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Matthew 15:1-20
Jesus is challenged 1 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. 3 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. 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. 10 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. 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. 15 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. |
Margin notes:
"Scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem." (15:1) - Jesus' fame was spreading and becoming a problem, so these worried religious leaders traveled ninety miles on foot from Jerusalem to Gennesaret to challenge Him. "Transgress." (15:2) - Means, "break, violate." "Tradition of the elders." (15:2) - A "tradition" was not part of God's Mosaic Law but rather a man made custom raised to the level of holy law. "They wash not their hands." (15:2) - An example of the Pharisees twisting the Mosaic Law. Only a priest needed to ritually wash before eating, and even then only before eating a holy meal (Leviticus 22:6-7). See question one below. "They eat bread" (15:2) - Food is called bread in Hebrew; so that to say "eat bread" is the same as saying "eat a meal." "Honour thy father and mother." (15:4) - One of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12-17; Deuteronomy 5:16; Matthew 19:19; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; Ephesians 6:2). "He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." (15:4) - Paraphrased from Exodus 21:17. "Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift." (15:5) - Jesus is referring to the "law of Corban." Corban is a Hebrew word meaning "gift to God." Pledging a corban gift to God was similar to willing money to the Temple, something the Pharisees enthusiastically encouraged. Once money, property, or any object of value were promised to the Temple, it couldn't be given to anyone else. Some pledged their wealth to the Temple so they could "legally" ignore their needy parents. Since the pledge wasn't fulfilled until the donor died, they could simply declare their fortunes as Corban, keep the money and neglect their parents. In an era before Social Security or safety nets, aging parents were often left destitute. In accordance with the Corban, any money left when the donor died went to the Temple. In essence, since the money couldn't be given to anyone else, the man-made law of Corban voided God's commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother." See also Mark 7:11-13. "It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me." (15:5) - Means "Whatever you would have gotten from me is gifted (to the Temple)." "Esaias prophesy." (15:7) - Can be found in Isaiah 29:13. "Nigh." (15:8) - Means, "near." "That which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." (15:11) - It is what is in our heart and what we say that defiles us and not the food we eat. Jesus repeats this message in James 3:6-8. "Let them alone." (15:14) - Means, stay away from the Pharisees. "Both shall fall into the ditch." (15:14) - Jesus also used the metaphor of the blind leading the blind in Luke 6:39. "Declare unto us this parable." (15:15) - "Explain this parable to us." "Cast out into the draught." (15:17) - "Eliminated." "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts...." (15:19) - See Jeremiah 17:9. |