MATTHEW LESSON 30

     We will begin this lesson in Matthew 15:1 "Then came to Jesus
scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying," Matthew 15:2
"Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they
wash not their hands when they eat bread."

     These Pharisees were so caught up in formalism, that they could
not understand anything but tradition. You see, this was not really
what God had meant, but was rather part of the Pharisees' tradition.

     Matthew 15:3 "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also
transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"  Matthew 15:4
"For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that
curseth father or mother, let him die the death."  Matthew 15:5 "But
ye say, Whosoever shall say to [his] father or [his] mother, [It is] a
gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;"  Matthew 15:6
"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."

     You see, these Pharisees, who were so caught up in every little
detail of the law, only kept it at their convenience. If there was
something difficult for them to do, like honoring parents, they just
twisted it around to suit their own wants. It is like preachers that
say something is a sin in your life, but cannot recognize the very
same thing as sin in their own lives. They, like the Pharisees, have a
belief of convenience.

     Matthew 15:7 "[Ye] hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you,
saying," Matthew 15:8 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their
mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from
me."

     You see, again here, God does not want us to be like a robot going
through all the formalism. He does not want us to talk a good belief
in Him, but to truly believe way down deep in our hearts. As I have
said so many times before, we must be in love with Jesus, not just
obeying Him systematically. He wants our hearts to be stayed on Him.

     Matthew 15:9 "But in vain they do worship me, teaching [for]
doctrines the commandments of men."

     Can you see, here, that  most doctrines of churches are produced
out of the minds of men? God is displeased with our doctrines that
separate His people. He will not accept this type of worship. Jesus
wants our love.

     Matthew 15:10  "And he called the multitude, and said unto them,
Hear, and understand:"

     He was saying here, do not just listen with your physical ear, but
with your spiritual ear, and let this become part of your knowing.

     Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a
man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

     You see, when you eat with unwashed hands, you harm no one but
yourself. All of this will be carried out as waste from the body. When
we speak evil things out of our mouths which originate in the heart, we
sometimes hurt someone else so badly, that the damage is permanent.
Our witness becomes totally ineffective when those around us see how
bad our hearts are. Bitter and sweet water cannot come from the same
well (James 3:11). What ever is in your heart, will come out.

     Matthew 15:12 "Then came his disciples, and said unto him,
Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this
saying?"

     These Pharisees were so self righteous, that they were beyond
receiving instruction. When a person gets that far along, he or she is
in bad shape. The Pharisees were like many in the churches today. They
were full of formalism, without any power or closeness to God.
II Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
thereof: from such turn away."

     Matthew 15:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my
heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."  Matthew 15:14
"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind
lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

     This is a sad statement about the condition of some of our
churches today. The preacher has watered down the truth of God to such
an extent, that people who attend his church are following right
down the road with the preacher, and they both fall. A spiritual blind
person cannot lead you into a spiritual relationship with Jesus. These
plants are not sold out to God, rooted and grounded in the Word. The
Word is the rich soil; we must work to get a good crop.

     Matthew 15:15 "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare
unto us this parable."

     Remember at this time, Peter and the other disciples had not
received the Holy Spirit. Jesus was still having to explain the
parables to them. Their understanding had not been opening.

     Matthew 15:16 "And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without
understanding?" Matthew 15:17 "Do not ye yet understand, that
whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast
out into the draught?" Matthew 15:18 "But those things which proceed
out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
Matthew 15:20 "These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat
with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

     You see these Pharisees looked on the outward appearance to
judge. Jesus looks on the heart of the inner man.

     Matthew 15:21  "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the
coasts of Tyre and Sidon." Matthew 15:22 "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." Matthew 15:23 "But he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for
she crieth after us."

     This woman, by the Israelite law, was unclean, and an Israelite
was not even to speak to a Canaanite. This woman was desperate. She
was to the point of begging. She had heard the fame of Jesus, and knew
if there was help anywhere, it had to be through Jesus.  She called
Him Son of David (saying by this that He was, indeed, an Israelite). She
was aware, also, that the separation existed between the Israelites
and the Canaanites. As if Jesus needed them to make His decisions for
Him, the disciples came to tell Him what to do. Jesus showed
compassion, and spoke to her in the next verse.

     Matthew 15:24 "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto
the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

     This Scripture above, did not just mean the Jews, it meant
spiritual Isreal, as well; because He called them lost sheep. Physical
Israel, is seldom ever spoken of as lost sheep.

     Matthew 15:25 "Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord,
help me."

     She humbled herself here, realizing who He was, and even called Him
Lord.

     Matthew 15:26 "But he answered and said, It is not meet to take
the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs."

     Unbelievers were often called dogs. Jesus, in essence, was saying
that the Canaanite people were not followers of God, and that the
Bread (Word) would be wasted upon them.

     Matthew 15:27 "And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the
crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

     She was not arguing that her people had a good record of following 
God. In fact, she admitted that her heritage was not of God. She appealed to Jesus' sympathy.  She said, I will wait around and just take the leftover blessings as you feed others. She had great humility and faith.

     Matthew 15:28 "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."

     One thing that really gets results from God is our great faith in
Jesus and His ability to perform miracles. Jesus just spoke the Word,
and the woman's daughter was made whole. Notice, though, that this
woman had to persist in her request. We read in James the fifth
chapter that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much." You see, God needs to know that we are serious about our prayer
requests, and He will answer our prayers. It is okay to pray  more than
once about something.

     We will pick up the next lesson in Matthew 15:29.


                             Notes












































                         Matthew 30 Questions


1.  These scribes and Pharisees were from what city?
2.  What did they accuse the disciples of doing?
3.  These Pharisees were caught up in what?
4.  How did Jesus answer them?
5.  Those who curse father and mother were to do what in the law?
6.  How did the Pharisees keep the law?
7.  When did the Pharisees keep the law?
8.  Compare this with some modern preachers?
9.  What did Jesus call them?
10. Isaiah said these people draweth nigh unto me with their _______
    but their _________is far from me.
11. Jesus wants what to be stayed on Him?
12. In verse nine, what were they teaching?
13. In verse ten, name two things we should do.
14. What defileth a man?
15. What really was the problem of the Pharisees?
16. The description in Second Timothy 3:5 says what?
17. If the blind lead the blind, what happens?
18. What is the rich soil we must work to truly understand?
19. Why did Peter not understand?
20. Words that come out of the mouth originate where?
21. The woman that come to Jesus was from where?
22. What was wrong with her daughter?
23. Why had she come to Jesus?
24. Who was Jesus sent to?
25. What did she call Jesus?
26. What were unbelievers often called?
27. What did she admit to Jesus about her heritage?
28. What two things did she show in herself?
29. Why did Jesus heal her daughter?
30. Are we to pray more than once for the same thing?
31. Quote the portion of Scripture in the 5th chapter of James that
    tells us this.