Monthly Archive for October, 2008

Matthew 15:15f

Published on October 31, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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15Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
 
Peter now reacted to Jesus’ explanation of the opposition of religion against Him, running from verses 10 to 14.
15:15
Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this [v.11, what goes in and out of the mouth] parable to us.”
Peter was generally the spokesman for the disciples. The parable to which Peter referred is that religious false teaching was like food that goes in the mouth, then into the stomach, and finally is excreted in a latrine. False doctrine is good for dumping.
15:16
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?
Peter should have understood Jesus’ teaching because he had enough information to do so. Jesus had no problem with grieving over the inability of His disciples to learn.
15:17
Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated [into a latrine]?
Food goes into the stomach for digestion and is eventually eliminated by a bowel movement. What one believes eventually comes out.
15:18
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
The “heart” here is not emotion but a person’s orientation to life by what he or she believes. The heart is the nature of the person’s belief.
15:19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts [bad thought patterns], murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies [slander].
It is possible for a person to be ceremonially clean but inwardly polluted. By majoring on minors they miss the main point.
“Evil thoughts” are evil schemes.
“Murder” is not identical with “killing” but rather killing not condoned by God. It is right to kill in war or by execution.
“Adultery” is sexual sin with another person’s marriage partner.
“Fornication” is general sexual sin.
“Thefts” is simply stealing.
“False witness” is perjury. It is to tell a lie about someone else.
“Blasphemies” is slander against others. This person seeks to ruin another’s reputation.
15:20
These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
These words are almost identical to verse 11.
PRINCIPLE: Extrinsic righteousness is of little value; intrinsic orientation to God’s will is inherently right.
APPLICATION: Often the people we deem most righteous or religious are the polar opposite of what Jesus valued. Many do-gooders and philanthropists are horizontally oriented rather than vertically oriented. They value human achievement above God’s operating assets in Christ by grace. External righteousness is more important to these people than adjusting to the will of God.
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Matthew 15:12f

Published on October 30, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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12Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
 
Having rebuked religious thought of His day, the disciples now came to Jesus with the implication of what He said.
15:12
Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended [scandalized] when they heard this saying?”
When the disciples discovered that the religious delegation was offended by Jesus’ remarks, He compared them to something outside God’s plan and to blind leaders of the blind. This scandalized their integrity. False teachers are always offended at truth.
15:13
But He answered and said, “Every plant [false doctrine] which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
The basic belief of current religious leaders disintegrated underneath them with Jesus’ teaching. Jesus “uprooted” their false teaching, leaving it to die in the sun. God never gave their distorted teaching to them.
15:14
Let them alone.
Jesus did not concern Himself with the opinion of religious leaders. He did not seek their approval. Neither did He care whether His teaching offended them.
They are blind leaders of the blind.
The religious delegation was spiritually blind.
And if the blind [doctrinally] leads the blind [doctrinally], both will fall into a ditch.”
Doctrinally blind religious leaders will lead their followers into spiritual disaster.
PRINCIPLE: Doctrinal blindness always leads to disaster.
APPLICATION: True belief does not rest on man but upon God. Religious ceremony does not impress God. God does not want our religious rigmarole but true worship based on true belief. This is confusion of means and end. There are many ways to worship God, but it is worship based on truth that God desires.
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Matthew 15:10f

Published on October 29, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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10When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
 
Jesus now turned His attention away from the delegation from Jerusalem to the crowd.
15:10
When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:
Turning to the crowd, Jesus now explained the abrogation of current teaching in Israel. Having broken with tradition in a revolutionary way, He used two imperatives (hear, understand) to challenge them to concentrate on what He was about to say. He had a deep distinction to draw. With this, Jesus made a significant shift away from presenting His message to Israel as a nation.
15:11
Not what goes into the mouth defiles [renders common] a man;
It is not what a man physically eats that defiles him.
but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
The issue here is not morality but truth or belief. That which comes out of the mouth is false teaching. This statement completely undermined the teaching of the religious delegation (Mk 7:19). “Defiles” carries the idea of renders common. False teaching is not merely neutral; it carries contamination for the soul. False teaching always pollutes the soul; it makes it like a sewer of falsity. The “mouth” is the window of the soul.
PRINCIPLE: What we speak is the window of our soul.
APPLICATION: What we say indicates what we think. If our belief system is wrong, jealousy, pride, hostility, hatred, and legalism come out.
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Matthew 15:7f

Published on October 27, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
 
Jesus now indicted the religious hierarchy of Israel. There is no turning the other cheek when it comes to distortion of truth—no sweetness and light here.
15:7
Hypocrites!
Jesus pulled the mask of hypocrisy from the faces of the official delegation. The word “hypocrite” means phony. The religious delegation came with a phony charge of washed hands, whereas they did not respect Scripture. They were completely inconsistent in handling the Bible.
Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 to expose their deceit. He fortified His argument with Scripture.
15:8
‘These people [Israel] draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
The scribes and Pharisees placed their tradition over God Himself. It is one thing to talk Bible but it is another thing to live Bible. Ritual is one thing but reality is another. Ritual reveals empty talk while the Word of God changes the heart.
15:9
And in vain they worship Me,
Worship not based on the Bible is worthless.
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Putting tradition over the Bible renders worship empty by prioritizing the mere dead words of men rather than the Word of God.
PRINCIPLE: Believers are to be long on Scripture and short on tradition.
APPLICATION: True worship is in spirit and truth rather than in ceremony. Biblical worship comes from a transformed heart. There is nothing wrong with tradition as such; the problem lies in the heart behind tradition.
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Matthew 15:4f

Published on October 27, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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4For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
 
15:4
For God commanded, saying,
Jesus quoted the fifth of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:12).
‘Honor [respect] your father and your mother’;
This is a quotation from Exodus 21:17. “Honor” is more than “obey.” The idea is to have respect for authority. The issue here is not love but authority. Children are to honor their parents, whether parents love them or not.
and, ‘He who curses [speaks evil of] father or mother, let him be put to death.’
The Old Testament commanded honor of parents. The penalty for not honoring parents was death.
15:5
But you [emphatic—in conflict with the Bible] say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift [Corban] to God”—
God said one thing but the belief system of the delegation said something else. The religious leaders did not honor their parents by financially supporting them when they grew old. They devised a religious plan to avoid supporting their parents by saying their money was dedicated to God. This was the practice of “Corban” (Mark 7:11). Corban was a gift specially dedicated to God. This gift obviated the need to support parents. The person making the dedication could keep the money until he decided to use it. By establishing this practice they countervailed the Word of God.
15:6
then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
Jesus said in effect that by manipulating their money as dedicated to God they avoided supporting their parents. This religious manipulation rendered the Bible ineffective. How could they develop as believers with this approach to life?
PRINCIPLE: As goes the nation, so goes the family.
APPLICATION: The family is a divine institution under God’s economy for the world. We live in a day where our society challenges the idea of one man and one woman in marriage. God launched this institution for the stability of society. He designed the man to meet the needs of the woman and the woman to meet the needs of the man. The institution of the family is the basis for stability in the national entity. As goes the family, so goes the country.
Successive generations who do not honor their parents will ultimately produce a weak nation. Challenge of family authority will produce challenge to the school, the coach, the business, and any number of other organizations.
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Matthew 15:1f

Published on October 26, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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1Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?"
 
Beginning with chapter 14, Matthew follows more of a chronological order of Christ’s life. Chapter 15 continues the King’s dispute with religion. Jesus came to a head-on clash with religion.
15:1
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
The Sanhedrin (the religious hierarchy) headquartered in Jerusalem sent an official delegation of both scribes and Pharisees to Jesus in Galilee with a religious question. The time was during the Passover (Jn 6:4), a year before His final Passover. The delegation questioned and censured Jesus’ disciples. This was an attempt to lay the groundwork for charging Him and His disciples with heresy.
15:2
“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?
Opponents to Jesus in the New Testament expressed their opposition in a question. They appeared as sincere but they were out to undermine Jesus.
The tradition here is oral tradition, later written down as extra-biblical law. These traditions were interpretations of the Old Testament laws over centuries. Eventually these interpretations became authoritative.
For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
The charge against Jesus’ disciples was that they ate without going through a ritual of washing hands. A person with ritually washed hands was ritually right to worship. By the time of the New Testament, the elders added to the Old Testament an elaborate washing process. This was passed down by oral tradition known as the Mishna. The issue here has little to do with physical washing but more with ceremonial washing.
15:3
He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress [cross a line] the commandment of God because of your tradition?
Instead of answering their questions, Jesus countered with another question challenging the premise of their question. Religious leaders accused Jesus’ disciples of transgressing tradition, and now Jesus accused them of transgressing Scripture. He confronted His critics with breaching the Bible. The issue became tradition versus the Bible. They put their views above the Bible.
PRINCIPLE: Putting personal belief over the Bible renders the Word of God ineffective.
APPLICATION: We often confuse our religious traditions with the Word of God. It is important for the Bible to govern what we believe above all. Many Christians are long on books about God and short on the Bible.
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Matthew 14:34f

Published on October 25, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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34When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
 
Jesus now returned to Herod’s territory on thenorthwest shores of the Sea of Galilee. He was in the process of withdrawing from offering the kingdom to Israel but He still presented His credentials for His Messiahship by healing.
14:34
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.
After the storm, the boat docked at the plain of Gennesaret on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee near the cities of Capernaum and Bethsaida. The Sea of Galilee was sometimes called the Lake of Gennesaret.
14:35
And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick,
Jesus healed “all who were sick” in Gennesaret. There were no conditions for His healing.
14:36
and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.
Although Herod was alerted to Jesus, He nevertheless returned to minister in Herod Antipas’ territory.
Some in desperation merely touched the hem of Jesus’ garment for healing; others He healed directly. In any case He healed all who came to Him.
PRINCIPLE: There were no qualifications to be healed under Jesus’ ministry.
APPLICATION: Healing by touching a garment was not necessary under Jesus’ ministry. There is a lot of hocus-pocus today in the healing ministry. Some healers today use superstition as a methodology for healing. Some healers have healing handkerchiefs (if you make a donation, of course). This puts a pock on God.
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Matthew 14:32f

Published on October 24, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
 
14:32
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
The storm stopped when Jesus and Peter got into the boat, indicating God’s providential design for the storm to teach the disciples.
14:33
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying (exclaimed),
The word “worshiped” here refers to homage. Jesus’ disciples gave Jesus deference for this miracle.
“Truly [verily] You are the Son of God.”
Jesus was not a son of God but the Son of God. The disciples asserted the deity of Christ here.
PRINCIPLE: Occupation with self displaces occupation with Christ.
APPLICATION: Faith is the answer to fear. Christians who worry more about their circumstances than the reason God puts them in the circumstance miss God’s plan for their lives. Jesus as the Son of God has authority to resolve any problem. Appropriate response to God’s intervention into our problems is worship. Jesus accepted their worship as valid.
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Matthew 14:24f

Published on October 23, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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24But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
 
14:24
But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
The disciples found themselves in a storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee (about 3½ miles from shore).
14:25
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
The “fourth watch” was between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.
14:26
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out [screamed] for [from] fear [terror].
The disciples were in stark fear and severe panic. They pushed the panic button hard when they saw what appeared to them to be a ghost (an apparition). Evidently the disciples believed in superstition to some extent. Their screaming came from the source of terror. This is where the Lord wanted them, for they needed to see their need for Him.
14:27
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
Immediately Jesus assured the disciples who it was walking on the water. There should be no fear where Jesus is. The word “I” is I am. This is an allusion to Yahweh, the great I am.
14:28
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if [since] it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Peter the fisherman’s request to walk on the water with Jesus was an act of some degree of faith. The Greek indicates that Peter assumed that it was true that it was indeed Jesus walking on the water. He believed that he could meet Jesus while walking on the water upon Christ’s command.
14:29
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
With Jesus’ command to “come,” Peter began walking on water.
14:30
But [sudden break] when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
Evidently Peter was afraid of the storm, not of walking on water.
14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Jesus caught Peter from going under water and rebuked him for “little faith.” Peter had some faith but not a whole lot.
PRINCIPLE: Faith grows under duress.
APPLICATION: We cannot work up faith by emotion or formula. Faith develops through pressure and trial. Trust grows from believing God’s promises, not by belief without evidence. Faith believes the evidence revealed by God.
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Matthew 14:22f

Published on October 22, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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22Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
 
Matthew introduces a second miracle here to show that Jesus’ disciples have resources for ministry in the interim present kingdom (14:22-33).
14:22
Immediately Jesus made [constrained] His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
The disciples were reluctant to leave Jesus, but Jesus dismissed them after feeding 5,000 men so that He could urgently (immediately) have private time with the Father.
14:23
And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
Prayer takes concentration. Jesus wanted serious time with the Father. He was a man of prayer.
PRINCIPLE: Special times alone with God are necessary to get God’s perspective.
APPLICATION: When it comes to our devotions, there are special times when we need to get alone to pray. God will give us perspective when we step out of the mundane.
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