SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 15
CLEAN AND UNCLEAN (vs. 1-20)
The Pharisees and teachers of the law were accusing the disciples of Jesus for breaking the tradition of having to wash their hands before they eat. But Jesus was also asking them why were they breaking the command of God for the sake of tradition. God commanded people to honor their father and mother but they say to their father or mother: “Whatever help you might have received from me is a gift devoted to God. He is not to honor his father with it.” So they were nullifying the word of God for the sake of tradition. As what Isaiah had prophesized: “These people honor me with their lips; but their hearts are far from me. They worship men in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (vs. 8-9). They were hypocrites.
Jesus said: “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean.” (v.11)
Explanation: Whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. Theses are what make a man ‘unclean’. But eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean’.
THE FAITH OF THE CANAANITE WOMAN (vs. 21-28)
When Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman approached Jesus and asked mercy for her demon-possessed daughter. His disciples told Jesus to send her away, but the woman knelt before Jesus and asked him to help her. Then Jesus said: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (v. 26). The woman replied: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. (v. 27). Jesus saw her great faith and healed her daughter that very hour.
JESUS FEEDS THE FOUR THOUSAND (vs. 29-39)
Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee and sat down in a mountain side. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
The crowds had been with Jesus for 3 days and they have nothing to eat. Jesus asked his disciples to give them something to eat. The disciples had only 7 loaves and few small fish. Jesus took them, gave thanks, broke them and gave them to the disciples to distribute. There were 7 basketfuls of leftovers after feeding the 4000 people besides women and children. Then Jesus got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
THOUGHTS:
THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THIS CHAPTER:
- The Hypocrites – the Pharisees and teachers of the law focused on tradition and ignored the command of God. They were blind guides that lead people astray. We should obey God’s command instead of following traditions.
- The Persistent Woman – She believed that Jesus can heal her daughter despite of delay. Be willing to wait.
- The Hungry People – Jesus is merciful. He did not want to send the hungry people away, so he fed them. Try to respond to people’s needs.
The Pharisees practiced the tradition of Corban vow. Anyone who made a Corban vow was required to dedicate money to God’s temple. Instead of supporting their parents, they were using the religiously acceptable way to neglect parents. They were circumventing the child’s responsibility to their parents. There is a clear command of God to honor their parents but they were taking the Corban vow to disobey it.
Isaiah had prophesized that the religious leaders honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from God. When we claim to honor God while our heart is far from him, our worship is nothing. If we pretend to be religious without actions and sincerity, we become hypocrites.
When you listen to the preaching of religious leaders, make sure that they have good spiritual eyesight to teach and follow the precepts of Scriptures.
The disciples asked Jesus to get rid of the woman because she was bothering them with her persistent begging. They showed no compassion for her sensitivity to her needs. Sometimes, we also have prejudiced against needy people when they cause us inconvenience. Instead of being annoyed, be aware of the opportunity to minister to them.
Jesus had already fed 5,000 people before with five loaves and 2 fish. But the disciples had forgotten the event. When Jesus wanted to feed the crowd of 4,000, the disciples said: “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” (vs. 33) Many times we also became desperate when faced with difficult situations. Remember that we have a caring God who can do the impossible if we trust in Him.