Monthly Archive for November, 2008

Matthew 15:32f

Published on November 5, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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32Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” 34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” 35So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. 38Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.
Now we come to the miracle of the feeding of the 4,000. The feeding of the 4,000 is not the same as the feeding of the 5,000 (14:14-21). Note the seven contrasts:
·         The feeding of the 5,000 men was for Jews; feeding of the 4,000 men was for Gentiles.
·         Feeding of 5,000 near Bethsaida; feeding of 4,000 in Decapolis
·         Feeding of 5,000 5 loaves; feeding of 4,000 7 loaves
·         Feeding of 5,000 12 baskets left over; feeding of 4000 7 baskets left over
·         Feeding of 5,000 crowd with Jesus 1 day; feeding of 4,000 crowd with Him 3 days
·         Feeding of 5,000 in spring; feeding of 4,000 in summer
·         Feeding of 5,000 tried to make Jesus King; feeding of 4,000 no response like that
Both Matthew and Mark include both events in their narratives
15:32
Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion (literally, moved in inward parts) on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
Jesus expressed compassion for the crowds because they did not have enough to eat. If He sent them away without food, they could faint on the way home. There were no McDonalds on the way home.
15:33
Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”
Once again the disciples expressed doubt about how to feed such a large crowd. Their viewpoint was to procure bread on a human level. They have to go through the same lesson as the feeding of the 5,000 men. The disciples may have thought that Jesus would not perform a miracle to the Gentiles.
15:34
Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
Jesus takes the initiative in resolving the hunger problem.
15:35
So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
Jesus directed the crowd to prepare for the meal.
15:36
And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.
The Greek indicates that Jesus repeatedly gave food to the disciples for distribution to others.
15:37
So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.
The crowd ate until they satisfied their hunger. There was plenty left over. The basket in the previous feeding of the 5,000 was a smaller container that individuals use on a journey. The wicker baskets here were large such as the one people let Paul down in a basket in Damascus (Ac 9:25). There was more food left over from the 4,000 than the 5,000 feeding.
15:38
Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.
The 4,000 were adult men not counting women and children. There may have been double or triple 4,000 people.
15:39
And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.
Magdala was a town north of Tiberius on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (other side of the lake from Decapolis). This town lies in ruins today.
PRINCIPLE: All God expects of us is to do what we can with what we have.
APPLICATION: God gives us all the resources we need to do ministry. He does not expect anything more than what He Himself provides. All He expects of us is to do what we can with what we have.

Matthew 15:29f

Published on November 4, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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29Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. 31So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus now moves into another Gentile territory because of rejection of His ministry by Israel.
15:29
Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.
Jesus moved from the region of Tyre and Side to eastern Galilee. Jesus healed Gentiles in Decapolis region southeast of the Sea of Galilee.
31Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis (literally ten cities) to the Sea of Galilee. Mk 7:31
 
Decapolis was a loose confederation of ten cities of predominately Gentiles who had the right from the Romans to mint coins and operate their own courts. This area had a strong Gentile population.
15:30
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame (part of the body unable to function), blind, mute (unable to speak), maimed (mutilated–such as loss of leg), and many others (different illnesses); and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.
Great crowds brought sick for healing as an act of belief. Why did Jesus heal Gentiles when in the previous section He was reluctant to do so? Although Jesus’ primary mission was to Israel, Israel’s rejection of Him moves His ministry to Gentiles.
15:31
So (so that—result) the multitude marveled (struck with awe) when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole (made well), the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Gentiles “glorified the God of Israel” for His healing work; that is, they praised Him for this. They praised the God whom Israel worships.
Note the contrast between Israel’s rejection of Jesus and Gentile reception of Him. Israel knew the Scriptures but Gentiles did not.
PRINCIPLE: God is a God of compassion
APPLICATION: God’s compassion is patent toward us. His compassions will not fail us.
22Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.La 3:22

Matthew 15:26f

Published on November 3, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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26But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs (domestic animals).” 27And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus now helps His disciples to understand the importance of fulfilling the five unconditional promises to Israel first (such as the Abrahamic covenant, Ge 12-15).
15:26
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s (Israel) bread and throw it to the little dogs (Gentiles).”
“Children’s bread” here is Jesus’ ministry to Israel. It was not good for Jesus to change His mission from Israel to Gentiles (dogs) at this time. This woman was a Gentile. The Phoenician woman did not want Jesus to change His ministry from Israel to the Gentiles. Her desire was simply to receive a portion (crumbs of bread) of blessing to Israel.
15:27
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
The woman’s reply demonstrated humility; she took the place of a little dog. She made no claim to Israel’s promises.
15:28
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
Jesus healed the woman’s daughter because of her “great” faith. Her faith was great because of her persistence in believing Jesus. Both people of “great” faith were Gentiles, the Roman centurion (8:5-13) and this Phoenician woman.
And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus healed the daughter instantly.
PRINCIPLE: God uses trial in our lives to build our faith.
APPLICATION: Faith that believes when everything is against them is great faith. God uses trial to build strong faith. He did this in the life of Abraham.
20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,Ro 4:20

Matthew 15:23f

Published on November 2, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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23But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus’ response to the request of a Gentile woman to heal her daughter was silence.
15:23
But He answered her not a word.
Jesus’ response to the woman was to answer her “not a word.” By not acknowledging her, this need appears indifferent to her person. However, Jesus always has a reason for what He does. Here, it may have been to test her faith.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
Jesus’ disciples urged Him to send her away because they deemed her request as impertinence. She made too much noise for them and got on their nerves! She couldn’t take “no” for any answer.
15:24
But He answered (the disciples) and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Jesus reminded His disciples that the purpose of His mission was to Israel at this time (10:6). It was not right that He offer salvation to the Gentiles before the Jews. Jews had a privileged status before God because of His unconditional covenants with them. Later, He would launch a mission to the Gentiles.
15:25
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
Undaunted, the woman persisted in her request. She had so little light but such great faith.
PRINCIPLE: Faith is the cause of worship.
APPLICATION: At the heart of adoration is belief in the person we admire. That attitude produces persistence. This attitude refuses defeat or discouragement. This kind of dead earnestness results in passion about the object of worship.

Matthew 15:21f

Published on November 1, 2008 in Matthew. 0 Comments
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21Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
This is the second withdrawal follows mounting pressure and further rejection by Israel of Jesus’ Messiahship. This hinge passage demonstrates Jesus’ deliberate withdrawal of His offer to establish His kingdom for Israel to ministry to Gentiles. It foreshadows God’s plan for Gentiles.
15:21
Then Jesus went out from there (Gennesaret) and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon (southern Lebanon today).
Tyre and Sidon were northwest of the Sea of Galilee on the Mediterranean coast. These two cities were in Gentile territory. This is the only occasion when Jesus stepped outside Jewish territory. He may have gone to this region to get away from hostility in Israel. Sidon was the home of Jezebel (1 Kg 16:31). Tyre was about 35 miles from Galilee and Sidon about 60 miles.
15:22
And behold (sudden and remarkable incident), a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out (not weep) to Him,
A Phoenician woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter. This woman was of Canaanite stock, the ancient enemies of Israel. Although she came from roots of animosity toward Israel, she believed that Jesus could heal her daughter.
saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
Because her daughter was demon-possessed, the Phoenician woman sought hope in Israel’s Messiah. She even used the terms “Lord” and “Son of David.” To address Jesus as “Son of David” was not right for a Gentile; she did not have the prerogative of coming to Jesus on Jewish terms.
This woman requested “mercy” for herself and daughter. She probably worshiped Astarte who was a pagan god of the time. To come to Jesus, she had to ask for mercy for worshiping Astarte.
PRINCIPLE: In God’s grace, He gives us mercy that we do not deserve.
APPLICATION: Mercy is something undeserved; there is no was no merit on her part. There was nothing in her that gave her a right for her daughter to be healed. Mercy is something found in God. Mercy is grace in operation. The Bible uses mercy about 500 times in its various language forms.
Even in the giving of the law, God called Himself merciful (Ex 34:6-9). David wrote Psalm fifty-one after he committed adultery. He appealed to God’s mercy for forgiveness.
It is faith that applies God’s promises of mercy and forgiveness to our lives. Faith and repentance are connected to one another.
21testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.Ac 20:21
 
Faith must have a proper object. Biblically, we cannot have faith in anything and still operate on God’s principles. The modern idea of faith in faith is without justification in scriptures. A child that jumps off a roof into his father’s arms is an act of faith in the father. A child that jumps off the roof without anyone there is foolishness. We cannot say “I believe in God” without knowing who and what God is. Nor can we believe in Him without understanding and believing His promises. Believing in faith as the object of faith is to believe in nothing.