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.
Jesus’ miracles and teaching gained such fame that the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem sent a delegation to Galilee in order to observe and interview Him and then report on His actions. It appears that the disciples were flattered to see members of the high-profile Pharisees coming all the way from Jerusalem to see their Master, for they expressed disappointment that Jesus was not more welcoming (Mat 15:12).
The Jews in the time of Christ had many customs involving the washing of hands and plates before meals (Mark 7:2-4), but the Mosaic Law contained no such commandments. Sometime after the return from Babylon the Jewish elders had formulated these elaborate handwashing rituals, which may have been based upon the uncleanness laws found in Scriptures such as Lev 5:2-3; 11:30-35. The Pharisees however, claimed to possess the “oral law,” which was a supposed infallible interpretation of the written Law. This oral law had purportedly been passed down through the years by the prophets and elders. Centuries after Christ, this “oral law” was finally written down and called the Talmud.
The Pharisees’ man-made laws were oppressive, unbending and sometimes arbitrary. Their lengthy sabbath rules, for instance, addressed even the most simple physical exercises. A cripple could not use his crutch on the sabbath, even to attend the synagogue. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus obeyed the Mosaic Law, but he did not always follow these doctrines of men. Evidently the Pharisee investigators had seen the disciples eating their meals without washing, or maybe one of them had picked and eaten some figs on the Sabbath. Whatever the case, it provided the Pharisees with a point of criticism, for they were desperate to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people. They had tried earlier, when the disciples picked some heads of wheat on the Sabbath (Mat 12:1-2).
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.
Here is revealed how the Pharisees would use their own tradition to literally overturn God’s law. Notice the parallel in their accusation and Jesus’ response: Why do you transgress the tradition of the elders? … Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? This was one of the worst sins of the Jews, to justify the disregarding of a Scriptural command by human interpretation of the Bible. Does that sound familiar in the realm of Christendom today? It happens in very liberal settings and in very conservative ones, that the true spirit and sound doctrines of the New Testament are overturned by man-made theologies and forms of worship. Let us take warning to hear and do all that the prophets and Apostles have spoken (Luke 24:25). Let the Scriptures speak for themselves and let us simply read and learn from them, listening always to the Spirit’s instruction (John 14:26).
The fifth commandment in the Decalogue is: Honour thy father and mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (Ex 20:12). Honoring parents includes providing for them in old age, but the Jews found a way to avoid that burden by giving their money instead into the sanctuary offering, which received far greater recognition in the eyes of their fellow-man (Mat 6:2). So when parents needed financial help, the Jews had designed a way to be free from honoring their parents (Mat 15:6) by saying, It is Corban (Mar 7:11). That is, “It has already been given to God.” Perhaps this was a fairly recent Pharisaical tradition by which the Jewish leaders could gain donations from their tight-fisted countrymen: “You give the money to us and we will absolve you from spending it on your parents. We’ll call it Corban.” Thus a man-made tradition was used to overturn a commandment of God.
Good and right traditions will draw us to Christ, and not lead us away from Him.
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.
The quote is from Isaiah 29:13, which does not read exactly as our Masoretic-based Old Testament, but does match the Greek Septuagint. This condemnation was fully accurate, for most of the Jewish nation in the time of Christ were only pretending to worship God. Their hearts were far from Him. Certainly some were sincere, but sincerity is vain when it follows false beliefs. The Jews professed to honor God, but in truth were not. In fact, the whole worship system that God had instituted through Moses had been perverted by the Pharisees’ burdensome additions they called the oral law. Their washings, rituals and interpretations had become their religion – their idol – that had taken the place of true worship of their God.
Churches today must take warning from the sad example of these Jews. Be sure to teach and do what God has said is important to Him – not what you think should be important to Him. Handle the Word of God with all reverence and care (2Cor 4:2; 2Tim 2:15, 3:16), for it tells us what He desires of them that would worship Him. Follow with all diligence His commandments and not a set of man-made rules that do not please Him (Col 2:22; Tit 1:14). Rules are good when they are firmly based in Bible principles and from the beginning of Christianity the early church applied the New Testament Scriptures to their life situations. We must do no less. For example, polygamy, suicide, abortion and pornography are not explicitly condemned by Christ and the Apostles, yet they are logical, necessary applications of the Scriptural doctrines concerning marriage, murder and uncleanness. The Pharisaical approach would find ways to justify those sins using the very Word of God. No surprise then that some churches are doing that very thing today.
Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. This reprimand cuts both ways. It condemns the liberals who, like the Sadducees, disregard the commandments of God by proposing lawyerly arguments. It also admonishes the hyper-conservatives who, like the Pharisees, make strict mint-and-cummin rules that mean little to nothing to God (Mat 23:23). Unfortunately, many fall into the ditch of lawlessness immediately after pulling themselves out of the ditch of legalism. Don’t lose sight of the big important picture: God is seeking a people for His name, a peculiar people that in righteousness are praising the One who has called them out of darkness (1Pet 2:9).
What does God really want when we worship Him? Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Rom 12:1). What does the Lord require? To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God (Micah 6:8). What is that pure religion and undefiled? To visit the afflicted and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27). A living sacrifice is that life which has laid Self on the altar, it is that life which has counted all but loss in order to gain Christ (Php 3:8). It is a life that is alive to walk humbly with God, but dead to following the desires of Self (Rom 6:11). Such worship ascends to throne of God a sweet-smelling savour (Eph 5:2). It is not the periodic gathering of the people for praise and sermons, but the continual living sacrifice of the individual soul! Cain and Abel offered up their sacrifices; one was accepted but the other was rejected because it was offered in sin (Gen 4:7).
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.
Later Jesus spoke to the multitude concerning the Pharisees’ charge that His disciples had defiled themselves by eating with unwashed hands. According to the Talmud, a ridiculous tradition warned that a certain evil spirit would sit upon and poison the food of any person who did not wash their hands before eating. Jesus however, shows that uncleanness is a spiritual matter of the heart. The disciples still did not understand, so Jesus explained further in Mat 15:17-20. To us His words are plain, but for those in the Jewish religion it was new and contrary to what they had been taught. Uncleanness in the Law was a condition contracted only by physical touch and remedied only by physical ceremonies.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
The Pharisees were offended. Imagine that. Did they really think the One who could control nature and heal the body with a spoken command should obey their mandates? What arrogance. Rather than acknowledge that He was right in revealing their inconsistency and hypocrisy, their proud and self-righteous hearts were offended. It is always the way of a deceived man to take offense at attempts to point out an inconsistency in his life. Even sincere men are often not able to acknowledge their error. Instead they find reasons to reject advice, often by finding fault with the bearer of it. Shortly we will see this in the case of the Pharisees with Jesus. Men are offended because of pride. It is virtually impossible for a truly humble person to take offense at personal criticisms.
The Gospel of John relates more about Jesus offending the Pharisees with His teaching on this occasion (John 6:29-69). Indeed, His words were so new, shocking and controversial that many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him (John 6:66). Yet, Jesus backed up this new doctrine by deeds of confirmation never so seen in Israel (Mat 9:33). He healed the sick, cast out demons, fed 5000 men using just one lunch, tamed nature’s storm by His word and walked on water. The same is true today! Jesus’ teaching is everywhere rejected by the majority of men. It is too hard for them, they cannot accept it.
Then as today, some believed and followed Christ while others did not. The little dialogue between Jesus and His disciples at the end of this test helps to understand why that is so. “Will you, like the others, also leave Me?” Jesus asked. “Where would we go?” His disciples responded. “You are the only One with the words of eternal life” (Joh 6:66-69). Observe three points concerning this crucial accepting/rejecting of Christ. One, the disciples were wholly committed to the pursuit of eternal life. Two, they recognized by deductive reasoning that there is no rational alternative to attain that goal. And three, the evidences Christ offered were far more compelling than were His difficult, hard-to-understand tests of faith.
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.
Clearly this was leveled at the Pharisees. Their manmade religion was about to be rooted up and replaced by a heavenly religion instituted by God at the death of His own Son. The plant could symbolize a person, a sect or a particular doctrine (compare John 15:2). The Pharisees ceased as a sect after the dispersion of the Jews at the destruction of their temple.
Let them alone, or, “have nothing to do with them.” Not that their errors should be allowed to continue uncondemned, but that the disciples should not heed the leaven of the Pharisees (Mat 16:6). These blind leaders are a sad illustration of many religious and political sects in history. People so easily follow a charismatic person without holding his life and doctrine to the gem of Truth. That is why the Bible is such an important possession for every Christian. By it, error and deception can be avoided.
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.
The parable that Peter asked Jesus to explain was not the one concerning the blind leaders (Mat 15:13-14), but of the mouth defiling a man (Mat 15:10-11). See the parallel account in Mark 7:14-20. The disciples were true Jews, raised and taught all their lives in the religion of Judaism. The Law’s many defilements derived from physical acts and their prescribed cleansings were literal ceremonies. The idea that a man was not defiled by physically touching a dead body or by eating an unclean animal just didn’t fit in their minds, yet that is what Jesus was teaching.
The gospel of Mark adds a concluding phrase to verse 17: purging all meats, which is better translated in other versions (see NASB for Mark 7:19). Jesus was changing the Law of Moses into a spiritual Law (see note on Mat 5:1). In that vein, it is consistent to find the next topic to be the account of the Canaanite woman who found grace with Christ (Mat 15:21-28).
The heart is a euphemism for the will and intellect of a man. Evil actions are preceded by and proceed from a corrupted heart condition (Jer 17:9). A man’s good intentions are often judged to be good even if the action upon those intentions ends up being negative. Your friend may break a piece of equipment while trying to fix it for you. Are you going to judge him negatively when you know he was doing his best to help you? Similarly, a man’s evil intentions are judged to be evil even if the action he intends actually never happens. Sin begins in the heart, with the intellect and will choosing to commit evil. Sin is finished (reached the point of being sin) when the intent is acted upon (Jam 1:14-15). Jesus here teaches that if we guard our hearts against these things, we will not be defiled with sin. He wants His disciples (and us) to understand that observing outward rituals and rules cannot keep a man clean inwardly. We must keep the inside clean and then the outside will also be clean. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Pro 4:3).
The list of wicked acts is not comprehensive, as the parallel passage in Mark 7:21-23 shows. The evil thoughts cover a significant area: evil imaginations, erroneous debates and reasonings, immoral fantasies, invalid justifications of wicked actions, evil surmisings and judgments of others, etc.
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Tyre was a famous seaport in the very north of Palestine. While it was within the land promised to Israel, it was never fully subjugated by the Jews. The city was utterly destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great in fulfillment to Ezekiel’s prophecy (Eze 26-28), but was later rebuilt a short distance away. Tyre’s sinful lifestyle of worldly pleasures and idolatry was a great temptation to the OT Jews. By the time of Christ, the city was largely Gentile and not even considered a part of Israel.
Many scholars doubt that Jesus travelled to Tyre (or Sidon, 20 miles farther north). But Mark gives the same history and even hints why Jesus went there (Mark 7:24). As we saw in Mat 14:23 and John 6:15, Jesus had to constantly avoid the people’s attempts to make Him their king. That was why He quietly went into seclusion for a time when He heard of John’s death, why He had sent the disciples and the 5000 away and now why He secretly left the land of Israel for a time. People (Jews?) had come from Tyre and Sidon to hear His sermons in Galilee (Luke 6:17), and that may have prompted His journey there. When the politically charged mob dispersed, Jesus would return to Judea. Meanwhile, this account shows that His fame had spread beyond the borders of Israel.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Although a Canaanite, here was someone who did not hesitate to call Jesus by the Messianic title, Son of David. The Jewish expectation of a coming Prophet from the kinship of David was common knowledge. Although a Gentile, this woman was determined to obtain a blessing from Him. Perhaps she had friends who had attended His sermons in Galilee (Luke 6:17). This Canaanite woman is one in faith with those two famous Gentile women of old, Rahab and Ruth. These women were sure of what they believed and in spite of the daunting difficulties they persevered until God could not but reward them! This account is one of the greatest examples of faith, humility and fervency to be found in the Bible. The parallel account is in Mark 7:25-30.
In spite of her pleas, Jesus ignored this woman! And it seems out of character of Him. Yet, the rest of the story convinces us that He did not ignore her because He had rejected her, but kept silence so that He could demonstrate her faith to His disciples. He knew how she would respond even before He spoke, and her faithful, powerful example now stands for all the world to see. It was like God testing Abraham (Gen 22:1) and Job (Job 23:10). How often has God similarly tested us, in order to demonstrate His grace and our faith? Does His silence always mean He is dissatisfied with us? This story gives strong indication that sometimes Christ’s silence is for His own inscrutable purposes, maybe to develop more fruit in our lives, maybe for reasons we will never know this side of heaven. God’s silence does not mean that we are outside His will. When He hung dying upon a tree, Jesus was never closer to being in God’s will and yet He experienced God’s silence.
For this woman, to be ignored must have felt even worse than a negative answer. But she did not give up. She pleaded, she cried for mercy, disregarded the disciples’ harsh words and when at last He did speak to her (and that negatively), she took courage! She brushed aside His dismissive words and came near to bow down and worship Him, saying, Lord, help me. Surely Jesus could not deny her humble petition, could He? But He did. And how crushing His words then: It is not good to take bread from the children and give it to dogs. A weaker heart would have fainted, but she was not here on account of her standing and merits. She hoped only to obtain mercy. She was willing to be a dog in order to receive grace. Astonishing determination. As Jacob did when wrestling with the Angel, she would not let Him go except Thou bless me (Gen 32:26). Those who ask in the same spirit as this woman did will receive as this woman did.
Jesus was not discriminating against Gentiles by refusing her, for earlier, at the first request of a Gentile centurion, He had agreed to go at once to heal an ailing servant (Mat 8:5-13). Instead, His actions teach important truths filled with meaning for us today. In many of Jesus’ miracles there are similar evidences that He used His omniscient power to reveal and teach deeper spiritual concepts.
Jesus was sent to the house of Israel (Mat 10:6). The Messiah was promised through the prophets of Israel and salvation came through the Word as delivered to the Jews (John 4:22). In the time of Christ however, Judaism had taken pride in God’s favor. In the Jewish mind, there was a huge chasm between them and the Gentile “dogs.” The disciples’ hard-hearted response to this poor, needy woman agreed with that mentality: “Send her away. She is not worthy of help.” They agreed with Christ’s cold silence to her plea.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
The Lord answers her with discriminatory, debasing words, but perhaps there was a tone in His voice, or a kindness in His eyes that impelled her onward. Whatever the case, she would not be easily discouraged. “What you say is true, Lord. Will you then hear me being a dog? Even the dogs receive scraps of food from time to time.” This woman’s faith and perseverance are astonishing and inspiring. She admits that she is not worthy of His favor, that she is a vile sinner and she humbles herself to the very lowest point. It is then that she is exalted, rewarded and blessed. That lesson is worthwhile learning.
The Canaanite woman did not ask on the basis of merit, but on the basis of mercy (Mat 15:22). She is acknowledging her unworthiness, begging for that to be disregarded so that she might receive anyway. Such is the attitude every soul must have in coming to Jesus for salvation. We ask for mercy, not justice or reward.
The woman’s answer displays spiritual discernment beyond that of the scribes and Pharisees. She takes His parabolic answer that could have so discouraged her and finds a way to turn in into a matter of hope. Can we do the same with the promises of God in those times that discouragement and sadness are deepest? “All I ask for is a crumb.”
Mark adds that when the woman returned to her house, she found the demon gone and her daughter lying upon a bed (Mark 7:30). Does anyone doubt that mother and daughter believed in this Messiah from that moment on?
29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there. 30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: 31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Although it is not possible to know for sure, Jesus was probably in Tyre and Sidon just a few weeks. Returning to Galilee, He ascended a mountainside and waited for the people to gather around Him again. This was one of His favorite venues (Mat 5:1; 14:23; 17:1; 28:16), away from the busy streets, away from distractions and rabble-rousers. Only the sufficiently motivated seekers would find Him and of course the sufficiently motivated critics and spies.
The multitudes that soon surrounded Him came from Decapolis (Mark 7:31), a region near to the sea of Galilee. They brought their sick and invalid friends and loved ones, and Jesus healed them all: the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others. The Greek word for maimed usually signifies “without a limb” (Mat 18:8). Jesus had calmed the raging sea with His word, had multiplied five loaves of bread to feed 5000 men, so for Him to replace a missing arm or leg was a simple act. Nevertheless, to see a man’s missing arm suddenly appear whole would have been a spectacular sight! The multitude glorified God when they saw the miracles of goodness Jesus performed (Mark 7:37). Mark elaborates one of the miracles that Jesus did at this time, the healing of a deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:32-35).
32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
Matthew and Mark are the only Gospel historians to record this miracle (see Mark 8:1-9). Not many days prior, He had fed 5000 men in Galilee (Mat 14:15-21). If that account had not also been recorded in these same two Gospels, Bible critics would surely say that the Apostles got their details wrong. Many have tried to dismiss the Bible as a human work rather than a divinely inspired gift of God by stressing some supposed conflict or contradiction in the Gospel accounts. They find it convenient, (although illogical) to reckon the entire story wrong upon finding a discrepancy! One example is Jesus expulsing the moneychangers from the Temple, which John details at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:15) and the Synoptics at the very end (Mat 21:12). All signs point to those being separate events.
While this miracle is very similar to the one in the previous chapter, the details are different. There, Jesus fed 5000 men with 5 loaves and 2 fishes, and 12 baskets of food were left over. Here, He feeds 4000 men with 7 loaves and a few fish, and 7 baskets of food were left over. In the earlier miracle we noted the symbolic meanings of numbers in the Scriptures (see note on Mat 14:19) and the same is true in the present account. The number 7 denotes completion or totality, usually involving God’s complete and perfect purpose. The number 4 is the number of the world, or God’s creation. The number 1000 is often used in figurative contexts to expand numerically the symbolism of the primary digit.
The two miracles can be seen as complementary analogies of the gift of salvation that Christ has graciously made available to all men. In both miracles, Jesus felt compassion for the multitude who had come to hear Him (Mat 14:14; Mat 15:32) and He determined to provide them with food. The formula is the same in both instances, Jesus took the bread and blessed it, then gave it to His disciples to divide among the multitudes. The first miracle illustrates the elect of God receiving His grace and mercy, and the present one illustrates the abundance of grace and forgiveness being offered to all nations and kindreds of the world. Certainly this was not the Spirit’s sole purpose in relating these miracles, but the symbolic meanings of the numbers are widely acknowledged. See my brief glossary for symbolic words in the note on Rev 22:21.
In feeding the 5000, five is the number of grace and the 5000 represent the number of those who have received Christ’s mercy and forgiveness to enter the Kingdom. They are saved by grace (five loaves) and have been chosen or ordained by God in the Second Covenant He has developed for Mankind (two fish), which is the symbolic meaning of the number two. This does not imply God’s election is arbitrary as the Calvinists teach, but that His benevolent, all-wise character means He will always choose righteously and fairly (ie. those who want to be saved and show it by their lives). The twelve baskets (kophinos) of leftover food, symbolize God’s elect, or those chosen because of their faithfulness to Him, for that is the meaning of the number twelve.
In feeding the 4000, four is the number of the physical world and the 4000 would represent the vast population of the world to whom the Gospel is preached. Not Jews only, but every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people (Rev 14:6). The seven loaves represent the full and complete provision of God, the entire purpose of His will, in providing for the salvation of all mankind. Even after feeding the multitude, there were seven baskets (spuris) left over, which speaks again of grace in abundance and available to all. The power and resources that Christ gained by His redemptive death are not depleted by use! There remains overflowing and abundant salvation for every man, woman and child that has ever lived. Unfortunately, many will not appropriate that salvation and will reject the One who ordained and effected it. That failure is entirely due to the selfish will of each individual and not to any defect or insufficiency in the work and provision that the Messenger of the Covenant (Mal 3:1) has accomplished.
39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
Again Jesus left the multitude and went by ship on the Sea of Galilee to another place, this time to the region of Magdala, although Mark calls it Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10).