Matthew Chapter 15

From The Open Bible Project

15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

• (1) None commonly are more bold condemners of God, then they whom God has appointed keepers of his law.

15:2 "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."

• (a) Which they received handed down from their ancestors, or their elders allowed, who were the governors of the Church.

15:3 He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

• (2) Their wicked boldness in corrupting the commandments of God (and that upon the pretence of godliness) and usurping authority to make laws, is reproved here.

15:4 For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,'[73] and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'[74]

• (b) By honour is meant every duty which children owe to their parents.

15:5 But you say, 'Whoever may tell his father or his mother, "Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,"

• (c) The meaning is this: whatever I bestow upon the temple, is to your profit, for it is as good as if I gave it to you, for (as the Pharisees of our time say) it will be meritorious for you: for under this form of religion, they gathered all to themselves, as though he that had given anything to the temple, had done the duty of a child.

15:6 he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

• (d) As much as you could, you destroyed the power and authority of the commandment: for otherwise the commandments of God stand fast in the Church of God, in spite of the world and Satan.

15:7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

• (3) The same men are condemned for hypocrisy and superstition, because they made the kingdom of God to consist of outward things.

15:8 'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

15:9 And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"[75]

15:10 He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.

• (4) Christ teaches us that the hypocrisy of false teachers who deceive our souls is not to be endured at all, not even in small matters, and there is no reason why their office or position should blind our eyes: otherwise we are likely to perish with them.

15:11 That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

15:12 Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

15:13 But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.

15:14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15:15 Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."

15:16 So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?

15:17 Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?

15:18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

15:19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

15:20 These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."

15:21 Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

• (e) Coasts which were next to Tyre and Sidon, that is in that region where Palestine faces toward Venice, and the sea of Syria.

15:22 Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely demonized!"

• (f) Of the people of the Canaanites, who dwelt in Phoenicia.

15:23 But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."

• (5) In that Christ sometimes shuts his ears, as it were, to the prayers of his saints, he does it for his glory, and our profit.

15:24 But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

• (g) Of the people of Israel, who were divided into tribes, but all those tribes came from one family.

15:25 But she came and worshiped him, saying, "Lord, help me."

15:26 But he answered, "It is not appropriate to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

15:27 But she said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

15:28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

15:29 Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

• (6) Christ does not cease to be beneficial even where he is condemned, and in the midst of wolves he gathers together and cares for his flock.

15:30 Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

• (h) Whose members were weakened with paralysis, or by nature, for after it is said that he healed them. Now Christ preferred to heal in this way, that such members as were weak, he restored to health, and yet he could easily, if he had wanted, have given them hands and feet and other members which they lacked.

15:31 so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing--and they glorified the God of Israel.

15:32 Jesus summoned his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way."

• (7) By doing this miracle again, Christ shows that he who follows Christ will never be in need, not even in the wilderness.
• (i) Go not from my side.

15:33 The disciples said to him, "Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?"

15:34 Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven, and a few small fish."

15:35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

• (k) Literally, "to lie down backwards", as rowers do in rowing, when they draw their oars to themselves.

15:36 and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

15:37 They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

• (l) A kind of container made with twigs.

15:38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

15:39 Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.