Verses 1-2 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
The scribes of Jesus’ day were men that were supposed to be learned in the Mosaic law and other sacred writings, and they were the “go to” men when there was a legal question to be answered. So these men were part of the Sanhedrin which was the highest court of justice in ancient Jerusalem. As such, they were often in the presence of the priests and the elders of the people. The Pharisees were the religious leaders at the time. So the religious leaders and the lawyers came to Jesus. They did not go to Jesus to learn about Him or to learn from Him. They went there to try to catch Him in the snare of their laws and doctrines, and this was their conspiratorial plan and actions for the entire length of time of Jesus’ ministry here on Earth.
Application: Notice that the question posed to Jesus by the legal and religious minds had nothing to do with Old Testament Scripture or doctrine, but it was all about their traditions. The definition of a tradition is the transmission of customs or beliefs from one generation to another generation. When the Jews were taken into captivity in Babylon, the leaders adopted parts of the heathen teachings and religion of the Babylonians and developed their Babylonian Talmud. The teachings in this compilation of books are not of God. They are the teachings of men being directed by the Devil. More than likely, the traditions the Pharisees were accusing Jesus and His disciples of transgressing were those of the Talmud. Not only was their accusation petty and ridiculous, but they were in total disregard of the fact that Jesus was/is LORD and He was/is deserving of worship and reverence and the One who determines what is right and what is wrong with any actions of men. But King Solomon lamented that there was nothing new under the sun, and just as these men were accusatory and legalistic in their approach to their religion, the Church today is also full of people who want to impose their rules and regulation upon other people and to control them through doctrines that are not from the Bible.
Verses 3-6 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 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.
So how does one rebut accusations from religious people trying to mold a person into their image? Follow Jesus’ example. He merely asked them a question about transgressing the law of God. Of course, to do this, there has to be a fairly good understanding of Scripture. The issue at hand was that God commanded children to honour their parents. That included taking care of them in their senior years. Remember that there were no social security checks, Medicare or Medicaid, or low income housing and nursing homes. The elderly parent had to rely on their child or children for shelter, food, and medical and personal care. That could get expensive for the children. So what these wicked men did to get around God’s commandment and to avoid being responsible for their parents was to declare their money a gift to their god which they could not take back, and so they then had an excuse not to use their money on their parents’ needs. They hid their money behind religion. The reality was that a parent could not expect their son to take money that was pledged away from “God”. So the parents did not have the care they needed. They were not being honoured. Obviously the avoidance scheme of the Pharisees towards their parents was a greater transgression than eating with dirty hands!
Verses 7-9 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.
Many mainstream, evangelical churches today are often no better than the religious system in place in Jesus’ day as described by Him in the verses above. The preacher and congregation use the correct terminology, they claim to be Christian believers, but they do not have a personal relationship with Him. They attend church on Sunday, pray a little, and listen to a distorted sermon that primarily contains the “do’s” and “don’ts” of that particular denomination. Back in chapter 7 of Matthew Jesus described these people as follows: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23
Verses 10-11 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
It is a man’s heart and mind that defiles him. If his heart is wicked or evil, his thoughts will be wicked or evil also, resulting in his actions and verbal communication reflecting that wickedness or evil.
Application: Jesus’ statement above to the multitude was an indictment of the religious leaders that were supposed to be guiding the people of Israel in righteous living. He did not fail to expose these wicked men for what they were. He called them “hypocrites” which means actors or people who pretend to be what they are not. The scribes and Pharisees outwardly appeared to be pious and they put their man-made rules and regulations upon the people which restricted their lives and freedoms, but inwardly they were serving the Devil and concerned with personal position and power. There are scribes and Pharisees in the churches today who are acting and pretending to be what they are not. They need to be confronted for their sin by the true, Christian believer. There should be no room for these people within the Church if they refuse to repent and continue in their sin as they will lead the people astray. Ask the LORD for discernment so that these false religious individuals can be identified and confronted in a loving, yet firm manner.
Verses 12-14 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.
It appears that the disciples were worried about how the Pharisees would react to the statements of Jesus. These men were powerful, and the disciples were not powerful in the sense of worldly political and legal jurisdiction. It is interesting to see how the disciples changed after receiving the Baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. They no longer worried about offending the scribes and Pharisees, but spoke the truth regardless of what negative consequences might come their way. They had power from God Almighty and they were bold and uncompromising in their witness of Jesus and in their teaching of the Gospel. See the book of Acts for the history of the early Church.
Application: Today there are many pretenders in the churches who are not saved and who are not part of the spiritual Kingdom of God. The true Christian believer has no way of knowing if these people will repent and become Christians. So witnessing to everyone is still the believer’s job. It is God who knows which people are His and which are not. It is not the Christian believer’s job to save souls. His job is to spread the Gospel and disciple those who convert so that they can grow in the Faith. God plants and God harvests. God also roots up those people who are not part of His kingdom. God is in charge, His timing is always perfect, and all the believer has to do is obey and then leave the rest to Him.
Verses 15-20 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 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. 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.
The Apostle Peter was not afraid of asking questions of Jesus, and he was probably just asking what the other disciples wanted to ask but were hesitant to do so. He was often the spokesman of the group, and as such, he often received a rebuke from Jesus.
Application: Like Peter, believers need to not be afraid to ask the LORD questions. Any rebuke that the LORD may give only serves to strengthen the Christian believer in his spiritual walk in this fallen and wicked world. Notice that there are six sins that result from evil thoughts. A person has to first form the thought in his/her mind before acting upon it. The six sins listed are contrary to the commandments of God in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 20. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7 “Thou shalt not kill. 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15 Thou shalt not steal. 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” Exodus 20:13-17
Verses 21-22 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 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.
The name, Tyre, means “a rock”. It was an ancient city located on the Mediterranean Sea. The name, Sidon, means “hunting” and it was also an ancient city located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea just north of Tyre. Canaanites were not liked by the Jews, yet this Canaanite woman was desperate enough to approach Jesus, who was considered to be a Jewish prophet, and to ask for help. Notice that she called him “thou Son of David” which indicated a greater status than just being a prophet. Somehow, this woman understood that Jesus was the only One who could help her.
Verses 23-24 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus was not being cruel to this woman. His mission was to reach the people He had been caring for since calling Abraham out of Syria for the purpose of starting a nation of people who would love Him enough to follow His commandments and who would be an example or witness to the rest of the nations. Like any good shepherd, He was caring for His flock in Israel. The plan was to reach and teach the Jews who would then evangelize the rest of the world. And historically, this is exactly what happened.
Verses 25-27 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
By using the title of Lord, this Canaanite woman was showing respect and reverence and indicating that she knew Jesus was her master and the One who had power. Remember that the scribes and Pharisees has shown no respect or reverence and they should have known better as they had a complete understanding of the Scripture and would have known that Jesus fullfilled all the requirements of the Messiah that had been prophesied. They were also very aware of and jealous of Jesus’ miracles and of His following among the people. This woman most likely had not seen Jesus before this encounter and would not have had access to the Scripture that was kept in the Temple as Gentiles were denied access. Yet her spirit knew that Jesus could and would help her. She had faith and was not going to give up because she loved her daughter and wanted her released from demonic bondage. She did not have an agenda to further her standing in life. And she showed total submission and humility.
Verse 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.
This healing was based on another person’s faith and humility. And it was another example of a distance healing. Jesus never saw the daughter. He just spoke words and the devil had to go. As disciples of Jesus, the Christian believer, through the power of the Holy Ghost/Spirit, has the ability to set people free from the bondage of devils without being in the presence of the afflicted person. Do not be afraid to take control of the demonic spirit world through your words and remember to always have an attitude of faith and humility as it is the power of God that does the work in conjunction with your faith.
Verses 29-31 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: 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.
All of Jesus’ actions fulfilled prophecy. “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 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.” Isaiah 35:1-7 Notice that the majority of healing miracles occurred when out in the country or what is referred to as the wilderness just as Isaiah stated. The Hebrew word translated as “recompence” is “gamuwl” and it means a reward, or a benefit.
Application: Imagine what the world would be like if Christian believers everywhere did what Jesus did and held healing meetings on a hillside or near a lake. Hospitals would be out of business and big pharma would be too. God would be glorified and people would be saved from sin, death and Hell. Why is that not the normal in today’s churches? Think about it.
Verses 32-39 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. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 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. 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. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. 39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala. (Matthew 15)
Remember that seven is the number of divine perfection. There was both seven loaves of bread that multiplied supernaturally so that seven baskets of bread remained after everyone had eaten. When an event is orchestrated by God, it is divine and always perfect.
Magdala was a place on the western shore of the Lake of Galilee and the name means “a tower”.
Application: Once again thousands are fed with just a few pieces of fish and a few loaves of bread, and yet the disciples of Jesus, although they had helped serve over 5000 people in another wilderness area, did not have faith to believe that they could repeat the process with this multitude. It is easy to be judgmental when reading this event in the Scripture, but in reality this lack of faith or doubting is present in all Christian believers to one degree or another. Only by exercising faith, will faith grow. A hundred people may be prayed for before a healing is seen, but then another hundred need to be prayed for until more healing is seen and eventually, healing will be the normal response to a believer’s prayers. Never quit because a prayer seems to be unanswered. That is exactly what the devils want to have happen.