Hypocrites
Mat 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Mat 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Here come the proud religious accusers, they are still around today.
Mat 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Jesus, the living word of God, full of wisdom and truth, answers with a question. You do not keep God's commandment, but substitute it with your traditions. The way of truth often is hidden in religions who place traditions of man before God's commands. The way of salvation gets lost in the things that are traditions and the ways of men and not God. They make converts as they are and not as Jesus is.
Mat 15:4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
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;
Mat 15:6 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.
The Pharisees had made a tradition to avoid caring for their aging parents, their good parents who had cared for them with love. Instead of giving them money to help them, they gave an offering at the temple, from which they also were receiving a wage. They had found a way around their responsibility and had ignored the commandment of God.
Mat 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Mat 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
A hypocrit comes from a word meaning mixed, mixed with impure things. They were appearing on the outside as something they were not on the inside. They pretended to be righteous, but within was an evil heart.
Isaiah's prophecy spoke of outward lip service. People say, I give all my heart to you Lord, and yet, they are lying and have an evil heart.
Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
You know them by their fruits. Many times people claim to be of God, but their words and actions speak loudly that they are not. Our worship songs often are sang , without thought to the meaning of the words. I surrender all, do you? All to thee Lord? Are you hiding a sin? We must search our hearts.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Blind guides
Mat 15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
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.
Laws regarding eating certain foods and soiled hands are not going to defile a mans heart and soul. What defiles it is the evil heart of unbelief, the words of anger and hate, the unkind words uttered the bad talk from evil within. Why do you place importance on outside rituals and grieve the Holy Spirit with your words and deeds? Our words have power for confusion, for death or for life so be careful.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Mat 15:12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
Mat 15:13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Jesus only spoke the truth. Those who are of his spirit will not be offended.
1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Mat 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Good words, Jesus did not fret and worry over them. He didn't constantly declare that he loved them, like his disciples do in the chats being without discernment. He knew their hearts; simply leave them alone. There are others who need God's love and will receive him, these have chosen their own way. He did not preach tolerance, he preached truth. If any man have ears let him understand.
Of the Heart
Mat 15:15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Mat 15:16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
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?
Mat 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
The Bible says who can know the heart? Some say, I follow my heart and therein is God, no, first we need to know God. The problem is the heart. All people need new hearts through faith in Jesus.
God spoke to Noah a promise:
Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
Men's hearts are evil, and if God were to destroy every evil heart, who would be left? That is why evil is allowed with good, God has promised to not yet destroy evil. Yet, he knows, he knows our hearts.
Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
We reap what we sow. Our words and actions return a harvest. This is why we must come to Jesus for a new heart. The prophet of old spoke of this new heart.
Ezek 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Our heart is made pure be trusting God's word and receiving Jesus by faith.
Rom 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Cor 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
A heart saved from sin is a heart full of God's love. His spirit of truth dwells in us.
1 Tim 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
John 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
1 Pet 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Pet 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Love is our hearts desire, first we love God with all of our heart and then others.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
1 John 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
1 John 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
If God's love dwells in our hearts our heart is full of love and not sin. We are the children of God the creator, our God and heavenly Father who loves us. We have received new hearts.
Covenant relationship
Mat 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
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.
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.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Here is an important truth. The woman came to Jesus worshipping him, calling him Lord and son of David. This was true, but he was sent to Israel, not Canaan. Only the Jews were given the promises of God. This is important to understand. God doesn't owe anything to a person that has no covenant relationship to him. You must belong to him. He had not yet gone to the cross to make the New Covenant in his blood, so that people of every nation might come to him and receive healing and forgiveness. His own people mostly rejected him. So by going to the cross, he would be received by all nations, by faith.
John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Mat 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Mat 15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs.
Mat 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
All understood the term "dogs" meant those who were not Jews. This was a common expression given to Gentiles by the Jews, she understood and was not stopped by his statement. She continued asking in faith.
Mat 15:28 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.
The promises of God were given to her by faith. Her faith reached beyond the cross so that she could be a covenant person, The blood of Jesus would connect her to God and his promises, through faith.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Don't complain to God, if you have no connection to him, he is not under his promise to respond to you. Come to Jesus and then you are through him, one with God and his people. He will be your Lord and everlasting King. You will receive his word and promises, he is faithful to his word.
Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Healings
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.
Mat 15:30 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:
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.
Sitting on the top of the mountain, perhaps on the grass, Jesus overlooks the sea of Galilee, but there is another sea with waves breaking near his feet. The sea of troubled humanity, waves of people bringing in their broken to be touched by the master's hand. Jesus is healer of the broken afflicted bodies and souls. The sea is as humanity, restless and in need.
Isa 57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
Isa 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Come to Jesus, he calms the troubled sea.
Luke 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
Luke 5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?
Luke 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?
Luke 5:23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?
Luke 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
Luke 5:25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
Luke 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
The works of Jesus spoke of his relationship to His Father, he is life and healing to those who fall at his feet. Jesus is Lord of all!
Another miracle feeding
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.
Yes, there were two miracle feedings, let's note the similarities and differences. At this event, the multitude had been three days with nothing to eat. In Matthew 14:14-21, they were fed in the first evening, and then they departed. Perhaps they were receiving spiritual food, it was enough. They were fasting, seeking the Lord's direction. The number three is the fullness of the Godhead and Jesus arose from the grave on the third day. A lot can happen in three days.
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?
Mat 15:34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
The disciples were slow learners, they had witnessed his miracle feeding earlier. I have seen Jesus do miracle upon miracle, why do we sometimes lose faith? In the other feeding they had five loaves, the number of grace. At this feeding there were seven loaves, the number of Jesus.
Mat 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
God is a God of order, not confusion.
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.
The disciples were again to feed the multitudes with Jesus' blessings. God provides as we serve him in obedience.
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.
Seven baskets full of scraps, again Jesus is our fullness. The other feeding had twelve, one for each disciple. This feeding was to point to Jesus as the provider of our needs.
Mat 15:38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
There were five thousand at the other feeding. No matter how many are in need, Jesus satisfies abundantly. What shall we remember? Jesus has compassion on our needs, he knows what they are and he will meet them if we have faith.
Mat 15:39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
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