May 30, 2024
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Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 15 (NIV)
That Which Defiles
1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?……Continue Reading
Matthew 15 is one of my favorite memory chapters. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
I learned it is possible to really believe with all your heart that you’re worshipping God, but in fact, all you’re doing is following man’s doctrine; Jesus says it’s a waste of time, false, no value!
I am in a season of my Christian walk where I am evaluating all the doctrines and teachings I’ve received since 1979, and I have detected false teaching, heresy, and contradictory interpretations for Christians! Many things have kept me from abiding in Christ, and yielding to the new creature he created on me. Not looking back to “Sodom.”
I am really crucified with Christ! -reb
Matthew 15
Matthew 15 Jesus confronts the Pharisees for criticizing the disciples for not washing their hands before eating, he tells them why are you prioritizing traditions over scripture, Jesus explains to the crowd that what defiles a person is not what goes into a person but what comes out that person can be unclean depending on the heart of that person because out of the heart can come evil thoughts and all kinds of evil. We have to work at keeping our heart’s healthy spiritually because it matters what is deep down in our hearts to God. Jesus continues to heal and feed the crowds that followed him. He shows his compassion again for his people, and he still shows his compassion today by loving us, answering prayers, he blesses us so richly, we just need to trust and be faithful.
It made me laugh out loud to hear the Pharisees, after witnessing all Jesus had done, challenge Him about hand washing. You want to shake them and say Don’t you get it?? And Jesus does just that through His response! Our words are the gateway to our hearts, they can encourage and heal and they can hurt and decieve. They speak to our thoughts, our character, and more than anything we do show who we are. Like the Canaanite woman who recognized her place and still prayed to Jesus, she showed only humble faith and Jesus recognized and acknowleded that her heart was in the right place.
It does seem funny to me that the disciples after just feeding 5000, were confused and frustrated about how to find enough food to feed this group of 4000 people when Jesus asked. Did no one remember what had just happened, was it because it was a Gentile crowd, or do we as humans just waiver in our faith so easily when in a stressful situation?
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
Matthew 15
”But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.“
Matthew 15:23-28 NKJV
Jesus came to establish His kingdom with Israel and so He says. We know that Gods plan is even for Gentiles and that becomes more and more apparent. Here He makes an exception for this Gentile woman because of her humility and faith. Since Matthew is written to the Jews, it is the only book that talks about the Kingdom of Heaven. In Luke we see the kingdom of God is preached and many more Gentile stories. It is confusing because many of the parables sound the same, but their are subtle differences.
As the Pharisees question Jesus on His breaking the tradition of hand washing, Jesus points out to them an even more serious wrong of them justifying a person not taking care of their parents because they give the money to God. And as the Pharisees focus so much on what goes into the mouth making someone unclean, what a great point for Jesus to make that it is what comes out of the mouth that is more important. That reflects what is in the heart and that matters much more than the body. Jesus showed the importance of the heart in the sermon on the mount helping us to see that that is what we should most strive to guard and protect. And kudos to this Canaanite women to persevere in her request and even tailor her responses to the things Jesus said. All of it showed regard for and faith in Jesus. And once again Jesus feeds a whole bunch of people miraculously because He had compassion on them and recognized their need for food. It is also amazing that they are there because Jesus has been healing them. What a great Savior, able to do anything and yet caring to address the things that challenge and trouble us.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for being hypocrites for as Jesus said that they draw near me with their lips but their heart is far from me. Jesus had a lot to say about the Pharisees, and scribes through out His ministry and it wasn`t good. He didn`t show them the compassion that He showed the common person because of their hypocrisy. Especially because they were false teachers and didn`t live by what they taught. They made it harder for someone to come to God. For they were the blind leading the blind. Jesus said that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. v 19. Then a Canaanite woman seeks Jesus out for Him to heal her daughter who has a demon. She pleads with Him and shows her faith in Him even when Jesus said He is only going to the house of Israel. She knows that she is only a Gentile and doesn`t deserve His compassion but continues to plead for Him to heal her daughter. He was testing her faith and He tells her that because of her great faith in Him and what He can do her daughter is healed. The daughter was healed that very same hour. Healing without being there; just by His authority and His word. Remember the centurion that pleaded with Jesus to heal his servant that had palsy? Matthew 8: 5-13. He also had great faith and also was a Gentile. Jesus spoke and the servant was healed the same hour. When Jesus said that He was going to the house of Israel first; this was true. Remember other scriptures that Jesus was giving the Jewish people the first chance to repent but because of their rejection of Him; He would be going to the Gentiles. The scriptures are in both Old and New Testaments. But meanwhile; Jesus still preached and heals the sick, and cast out demons. It didn`t matter if they were Jews or Gentiles. Thank God! And after healing her; He went up to a mountain and multitudes came to Him to be healed. He did and people glorified God. Now He shows the multitude more compassion for they have been there for three days. They haven`t had anything to eat. The disciples question where they will get food. They find that they only have seven loaves of bread and a few little fishes. The disciples have just gone a similar situation with the feeding of the 5,000. And now the disciples who are slow to learn are asking how they can feed the 4,000. Aren`t we the same way? Sometimes the Lord has to reteach us something over again. Or maybe many times before we get it. Again Jesus does a miracle and everyone is full and there are seven baskets left over that are full. Again here like the 5,000 where the 5,000 were men and women and children were added to that number; so now the 4,000 are men with women and children are added. Praise God!
Matthew 15
Matthew 15
Matthew 15
Matthew 16-17