Saturday, December 27, 2014

Matthew 15:1-20



Mat 15:1 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, Mat 15:2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
(Jewish ceremonial art, also known as Judaica (/ˈdɪkə/), refers to an array of objects used by Jews for ritual purposes. Because enhancing a mitzvah by performing it with an especially beautiful object is considered a praiseworthy way of honoring God's commandments, Judaism has a long tradition of commissioning ritual objects from craftsmen and artists.) from Wikipedia

 Mat 15:3 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? Mat 15:4 "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'  

Exodus 20:12 This is the verse Jesus was referring to in Mat 15:4. Mat 15:5 "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," Mat 15:6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. Mat 15:7 "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

 Isaiah 20:13 is the verse that Jesus is revering to min Mat 15:7

Mat 15:8 'THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. Mat 15:9 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'"

The Pharisees had made their jobs as pastors of the Bible into laws divined by men. Over the years they Pharisees had added rituals and other items that made them (the Pharisees) appear to be important but had nothing to with God.

Mat 15:10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, "Hear and understand. Mat 15:11 "It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." Mat 15:12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

This sounds like our present political correct speech. It is odd that the disciples would ask that question when they knew they were with the Son of God. It did become a teaching moment. Jesus mentioned the old phrase the blind leading the blind. We often refer to that is a fool teaching others to be a fool also.
Mat 15:13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Mat 15:14 "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." Mat 15:15 Peter said to Him, "Explain the parable to us." Mat 15:16 Jesus said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also? Mat 15:17 "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? Mat 15:18 "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. Mat 15:19 "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders. Mat 15:20 "These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

There appeared to be confusion about what has been said. Jesus had another teaching moment about ceremonial things. We often hang out hats on ceremonial things. Peter later found out in Acts 10:9-15 that it is not about what you eat. It is about what God has written in the Bible, especially the New Testament.
Agape

Dave




[i] From Wikipedia search for Jewish ceremonial art

No comments:

Post a Comment