MATTHEW 15

Three titles for today’s study. Verses 1-20 The things that defile. Verses 21-28 The Canaanite woman’s faith. Verses 29-39 Many people are healed. Matthew 15 and verse 1 reads.

Mat.15:1] Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Here we go again, remember these are Kenites, he had just spoke with them in an earlier chapter.

Mat.15:2] Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Catch that they are complaining that his disciples are not obeying the traditions of the elders. These being the elders from the synagogue, they want the disciples to follow their rituals. Throwing water over the shoulders here and there. And making a big scene that everyone gets to watch. Jesus will set them straight, but let’s first go to Jeremiah 17 and verse 5 reads.

Jer.17:5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
[6] For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
[7] Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Cursed is the man that trusts in man, and blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD. They were more worried about their traditions and not the LORD’s laws. Back to Matthew 15 and verse 3 reads.

Mat.15:3] But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

It is your traditions that transgress the law.

Mat.15:4] For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

The fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12)

Mat.15:5] But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
[6] And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

This gift is called Corban, and means; if they didn’t take care of their mother and father and instead gave the money to the temple fund. This is also called filthy lucre. Don’t overlook that Jesus says they had made the commandment of God of none effect. We know that traditions of men make void the Word of God.

Mat.15:7] Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
[8] This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
[9] But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus is always quoting or fulfilling the prophets. Let’s go to Isaiah 29 and verse 13 reads.

Isa.29:13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

And in Colossians 2 and verse 8 reads.

Col.2:8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
[9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Don’t overlook the Trinity was given here in verse 9. Back to Matthew 15 and verse 10 reads.

Mat.15:10] And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Jesus is now speaking to the multitude, he says “Hear,” then opens their ears to his words.

Mat.15:11] Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Let’s go to Psalms 34 and verse 13 reads.

Psa.34:13] Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

And in James 1 and verse 26 reads.

James 1:26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Back to Matthew 15 and verse 12 reads.

Mat.15:12] Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
[13] But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
[14] Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

First, who cares what a bunch of false teachers think when you expose them to be liars. Then Jesus tries to remind them of chapter 13, the parable of the tares. And finally says they’re eyes are closed, and they are blind to God’s Word.

Mat.15:15] Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
[16] And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

Many times Jesus asks this of his disciples, through patience and for our sakes today, Jesus explains.

Mat.15:17] Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
[18] But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, uses this analogy to also describe the church. Let’s go to James 3 and verse 3 reads.

James 3:3] Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
[4] Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
[5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
[6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

James says that just one member of the church can set the whole church into crisis. Jesus is saying that the words we speak defiles the man, not what he eats. Keeping the health laws in perspective, it doesn’t matter if he washes his hands. Back to Matthew 15 and verse 19 reads.

Mat.15:19] For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
[20] These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Because those that speak evil, speak what is in their minds.

Mat.15:21] Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

Tyre means; A rock. Sidon or Zidon in Hebrew means; Hunter. Both are in the land of Canaan and both are on the seashore. Judah is also in the land of Canaan and all were taken for Israel. But this woman will be a Gentile, probably a Phoenician.

Mat.15:22] And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

Calling Jesus Lord and Son of David, she knew the scriptures.

Mat.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.

Jesus came for the house of Israel, not for the Gentiles. True the Gentiles will receive all that Israel receives, but not until after the crucifixion. But, as we will see, Jesus came fifty miles for something.

Mat.15:24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[25] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

Don’t overlook she worshipped him, then asked him to help her.

Mat.15:26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Jesus didn’t call her a dog, he called her a Gentile. Notice the discussion is about bread. This implies the Word of God. Jesus is the Living Word.

Mat.15:27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
[28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Because of great faith this woman’s child was cured of a devil. John 3:16 Whosoever believes. Jesus never broke the law of an Israelite, he simply spoke and the child was healed. Above I said he came this far for something, what else did he do? Nothing, Jesus went fifty miles to heal this woman’s child, then went back to Galilee.

Mat.15:29] And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
[30] And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:

Let’s go to Isaiah 35 and verse 5 reads.

Isa.35:5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
[6] Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Back to Matthew 15 and verse 31 reads.

Mat.15:31] Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

They believed after seeing the miracles, let’s go to John 20 and verse 29 reads.

John 20:29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Blessed are you for not seeing with your own eyes and yet believe today. Back to Matthew 15 and verse 32 reads.

Mat.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 was always compassionate, we are to be Christ like, share in his compassion with others. It is a sign of an Elect.

Mat.15:33] And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

Have they so quickly forgotten Matthew 14:21.

Mat.15:34] And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
[35] And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

Always having order, he set them down in groups of fifty.

Mat.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.

Again, his disciples were the ones that fed the multitude. This time they have seven loaves of bread. Seven in biblical numerology is spiritual completeness.

Mat.15:37] And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

Filled with the truth of God’s Word. This time we have seven baskets full of false teachings from the Pharisees and Sadducees, We must learn from the feeding of the five thousand and these four thousand that it is the doctrine of the Pharisees that must be removed from the people and then can the truth be taught. Let’s go again to Matthew 16 and verse 8 reads.

Mat.16:8] Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
[9] Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
[10] Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?
[11] How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
[12] Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

It is the false doctrine and false teachings that are even in our churches today we need to be aware of. First remove the false doctrines, then we can teach the Truth that is God’s Word. Back to Matthew 15 and verse 38 reads.

Mat.15:38] And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

We have about 15,000 men, women and children here.

Mat.15:39] And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala,

Notice the comma, he will continue in the next chapter where we leave off today. Let’s go to his throne.

Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.

KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible