Matthew
15:1-20
Lesson 30
15:1-20
Lesson 30
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) - As Jesus' fame spread, the Scribes and Pharisees saw Him as a threat. The worried religious leaders traveled ninety miles on foot from Jerusalem to Gennesaret to discredit the Messiah. Concerned Jewish Priests also questioned the now beheaded John the Baptist (John 1:19). "Transgress." (15:2) - Means "break or violate." "Tradition of the elders." (15:2) - The Pharisees' traditions were not part of God's Mosaic Law. They were man-made customs that the Pharisees raised to the level of holy law. As we see here, they even mandated a hand washing ritual. "They wash not their hands." (15:2) - The Pharisees called for the ceremonial washing of hands before eating. This is 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." "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God." (15:3) - Jesus is asking the Scribes and Pharisees why they break God's commandments. "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 and Leviticus 20:9. "Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift." (15:5) - Here, 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 somebody promised money, property, or any object of value 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 to the Temple didn't have to be honored until the donor died, they could simply declare their fortunes as Corban, keep the money, and neglect their parents. Any money left when the donor died went to the Temple. In an era before Social Security or safety nets, aging parents were often left destitute. 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) - "Whatever you would have gotten from me is pledged (to the Temple)." "He shall be free." (15:6) - According to the Pharisees, anyone who pledged their money to the Temple was free from the commandment to "honor thy father and mother." "Esaias prophesy." (15:7) - This prophesy 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, not the food we eat. See verses 15:18-19. 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." "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart." (15:18) - See also Matthew 12:34. "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts...." (15:19) - See Proverbs 6:14 and Jeremiah 17:9. "False witness." (15:19) - "Lies." "Blasphemies." (15:19) - To blasphemy is to slander, insult (through words, thoughts, or actions), or speak irreverently of God, His authority, or grandeur. The Old Testament called blasphemy one of the worst sins, punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16). The New Testament calls blasphemy against God the unforgivable sin (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10). Unforgiveable because the sinner will not ask for forgiveness. Unforgivable blasphemy is not a one-time mistake made in a time of spiritual uncertainty; it is the unrelenting disavowal, insulting, and rejection of God. "These are the things which defile a man." (15:20) - it's what comes out of our mouth that defiles us. Not want we put in our mouth (Ephesians 4:29). |