (entalma) OF MEN - Simply stated the Jewish religious leaders had substituted men's teachings (traditions) for God's and were presenting these human precepts in place of the true precepts of God, the only precepts that lead to genuine worship of God..The NLT paraphrase has "Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'" What is the problem? The precepts of men focus attention in the wrong direction (toward man, away from God), so that worship then becomes empty and worthless, no matter how wonderful it may seem to be externally! THOUGHT - How much church attendance and “Christian” activity preoccupy believers today with things they assume please God yet without ever really ministering materially or spiritually to the desperately needy people of our world? How much of our money is tied up in church buildings or spent only on programs and activities to make ourselves happy rather than caring for the hurting in our midst and across the globe? The more affluent sectors of Western Christianity frequently and frighteningly resemble the religion of the Pharisees as depicted here. God declares all such religion “vain” or futile (v. 9). (Blomberg - NAC) Warren
Mateus 15
MacArthur writes that "Isaiah’s words struck at the heart of the Pharisaic system, which pretended to love God, yet worshiped Him in a way that was superficial, contrived, unbiblical, and unacceptable." (See Mark Commentary) Creationist Henry
Mateus 15
MacArthur - Spiritual defilement is a matter of the inside, not the outside. No spiritual or moral contamination can result from what we eat. The physical has no way of defiling the spiritual. “Don’t be deceived and misled by the foolish traditions you have been taught,” Jesus was saying. “The practice of washing your hands before you eat has nothing to do with making you undented. What matters is what is in your heart. John
Mateus 15
MacArthur - No Jew should have been shocked at what Jesus was saying. Just as in the Sermon on the Mount, He was not teaching new truths but was simply reinforcing truths that God’s Word had always taught. Even the most unlearned among the crowd had doubtlessly heard the story of the Lord’s choosing David to be Israel’s king in place of Saul. When Jesse brought his sons before Samuel, the prophet thought that Eliab, the eldest, was “‘surely the Lord’s anointed.’ ... But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1Sa16:6-7). A person’s defiled heart is expressed both in what he says and in what he does; but the mouth is the more dominant revealer of internal pollution, because it is through our words that hatred, deception, cruelty, blasphemy, and most other evils are most clearly manifest. Defiles (2840)(koinoo from koinos = common, defiled, unclean, unholy, profane, that which lies common or open to all) means to make koinos or common. In Scripture, koinoo means to make unclean, to profane (treat something with irreverence or contempt), to desecrate (to treat disrepectfully, irreverentially, outrageously), to render unhallowed, to pollute, to make or cause to become ritually unacceptable. The idea of koinoo is a violation of ritual holiness. Koinoo - Classic Greek - to make one a participant in something, to have a share in, to unite. All NT uses.- Matt. 15:11; Matt. 15:18; Matt. 15:20; Mk. 7:15; Mk. 7:18; Mk. 7:20; Mk. 7:23; Acts 10:15; Acts 11:9; Acts 21:28; Heb. 9:13 Proceeds out (1607)(ekporeuomai from ek = out + poreuomai = come, go) to make to go forth, to go forth. Friberg - (1) literally; (a) absolutely go from or out of a place, depart from (Mk 6.11); go out (Acts 9.28); (b) of the dead coming out of tombs emerge, come forth (Jn 5.29); (c) of demons come out ( Mt 17.21); (d) of a journey set out (Mk 10.17); (2) figuratively; (a) of words or thoughts proceed from, go or come out of the mouth, i.e. be spoken (Mt 15.11); (b) of a report spread abroad, tell everywhere (Lk 4.37); (c) of the Spirit proceed from (Jn 15.26); (d) of water flow out, stream forth (Rev 22.1) BDAG - 1. to be in motion from one area to another, 2. to come forth from, come/go out, proceed, in imagery, of things, words, or thoughts Mt 15:11, Lk 4:22; Eph 4:29. What comes out of a pers. Mk 7:15, 20, 21, 23. Mt 4:4 (Dt 8:3 ). Of truth ev. Hm 3:1. Of fire, lightning, etc. (Job 41:12): lightning (Ezek 1:13) Rev 4:5; fire Rev 9:17,18; 11:5; fiery locusts Hv 4, 1, 6. Of streams of water flow out (Ezek 47:1, 8 , 12) Rev 22:1 Of a sword project Rev 1:16; 19:15; reports about him spread into every place Lk 4:37 Cleanness and Uncleanness under the Old Covenant. The laws concerning unclean animals, Lev 11; served a twofold purpose. Reminders of redemption. The distinction between "clean" and "unclean" animals, served constantly to remind Israel that God had distinguished her from other peoples and set her apart to be his "holy people." Cf. Ex 19:5; Deut 7:6; and G. J. Wenham, Leviticus, 165-71, 180-84. Such reminders called for another kind. Reminders of morality. These ceremonial laws, like the others, were based upon and expressive of God's moral law; they were "symbols of a moral order" and "reminders ... of moral values" (Wenham, 184). "Only the normal members of each sphere of creation, e.g., fishes with fins, counted as clean. This definition, which identified 'perfect' members of the animal kingdom with purity, was a reminder that God looked for moral perfection in his people. Carrion-eating birds and carnivorous animals were unclean because they also typified a man's sinful, destructive, and murderous instincts" (ibid.). (Knox Chamblin) QUESTION - What does the Bible say about what foods we should eat (kosher)? Are there foods a Christian should avoid? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - Leviticus chapter 11 lists the dietary restrictions God gave to the nation of Israel. The dietary laws included prohibitions against eating pork, shrimp, shellfish and many types of seafood, most insects, scavenger birds, and various other animals. The dietary rules were never intended to apply to anyone other than the Israelites. The purpose of the food laws was to make the Israelites distinct from all other nations. After this purpose had ended, Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19+). Later, God gave the apostle Peter a vision that implied formerly unclean animals could be eaten: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15+). When Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4+; Galatians 3:24-26+; Ephesians 2:15+). This includes the laws regarding clean and unclean foods. Romans 14:1-23+ teaches us that not everyone is mature enough in the faith to accept the fact that all foods are clean. As a result, if we are with someone who would be offended by our eating “unclean” food, we should give up our right to do so as to not offend the other person. We have the right to eat whatever we want, but we do not have the right to offend other people, even if they are wrong. For the Christian in this age, though, we have freedom to eat whatever we wish as long as it does not cause someone else to stumble in his/her faith. In the New Covenant of grace, the Bible is far more concerned with how much we eat than what foods Christians eat. Physical appetites are an analogy of our ability to control ourselves. If we are unable to control our eating habits, we are probably also unable to control other habits such as those of the mind (lust, covetousness, unrighteous hatred/anger) and unable to keep our mouths from gossip or strife. As Christians, we are not to let our appetites control us; rather, we are to control them (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:2; 2 Peter 1:5-7; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 10:5). GotQuestions.org Related Resources from Gotquestions.org Why did the Old Testament Law command against the eating of pork? What does it mean to give glory to God whether you eat or drink (1 Corinthians 10:31)? Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?" NET Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and said, "Do you know that when the Pharisees heard this saying they were offended?" NLT Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?" ESV Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" NIV Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" GNT Matthew 15:12 Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Οἶδας ὅτι οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἀκούσαντες τὸν λόγον ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν; KJV Matthew 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? Do You know that the Pharisees: Mt 17:27 1Ki 22:13,14 1Co 10:32,33 2Co 6:3 Ga 2:5 Jas 3:17 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PHARISEES WERE SCANDALIZED Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement - What statement? Clearly the revolutionary revelation of Mt 15:11! At least Jesus was able to illicit some reaction from them, even it was negative. He was not trying to comfort them to convict them that by the truth they might see the error of their ways. But the truth only seemed to hardened them even more to His teaching. These men were hypocrites and the truth of God's Word in effect tore off their "masks" so that one could see what they really were like. John 3 alludes to the effect of light quoting the words of Jesus "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:19-20+)
Mateus 15
MacArthur says "those plants are the ungodly tares, which God now allows to grow alongside the godly wheat. But at the end of the age, the tares will be “gathered up and burned with fire” as God’s angels “will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire” (Matt. 13:40–42)" As
Mateus 15
MacArthur - "Keep away from them and have nothing to do with them. It is spiritually dangerous to stay around apostates and others who steadfastly reject and oppose the gospel of Christ. If there is opportunity to witness to them, it should be done with the greatest of caution, “snatching them out of the fire,” as it were, and being careful not to get burned ourselves in the process (Jude 23). We should not even listen to “the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Tim. 6:20). Exposing ourselves to such people and such teaching risks spiritual disaster (cf. 2 John 8–11)." They are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit - This picture does not need a lot of explaining as it is clear what it means. False teachers like the Pharisees (of their father the devil Jn 8:44) were themselves spiritually blind and deceived and their teaching would deceive others and lead them astray from the truth. Paul alludes to this in 2 Ti 3:13 writing that " evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." D A Carson - “Though the Pharisees and teachers of the law had scrolls and interpreted them in the synagogues, this does not mean that they really understood them … The Pharisees did not follow Jesus; so they did not understand and follow the Scriptures.” Matthew
Mateus 15
MacArthur - The pit physically referred to holes that were dug in a field or pasture and filled with water for use as drinking troughs for animals. A blind man walking through a field would eventually fall into a pit. But the spiritual meaning of pit is hell. The blind guides are the Pharisees themselves, and the other blind are their converts, who become twice the sons of hell as their teachers (Matt. 23:15). A.T.
Mateus 15
MacArthur - “With all I have taught during the last two years,” the Lord was saying, “are you still like the multitudes who do not know what I am talking about? Do you still fail to comprehend the absolute superiority of spirituality over formality, of the internal over the external, of reality over the shadow?” Broadus - The Jews had come very largely to confound ceremonial with moral defilement. To correct this confusion of ideas, our Lord points out that articles of food cannot really pollute, because they pass through the body and out of it, and do not ‘enter the heart’ (Mark 7:19), cannot affect the spiritual nature; but the sinful things which are uttered through the mouth, and proceed from the heart, constitute a real pollution.
Mateus 15
MacArthur - The heart (kardia) represents the inner person, his thoughts, attitudes, desires, loyalties, and motives. THOUGHT - Given the crucial importance of the heart to every aspect of our life it behooves us all, enabled by the Holy Word and the Holy Spirit, to diligently put Solomon's commandment into daily practice (something sadly Solomon failed to do and it split the Kingdom of Israel in 1 Kings 11:1-12, in case you think the issue of the heart is a small matter) - Watch (Lxx = tereo in the present imperative -- see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey this command) over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. (Read extensive notes on Proverbs 4:23)
Mateus 15
MacArthur adds that in addition to the strikes of being a woman and a Gentile, "she came from an area that was engulfed in pagan idolatry and was undoubtedly an idol worshiper herself. Tyre and Sidon were major centers of worship for the fertility goddess Astarte, known as Ashtaroth in the Old Testament (cf. Jdg. 2:13; 10:6; 1 Sa. 7:3–4; 12:10; 31:10). In the minds of the Jews, no self-respecting rabbi would ever allow a Gentile, especially an idolatrous woman, to remain in his presence. The Lord wanted to show His disciples that the message of salvation was for the nations, those whom they had been taught were outside Gods’ grace and blessing....according to Matthew 15:23, “His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’ ” They found the woman bothersome and simply wanted her to be silenced and sent away. The Lord, however, intended to teach them a valuable lesson about the character of genuine faith. (MNTC-Mk) Cry out (2896)(krazo) refers to a loud cry or vociferation, and is a strong word expressing deep emotion. Krazo is one of those onomatopoeic words, the very pronunciation of which imitates the hoarse cry of the raven (listen), and can be an inarticulate and brutish sound or an exclamation of fear or pain. Abbott-Smith says "generally used of inarticulate cries, to scream, cry out (Aesch., etc.)" It is used of the cry of an animal, the barking of a dog and two men in a quarrel, trying to bawl each other down (so Aristophanes, Knights, 1017)" 'The prophet in awful earnestness, and as with a scream of anguish, cries over Israel' (Morison)" Krazō was also a technical, rabbinic term to refer to the loud summons of a prophet, needing to be heard. In Lk 18:39+ the blind beggar cried "to cry clamorously; to scream or shriek." (You can almost hear hid shrieking! He is motivated because he is blind and thinks this Man might help him see!) Uses in Matthew - Matt. 8:29; Matt. 9:27; Matt. 14:26; Matt. 14:30; Matt. 15:22; Matt. 15:23; Matt. 20:30; Matt. 20:31; Matt. 21:9; Matt. 21:15; Matt. 27:23; Matt. 27:50; Related Resources: 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Canaanites International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Canaan; Canaanites Cananaean; Canaanite Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Canaanites The Nuttall Encyclopedia Canaanites Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David - Mark says "the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking (erotao in the imperfect tense pleading again and again) Him to cast the demon out of her daughter." (Mark 7:26+) Have mercy (have pity) in the aorist imperative which speaks of her boldness and confidence. Notice the two titles she appeals to in making her request to Jesus (1) Lord (kurios - possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, sovereign, possessor of absolute authority, ownership rights and uncontested power.) and (2) Son of David. As Lord He had the power. As Messiah He had the authority. THOUGHT- Notice the phrase Have mercy on me, not have mercy on my daughter! Do you see the difference? She had made her daughter's needs her own needs. This is a secret of strong intercessory prayer when we are praying for other's needs as if they are our own needs! I fear too often my intercession for others is not as passionate as it would be if I would take more "possession" of their needs! Lord God pleas help me pray like this Syro-Phoenician, Canaanite woman. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This is an incredible scene for here is a pagan woman (she may have been a Gentile "God fearer" = Acts 13:16, 26+) who recognizes Jesus as the Son of David. She had spiritual eyes to see what the religious leaders and most of the Jewish populace failed to see even though their prophets had repeatedly told them of His coming (2Sa 7:13,16 Isa 11:1+ Jer 23:5 Jer 33:15-17, Zec 12:8+ Lu 1:31,32+ Lu 1:69,70+). It is notable that earlier we see an almost identical request of Jesus, Matthew writing "As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out (krazo in present tense - continually), “Have mercy (eleeo) on us, Son of David!”(Matt. 9:27+) John
Mateus 15
MacArthur points out that "Although its accounts of demonized people reflect many different conditions and degrees of control, Scripture does not clearly distinguish between being possessed, obsessed, or oppressed by demons. Demonization may be denned as a condition in which one or more demons inhabits and gains control over a human being. Demons can attack men spiritually, mentally, and physically. In the spiritual realm they promote false religions, demon worship, the occult, and innumerable kinds of immorality, including murder (Rev. 9:20–21; 18:23–24). In the intellectual and psychological realm they promote such things as false doctrines; insanity and masochism, as in this demon-possessed man, who gashed himself with stones (Mark 5:5); and inability to speak and suicidal mania (see Mark 9:17–22)....It is significant that Jesus never blamed a person for being either diseased or demon controlled. He recognized them as victims of powers beyond their own control and as in need of deliverance, not exhortation or condemnation." (MNTC-Mt) Related Resources International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Demon; Demoniac; Demonology McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Daemon Baker Evangelical Dictionary Demon CARM Theological Dictionary Demon Easton's Bible Dictionary Demon Holman Bible Dictionary Demon Possession Possession, Demon Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Demon Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Demon Smith Bible Dictionary Demon Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Demon The Nuttall Encyclopedia Demon What does the Bible say about demon possession / demonic possession? How do we distinguish a psychological disorder from demon possession? John MacArthur's summary of four ways Scripture describes demon possession Is there activity of demonic spirits in the world today What does the Bible say about demonic oppression? Are demons fallen angels? What does the Bible say about demons? Do demons exist? What does Satan look like? What do demons look like? Can demons attach themselves to non-living/inanimate objects? If angels and demons can’t die, what is the point of their engaging in battle? How are idols connected to demons (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)? Are the demons the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim? Questions about Angels & Demons Why did Jesus allow the demons to enter the herd of pigs? What are unclean spirits? Are unclean spirits demons? Is Satan the master of hell? Do Satan and his demons punish people in hell? Why did God allow Satan and the demons to sin? Why is "the devil made me do it" not a valid excuse? Can a Christian today perform an exorcism? What does the Bible say about casting out demons? How are Catholics able to perform exorcisms if many of their beliefs are unbiblical? Question - What does it mean that Jesus is the son of David? Answer: Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the “son of David.” But the question arises, how could Jesus be the son of David if David lived approximately 1,000 years before Jesus? The answer is that Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Jesus is the promised Messiah, which means He had to be of the lineage of David. Matthew 1 gives the genealogical proof that Jesus, in His humanity, was a direct descendant of Abraham and David through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father. The genealogy in Luke 3 traces Jesus’ lineage through His mother, Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David by adoption through Joseph and by blood through Mary. “As to his earthly life [Christ Jesus] was a descendant of David” (Romans 1:3). Primarily, the title “Son of David” is more than a statement of physical genealogy. It is a Messianic title. When people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, they meant that He was the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus was addressed as “Lord, thou son of David” several times by people who, by faith, were seeking mercy or healing. The woman whose daughter was being tormented by a demon (Matthew 15:22) and the two blind men by the wayside (Matthew 20:30) all cried out to the Son of David for help. The titles of honor they gave Him declared their faith in Him. Calling Him “Lord” expressed their sense of His deity, dominion, and power, and calling Him “Son of David,” expressed their faith that He was the Messiah. The Pharisees understood exactly what the people meant when they called Jesus “Son of David.” But, unlike those who cried out in faith, the Pharisees were so blinded by their own pride that they couldn’t see what the blind beggars could see—that here was the Messiah they had supposedly been waiting for all their lives. They hated Jesus because He wouldn’t give them the honor they thought they deserved, so when they heard the people hailing Jesus as the Savior, they became enraged (Matthew 21:15) and plotted to destroy Him (Luke 19:47). Jesus further confounded the scribes and Pharisees by asking them to explain the meaning of this very title: how could it be that the Messiah is the son of David when David himself refers to Him as “my Lord” (Mark 12:35–37; cf. Psalm 110:1)? The teachers of the Law couldn’t answer the question. Jesus thereby exposed the Jewish leaders’ ineptitude as teachers and their ignorance of what the Old Testament taught as to the true nature of the Messiah, further alienating them from Him. Jesus’ point in asking the question of Mark 12:35 was that the Messiah is more than the physical son of David. If He is David’s Lord, He must be greater than David. As Jesus says in Revelation 22:16, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David.” That is, He is both the Creator of David and the Descendant of David. Only the Son of God made flesh could say that. (Source - GotQuestions.org) Developing Mega-Faith By Ed Dobson Scripture: Mark 7:24–30+, especially verses 27–29. See also Matthew 15:21–28: Introduction: In this story Jesus left the Jewish area of Galilee for the seaport of Tyre, a pagan Gentile area. This was a very un-Jewish and un-rabbinical thing to do, but He knew there was a desperate mother there. Notice the verbs describing her: she heard about Him, came, fell at his feet, and begged His help. Yet Jesus answered her not a word. Her response to His non-response was to keep crying for mercy. Desperate people do desperate things. When you’re desperate you don’t care what people think, nor do you give up easily. Jesus finally said, in summary, “I’ve been sent to the lost sheep of Israel. My mission is the Jews. Why take the food of children and give it to dogs?” The word dog would be better translated, little dog or puppy. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their puppy.” Jesus was not being unkind, but making a theological point—His first priority was the Jewish people. “Yes, Lord,” the woman replied, “but even the puppies under the table get some crumbs.” In other words, “What you’re saying is true, but I don’t need the full meal. Just a few crumbs will be sufficient.” Can you sense this woman’s faith? Jesus did. “Woman,” He said, “you have great faith!” The Greek word is μεγας (megˊ-as), source of the English prefix mega. This woman had mega-faith! From this story, notice the characteristics of mega-faith: Mega-faith does not deny the problem. It is not the power of positive thinking or a way of looking at life through rose-colored glasses. Mega-faith is realistic, acknowledging the challenges, difficulties, struggles, and sufferings. Mega-faith goes directly to the source of blessing. As soon as she heard of Christ, she came and fell at His feet. We sometimes depend too much on our own abilities and resources. But great faith knows that beyond our own resources is the source of all power and blessing—God Himself! (See Heb. 4:14–16+) Mega-faith throws itself at the feet of Jesus. This was an act of submission, carrying the idea of abandonment to the purpose, plan, and power of God. She didn’t come with her own plan and ask Jesus to bless it. She said, “Lord, I give this to You.” It’s frightening to give up control, but when we yield control to Christ, what freedom comes! Mega-faith is persistent. At first, Jesus doesn’t answer this woman; and when He finally did answer her, His tone was discouraging. But she kept begging. We should always pray and not faint. Prayer and faith persist, even when God seems to respond not a word. Mega-faith repeats the word of God. This woman took what Jesus said, repeated it back to Him, then added a request to it. Great faith is anchored in Scripture. Mega-faith responds with submission. “Yes, Lord,” the woman said. Those are two very important words in our prayer vocabulary. They acknowledge Him who is in charge, like Jesus in the Garden, “. . . not my will, but Your will be done.” Great faith surrenders the outcome to God, Who knows what is best for us. Mega-faith is always rewarded. Going home, this woman found her child whole and the demon gone. Great faith is always rewarded with divine intervention which comes either through a miracle or through a specific message from God that enables us on the journey. Conclusion: Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s easy for you to preach, but you don’t know what I’m facing this morning.” The beauty of this story is that it was not the faith of the demon-possessed girl that brought healing, it was the faith of her loving mother. If you can’t muster mega-faith, learn to trust in the faith of those around you. God honors their faith on your behalf. Never underestimate the prayers and faith of others in your behalf. God, grant us great faith. Amen! James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - THE WOMAN OF CANAAN Matthew 15:22–28 Jesus had said, “Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out” (Matt. 11:28); but difficulties have often to be faced and surmounted in the coming. I. Her Character. With regard to her nationality, she was— 1. A WOMAN OF CANAAN. A representative of a class that were without hope, having no promise, and without God in the world (Eph. 2:12). Such were some of us. 2. A WOMAN IN DEEP ANXIETY, “Her daughter was vexed with a devil” (v. 22). Her own soul was thereby grievously vexed. Her great need and conscious helplessness drove her to Jesus. Blessed thirst that draws us to such a fountain. Our poverty, like the prodigal’s, is often the means of driving us home to the house of plenty. II. Her Request. Such soul-agony must cry out. It was— 1. A CRY FOR MERCY. “Have mercy on me” (v. 22). The prayer will always be short when mercy is felt to be the first need. Secure His mercy and you have lifted the sluice for the outflowing of infinite blessing. If mercy is your first plea it will not be your last. 2. A CRY TO THE LORD. “Have mercy on me, O Lord” (v. 22). “To whom can we go but unto Thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Mother Nature is deaf to the cry of the needy. III. Her Difficulties. The first trial she met with was— 1. THE SILENCE OF JESUS. “He answered her not a word” (v. 23). Does it not seem alarmingly strange that Jesus should hold His peace at such a time? There is a needs be. We must not deal with Jesus as one would do in trying an experiment. The silence of the Saviour may lead to deeper searchings of heart. Although He gives no word we may still hope in His character. Other difficulties were— 2. THE CONDUCT OF THE DISCIPLES. “They said, Send her away” (v. 23). Between the silence of Jesus and the surliness of His followers her faith would be severely tested. The conduct of many of Christ’s disciples is more likely to drive away than attract to the Master; their words and actions are sad representations of His gracious character. Are we commending Him by showing love for the perishing? 3. HER OWN UNWORTHINESS. “Jesus said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v. 24). She did not belong to the house of Israel; therefore as a heathen Gentile she had no claim on Him as the Son of David. She was knocking at a closed door. If as sinners we would buy from Him, we must buy without money. “Nothing in my hand I bring.” 4. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs” (v. 26). Deep ploughing this; yes, but the shafts are in the hands of Infinite Love. The promises given only to saints will not be cast to sinners. God cannot be unrighteous, even in saving a soul. She was not a Jewish child; therefore by birth she had no hope. In Christ we meet with a just God and a Saviour. IV Her Argument. “Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall” (v. 27). As much as to say, “That’s the truth, but as LORD Thou canst give me also what I need.” This was a powerful plea, because it was— 1. THE ARGUMENT OF FAITH. “O woman, great is thy faith” (v. 28). She laid fast hold upon His character, not as Son of David, but as the Son of God—as Lord over all, blessed for ever. It was also— 2. THE ARGUMENT OF A BROKEN SPIRIT. She humbly took her place among the undeserving dogs, that the grace of the Lord might reach even to her. Grace delights to flow down and fill the needy. A broken and a contrite spirit He will not despise. V. Her Success. Hers was the triumph of faith. 1. SHE GAINED THE NEEDED BLESSING. “Be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (v. 28). Her “Lord help me” is answered by His offer of Omnipotent fulness. Faith may be tested, but it will not be disappointed. Though He tarry, wait. She knew His Name, and trusted in Him, and He did not forsake her (Psa 9:10). 2. SHE EMBRACED A PASSING PRIVILEGE. While Jesus was passing by she “came out and cried” (v. 22). This was her only opportunity, and she made the most of it. Take heed lest you are letting yours slip. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Matthew 15:23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us." NET Matthew 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, "Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us." NLT Matthew 15:23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. "Tell her to go away," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." ESV Matthew 15:23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." NIV Matthew 15:23 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." GNT Matthew 15:23 ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῇ λόγον. καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἠρώτουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες, Ἀπόλυσον αὐτήν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. KJV Matthew 15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Ge 42:7 De 8:2 Ps 28:1 La 3:8 Send: Mt 14:15 Mk 10:47,48 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SHE'S SHOUTING AT US Really? At "us?" Not really! At Jesus! No she never cried after them…only after her Master. (Brian Bell) But - Term of contrast. This contrast is especially striking for she is crying loudly but Jesus is remaining silent! He did not answer her a word - (See Spurgeon devotional below) - Jesus was not being rude. He was testing her and was stretching her faith, and she proved up to the test. THOUGHT - His reason for not answering appears below. The effect was to develop, strengthen, and manifest her faith (comp. on 9:28). It is often so now; if with hearty confidence in the Lord’s wisdom and mercy we continue to ask, we shall at last receive whatever he sees best for us, and besides may be improved in piety by the delay. The hearer of prayer is not less designing our good when he withholds or defers than when he “hears while we are yet speaking.” (Broadus) Brian Bell - Her faith pushes on despite His closed ear & closed mouth. Now contrast that w/individuals today who say, unless I hear God I will not believe. She shows incredible Job like faith, which didn’t just say, though he smite me...but instead, though He slay me…yet will I trust him.
Mateus 15
MacArthur explains that "The barriers He erected were not designed to push her away but to showcase the authenticity of her faith. Unlike the rich young ruler, whose faith crumbled when tested (cf. Matt. 19:16–22), this woman’s faith was unbreakable. That the Lord had compassion on her is borne out by the rest of this account (cf. John 6:37)." (MNTC-Mk) And implored Him - Implored is erotao in the imperfect tense indicating they asked Jesus several times. " This phrase is left out in Mark because he was writing to Gentiles who would not have understood the disciples’ reluctance in helping a Gentile." (Utley) Saying, "Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us - Send is apoluo in the aorist imperative a command to Jesus. As Broadus explains "Some have thought they wished him simply to order her off, as troublesome and likely to attract to them the attention of others. But they had never seen him dismiss a suppliant in any other way than by doing what was asked; and that they desired him to grant her request is made plain by his answer, which is a reason why he should not grant it. Observe that this was an answer to the disciples, and not addressed to the woman. It is not clear that she heard it; for the statement in v. 25, ‘came and worshipped him,’ implies that she had been following at some little distance, as does also the loud crying of Mt 15:22 f."
Mateus 15
MacArthur has an interesting comment - Why did they not simply expect Jesus to perform a miracle like the one He had performed only a month or so earlier? They probably did. They could not possibly have forgotten the earlier occasion, especially since they were directly involved in distributing the food to some twenty-five thousand people as Jesus multiplied it. The reason for their question about where to find food seems to be that they were simply acknowledging again their own lack of resources. They were saying, in effect, “Lord we are no more able to feed this crowd by ourselves than we were able to feed the other one. This group is smaller, but four thousand men and their families are just as impossible for us to feed as five thousand.”...The disciples did not doubt that Jesus could also miraculously feed this group; nor had they forgotten the previous feeding. (MACARTHUR IS CLEARLY CUTTING THE DISCIPLES SLACK AS WE SAY) The first idea is totally improbable and the second is impossible. Rather, their reply to Jesus emphasized that they knew the Lord could satisfy such a multitude but that they could not. He had no less power than before, and they had no more. (Ibid) Matthew 15:34 And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish." NET Matthew 15:34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They replied, "Seven– and a few small fish." NLT Matthew 15:34 Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" They replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish." ESV Matthew 15:34 And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish." NIV Matthew 15:34 "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish." GNT Matthew 15:34 καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Πόσους ἄρτους ἔχετε; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν, Ἑπτὰ καὶ ὀλίγα ἰχθύδια. KJV Matthew 15:34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. How: Mt 16:9,10 few: Lu 24:41,42 Joh 21:9,10 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:5+ And He was asking them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8 And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. 10And immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha. And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few small fish." - Small fish is "The diminutive form emphasizes the fact that the supply was meagre; in v. 36 it is the common word for ‘fishes.’ Here again the people are commanded to recline on the ground, and probably in companies and rows as before (Mark 6:39 f.), though nothing is here said of it." (Broadus) VAUGHAN. - How many loaves have ye? Christ puts that question day by day to each one of us. There be many that say, “I have no work for Christ, and no mission. Mine is no lofty station, mine is no large sphere, mine is no eloquent tongue, or popular manner, or telling influence. It is too late for me—or perhaps, for the heart is versatile in its deceitfulness, it is too soon for me—to undertake anything for Christ; the King of Glory wants chief men, choice gifts, for His ministries: let me live out my little day and go back to the ground from which I was taken.” Gravely, sorrowfully, yet earnestly and gently too, does Christ address Himself to you to-day, saying, “Think yet once more—how many loaves have ye?” Nothing? Not a soul? Not a body? Not time? Not one friend, not one neighbor, not one servant, to whom a kind word may be spoken, or a kind deed done, in the name, for the love of Jesus? Bring that—do that, say that—as what thou hast; very small, very trivial, very worthless, if thou wilt: yet remember the saying, “She hath done what she could.” Matthew 15:35 And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; NET Matthew 15:35 After instructing the crowd to sit down on the ground, NLT Matthew 15:35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. ESV Matthew 15:35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, NIV Matthew 15:35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. GNT Matthew 15:35 καὶ παραγγείλας τῷ ὄχλῳ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν KJV Matthew 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. sit: Mt 14:19-21 Mk 6:39,40 Lu 9:14-16 Joh 6:10 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:6+ And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. And He directed the people to sit down on the ground - Notice there is no mention of “grass” as in Mt 14:19. This would support that the feeding of the 4000 was more likely midsummer, the grass would be parched and gone. The feeding of the 5000 had been on green grass (several months earlier in the Spring). Matthew 15:36 and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. NET Matthew 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after giving thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples, who then gave them to the crowds. NLT Matthew 15:36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. ESV Matthew 15:36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. NIV Matthew 15:36 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. GNT Matthew 15:36 ἔλαβεν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας καὶ εὐχαριστήσας ἔκλασεν καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις. KJV Matthew 15:36 And 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. thanks: Mt 26:26,27 1Sa 9:13 Lu 22:19 24:30 Joh 6:11 Ac 27:35 Ro 14:6 1Co 10:31 1Ti 4:3,4 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:6-7+ And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7 They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people - In Mark's version Jesus gives thanks twice. The verb started giving is in the imperfect tense picturing the pieces coming forth miraculously from His hand to one disciple after another. MacArthur points out that Jesus used the disciples because He was teaching them "as well as feeding the multitudes. He wanted them to learn the practical as well as the theological reality of His compassion. He wanted them to participate first hand in God’s concern for the daily needs of people as well as for their eternal redemption and physical wholeness, because divine compassion embraces every dimension of human need." (Ibid) Matthew 15:37 And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full. NET Matthew 15:37 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. NLT Matthew 15:37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. ESV Matthew 15:37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. NIV Matthew 15:37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. GNT Matthew 15:37 καὶ ἔφαγον πάντες καὶ ἐχορτάσθησαν. καὶ τὸ περισσεῦον τῶν κλασμάτων ἦραν ἑπτὰ σπυρίδας πλήρεις. KJV Matthew 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. all: Mt 15:33 14:20,21 Ps 107:9 Lu 1:53 seven: Mt 16:9,10 Mk 8:8,9,19-21 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:8+ And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9 About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. WHEN JESUS SERVES ALL ARE SATISFIED! And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large baskets full - In this case the number of baskets corresponds to the number of loaves; in the previous case (Mt 14:20+) to the number of apostles. Contrast these baskets with those in the miracle of the 5000 (kophinos) for the latter baskets were smaller and more akin to our lunch baskets. A little is always a lot (and more than enough) in the hands of the Creator! Jesus was like my mother who used to say "Waste not, want not!" Jesus was teaching His men good stewardship. Christians should never be wasteful with the bounty Christ has bestowed on them. Were satisfied (5526) (chortazo from chortos = fodder or grass or herbage of the field in general) means to feed with herbs, grass or hay and then to eat one's fill resulting in a state of being satisfied eat one's fill. Chortazo was used of the feeding of animals until they wanted nothing more. They were allowed to eat until they were completely satisfied. The picture is of animals who stayed at the feed trough until they wanted nothing more to eat. Thus chortazo means to to feed providing more than enough to satisfy. Chortazo is used figuratively by Jesus to refer to experiencing inward satisfaction, being fully satisfied or being content with some object or state (Mt 5:6+). Paul in describing how he came to learn the secret of spiritual nourishment in Christ wrote… I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (Php 4:12+) Large baskets (4711)(spuris) refers to large flexible baskets, large enough to hold a man (which they did in Acts 9:25!). All except Acts 9:25 describe the 7 baskets of left-over bread in feeding the 4000. Contrast the 12 baskets left over from feeding the 5000 in Mark 6:43, a different Greek word kophinos. In both Matthew and Mark when Jesus describes the feeding of 5000 and 4000, He uses these two words with the same distinction (Mark 8:19-20+.; Matt. 16:9-10+). Spuris - Matt. 15:37; Matt. 16:10; Mk. 8:8; Mk. 8:20; Acts 9:25. Not found in the Septuagint. Matthew 15:38 And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. NET Matthew 15:38 Not counting children and women, there were four thousand men who ate. NLT Matthew 15:38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. ESV Matthew 15:38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. NIV Matthew 15:38 The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. GNT Matthew 15:38 οἱ δὲ ἐσθίοντες ἦσαν τετρακισχίλιοι ἄνδρες χωρὶς γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων. KJV Matthew 15:38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:9+ About four thousand were there; and He sent them away. JESUS FEEDS 4000 PLUS And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children - Besides women and children is not mentioned by Mark. In other words there were probably in excess of 10,000 people. Matthew distinguished the number of men from women and children just as he had done in Mt 14:21. One wonders if this was the "accountant" in him (tax collector). Henry
Mateus 15
MacArthur has an excellent summary of this miraculous feeding in Gentile territory... From Jesus’ ministry to the Gentile crowd in the Decapolis a number of important lessons can be learned. First, we see again Jesus’ unrivaled divine power. Because only God can create, only God could have multiplied those seven loaves of bread and a few fish even one-fold, not to mention many thousand-fold. He is the God of Abraham, who believed in Him “who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist” (Rom. 4:17). Just as He had created healthy tissues to replace diseased ones, whole limbs to replace deformed and missing ones, and seeing eyes to replace blinded ones, He also created a superabundance of food to replace a little. When the apostles were establishing the early church, many miracles were performed through them. But their miracles were performed in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ, for whom they served merely as instruments. Jesus, however, performed miracles in His own name and power, because He was the source of the power. He did not heal, deliver, raise the dead, and multiply food as God’s agent but as God. Second, the fact that He not only cured diseases and restored hearing and sight but restored those who were kullos (maimed and sometimes completely without arms, legs, eyes, or other parts of the body), He set Himself totally apart from self-proclaimed divine healers of past years and modern times. You look in vain among those healers for verified accounts of anyone who was given an arm, leg, or eye to replace one that was missing. Their “cures” are at best psychosomatic and are extremely minor compared to those the Lord performed during the three years of His earthly ministry. God is still capable of sovereignly healing the most hopeless disease and of creating new limbs where there are none. But the only age of healing in the church was the time of authenticating the Messiah Himself and of His Word through the apostles. Once those ends were accomplished, the gift of miracles ceased. (For a more complete discussion of this subject, see the author’s book The Charismatics, published by Zondervan.) Third, we learn that the goal of ministry is worship. Although most, if not all, of the multitudes in Decapolis were pagan Gentiles, when they saw the magnitude and perfection of Jesus’ healing power, they not only were astonished beyond measure but also “glorified the God of Israel” (v. 31). Witnessing such a divine display demanded much more than awe; it demanded reverential worship, which those Gentiles offered as best they knew how. Their worship was Jesus’ supreme goal. He had unqualified compassion to heal their broken bodies and to fill their empty stomachs. But He was infinitely more concerned that, through their trust in Him as Lord and Savior, He could also save their souls from eternal damnation and make them citizens of His heavenly kingdom. Christ’s followers are likewise called to minister not only to people’s physical and temporal needs but to lead them to glorify God, “that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15). The goal of evangelism and of Christian living is to “worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:23). Only when devotion to the Lord is sincere and unqualified, service to others truly selfless, and daily living consistently Christlike, will God be glorified. That is an especially important lesson for our day, in which self-love and self-satisfaction have become accepted and touted even in much of the church. We are tempted to offer the gospel simply for what it can do for a person, with no suggestion of the need to turn from self to God and from our own priorities to His. We like to make the way of salvation seem wide, although the Lord says it is narrow (Matt. 7:14). We want to make the Christian life appear easy, although Jesus declared that “he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” and that only “he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it” (10:38–39). Fourth, this story teaches the necessity of relying on divine resources. Like the disciples, we are most usable to the Lord when we acknowledge our own lack of resources and turn to Him. Whatever we may have in ourselves is never enough to meet the needs of others or to accomplish anything for God. Jesus did not command the apostles to be His “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” until He had first promised, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” James says (James 1:17). I was once asked to visit a elderly lady who was dying and did not know Christ. She was frail and sick, and I did not want to upset her; yet I knew that above everything else she needed Christ. All the way over there I prayed that God would help me know what to say and how to say it; but as I neared her apartment door I became more and more uneasy. When one of her friends let me in and I walked over to her bed, the first thing she said was, “Before you say anything, I just want to tell you that yesterday my sister led me to Christ.” After a time of reading some psalms and prayer, I said, “You don’t need to fear death any more”; to which she replied, “Fear death? I don’t fear death. I don’t fear death at all.” By the time our visit was over, I felt she had ministered to me more than I had to her. I had been totally inadequate to meet her needs; but as I went in dependence on our gracious Lord, I found He had already preceded me and made full provision. Fifth, we learn from this story that God’s resources are never diminished, much less exhausted, because He has an infinite capacity to create. He did not need the seven loaves and few fish in order to feed the multitude. He could just as easily have made the food from nothing, just as He created the world from nothing. He used the loaves and fish in order to involve the disciples and to help teach them to give what they had into His care. “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return” (Luke 6:38). God’s people would never lack resources to do what He calls them to do if they trusted that promise. Sixth, we learn about the servant’s usefulness. Although the Lord is able do His work without us, He chooses to do it through us. He did not need the disciples’ help to distribute the food any more than he needed the seven loaves and the fish to make the food. He could have done in an instant what took them several hours to do. But in His infinite wisdom and mercy God chooses to use human instruments to do His divine work of carrying the gospel to the world and of ministering to its needs. In submissively serving others in our Lord’s name and power, we learn to serve Him—in preparation for serving Him for all eternity in dimensions we cannot now conceive. Seventh, we learn that God gives liberally, in “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over” (Luke 6:38), as we have already seen. Everyone on the mountainside ate until he was completely satisfied. There was even more than enough, so that seven large baskets of food were left over. Eighth is the lesson of spiritual investment. When the disciples gave all they had to Jesus and then helped Him give it away to others, they had seven full baskets remaining for themselves. “He who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). The ninth and overarching lesson is the limitless compassion of Jesus Christ. He has compassion for all our needs—eternal, lifetime, and daily. He has compassion on Jews and on Gentiles, on the severely afflicted and the merely hungry. Following the example of our Lord, we are to “do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10). Our compassion is not measured by our feelings but by our giving. John Wanamaker, founder of the famous Philadelphia department store that bears his name, was a devoted Christian. On a trip to China to observe Christian mission work there, he came across a small village where a group of Christians had begun building a church but lacked money to complete it. In a nearby field he noticed the strange sight of a boy yoked together with an ox as they together pulled a plow held by his father. Mr. Wanamaker’s guide explained that the boy had promised his father, “If you will sell one of the oxen and give the money for the building of the church, I will take the oxen’s place pulling the plow” Mr. Wanamaker is said to have fallen to his knees and said, “Lord, let me be hitched to a plow that I may know the joy of sacrificial giving.
Mateus 15
MacArthur - The wonder of these Gentiles was greater than the wonder of the Jews, whose awe was often tempered by spiritual pride and skepticism. When the crowd at Decapolis saw the perfection of the healings, they knew the power behind them was divine—in great contrast to the Pharisees who charged Jesus with casting out demons by Satan’s power (Matt. 12:24). Knowing that their pagan gods could not perform such marvels, and would not have been inclined to perform them if they could, the people from Decapolis glorified the God of Israel. They were not fully aware of who Jesus was, but they knew He was a Jew and that He served the God of Israel, and they glorified His God in praise and reverent fear. Their excitement and gratitude over being healed or seeing their loved ones and friends healed made them spontaneously praise the Lord. (MNTC- Mt) Matthew 15:32 And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way." NET Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called the disciples and said, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days and they have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry since they may faint on the way." NLT Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way." ESV Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." NIV Matthew 15:32 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." GNT Matthew 15:32 Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν, Σπλαγχνίζομαι ἐπὶ τὸν ὄχλον, ὅτι ἤδη ἡμέραι τρεῖς προσμένουσίν μοι καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν τί φάγωσιν· καὶ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτοὺς νήστεις οὐ θέλω, μήποτε ἐκλυθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ. KJV Matthew 15:32 Then 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. Jesus: Mt 9:36 14:14 20:34 Mk 8:1,2 9:22 Lu 7:13 I feel: Heb 4:15 three: Mt 12:40 27:63 Ac 27:33 and have: Mt 6:32,33 Lu 12:29,30 for they might faint: 1Sa 14:28-31 30:11,12 Mk 8:3 Matthew 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Mark 8:1-10+ In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and *said to them, 2 “I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. THREE DAYS OF BEING FED THE BREAD OF LIFE And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, "I feel compassion for the people - In Mt 9:36 and Mt 14:14 Matthew says Jesus felt compassion, but here Jesus Himself states His deep feeling for the masses of people. He is the same today (Hebrews 13:8). Here Jesus had compassion not just for their spiritual needs but their physical needs (not just healing, but feeding). Our English word compassion is from Latin and means to suffer with and as one source has said is “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the pain and remove its cause.” Feel compassion (4697)(splanchnizomai from splagchnon = bowel, viscera - see splagchnon note below) means to experience a deep visceral feeling for someone, to feel compassion for, to feel sympathy, to take pity on someone. Compassion is the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. This verb expresses an outward flow of one's life in contrast to our natural tendency toward self centeredness. It is notable that 8/12 NT uses describe this deep seated emotion in Jesus. It follows that if we desire to imitate Jesus, we need to be men and women of deep compassion! 12x in NT - Matt. 9:36; Matt. 14:14; Matt. 15:32; Matt. 18:27; Matt. 20:34; Mk. 1:41; Mk. 6:34; Mk. 8:2; Mk. 9:22; Lk. 7:13; Lk. 10:33; Lk. 15:20 THOUGHT - Obviously the multitudes greatest need was spiritual food, but we see Jesus' compassion specifically directed to their physical needs. This is a good lesson for us to remember, for compassionate deeds may open doors for giving out the Gospel to address spiritual needs. because - Term of explanation. Explains why Jesus felt compassion. they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat - Jesus was quite the preacher to keep them listening for 3 days! "They had no doubt brought some food with them, which was now exhausted. They showed great zeal to see and hear and be healed, remaining so long in the thinly inhabited region, sleeping on the ground two nights in the open air, living on the food brought with them, and slow to leave when it was gone." (Broadus) Brian Bell - Why is He doing this miracle again? A different crowd (Gentiles). Compassion on them. Also, Does yesterday’s miracle necessarily guarantee today’s faith? (no it doesn’t) And as they say, Repetition is the mother of all learning! So, Why is He doing this miracle again? He wants the disciples and you & I to understand...He is the Bread of Life - John 6:48-51. He wants the disciples and you & I to understand...He was not just the Bread for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles. He wants the disciples and you & I to understand...His supply always meets and exceeds the demand. Our souls, so to speak, are elastic. The more we eat the more they expand. The more they expand, the more we are able to eat. Christ did not break the bread, so that suddenly there were huge piles of bread and fish. Rather, He kept breaking it & handing out what was needed bit by bit. We need to be constantly bringing our needs to Jesus, and He will constantly break the bread and give us what we need. Whatever God has given us, there is still far more for Him to give us.