Matthew 15:1-20
“Tradition! Or Tradition?”
Vs. 1-11 Tradition Versus The Word Of God
Vs. 12-20 Inward or Outward Holiness?
Intro
On the heels of the Lord’s miracles—the feeding of the 5,000, the walking on water, and the touching of the hem of His garment—comes this new opposition from the leadership of the Jews. At issue was tradition. Now one of my favorite movies is Fiddler on the Roof, and the movie is really all about the contemporary culture of early 1900 Russia collapsing the traditions of the Jewish faith.
Traditions die hard, don’t they? In 1903, the Russian czar noticed a sentry posted for no apparent reason on the Kremlin grounds. Upon inquiry, he discovered that in 1776 Catherine the Great found there the first flower of spring. “Post a sentry here,” she commanded, “so that no one tramples that flower underfoot!” So for 127 years, a guard was posted there, even though no other flower bloomed in that spot.
To put this into context, we need to understand why God put into effect the rules of the O.T. to begin with. You see, the Jewish Nation was to realize God’s plan for their history, namely that they were a chosen nation “set apart” in God’s holiness. So various foods and things were seen as unclean, so when touched, purification needed to take place.
All of this was visible object lessons to show the absolute necessity of complete separation from sin. The plan was to reveal both to themselves and the gentiles around them God’s holiness. Instead, they began to see themselves as special people and better than others based upon what they did not do that others did. With that, they began writing massive volumes of books describing all sorts of ways in which you could remain clean.
Folks, I’m afraid at times the church has become like this as well. Instead of reaching the lost, we want to appear to be better than them. Traditions often cloud our ability to draw near to the Lord, and what’s worse is that it keeps others from drawing nearer to Him as well.
Vs. 1-11 Tradition Versus The Word Of God
There are a series of three questions in this section, all of which Jesus answers, and all deal with the issue of tradition or religion versus the word of God and relationship.
Vs. 1-2 These two verses set up all of Jesus’ comments.
A.) First, I want you to realize that this was no chance meeting between the scribes and the Pharisees. We are told that they came from Jerusalem, which was about a week’s walk from Galilee. Clearly, what they wanted to discuss with Jesus was very serious to them.
B.) Second, the religious elect was united in their concern over this issue, as we are told that the scribes and the Pharisees came together. These two groups did not like each other, yet they were together on this issue.
C.) Thirdly, the question they ask establishes the fundamental difference between religion and relationship. The charge was, “The disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For not washing their hands when they eat bread.” They observed a difference between what they taught and what Jesus taught, as seen in the actions of the disciples.
Now I must at this time point out that these disciples were not just being grungy and not washing their hands before they eat. The washing of hands was not hygienic; it was based upon the “tradition of the elders” and was a ritual. The ritual came about from an old story told for years about a demon named Shibata, who sat on the hands of men while they slept so that if a person ate with hands that were not washed a certain number of times a certain way, then the food would be very dangerous.
So a certain Rabbi named Taanith, based upon this superstition, taught that if they washed their hands and said their prayers regularly, they would be all right. Now these traditions were passed down from generation to generation, and each time more was added to give better understanding.
You see someone might ask a question like, “What happens if during my meal a fly lands on me and that fly has landed upon someone who has not washed their hands and prayed? Would my food be dangerous?” So they would go and discuss it and come up with some new way to combat the problem. By this time, this is what they had to do at every meal:
“They would take 1/2 an eggshell of water and pour it over their hands as they were pressed together in an upright manner. They had to let the water run down & drip of their wrists & no further because now the water was unclean for it had touched that which was unclean.
Then they flip their hands over and pour another eggshell of water over them, this time pointing their hands down and letting the water run off of their fingertips. Now if at any time during this the water did not run off the right way or you thought an impure thought you had to begin again. This did not just happen before a meal but during each course of the meal.”
So you can see what a radical thing this was to the religious establishment! Here were Jesus’ disciples’; they would wash their hands before they would eat, then just go at it.
Vs. 3 Now notice carefully how Jesus answers their objection.
A.) First, you will notice that He does not deny their observation. In fact, in the words, “Why do you also…” He admits that they are breaking the ceremonial washing of hands. Simply put, Jesus says, “You got it right, fellows; they are breaking the ritual.”
B.) Next, you will see that Jesus asks them a question that tells them the answer to their problem: “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?” What Jesus is saying is that what you are demanding of these guys is not in the word of God. It was a tradition, not scripture, something they had already admitted.
Right there, you see the difference between religion and relationship. Religion is ultimately interested in outward rituals to the point that they supersede the word of God. I love this; Jesus just asks them a question and, in so doing, says, “Show me in the Word!”
Let’s take baptism. There are some people who see this as a ritual of salvation, and so they take their babies to the priest, who says a few words over them, sprinkles some water over them, and presto-change-o, the baby is saved. That supersedes the word of God. You’re not saved by some water being dropped over you. John 1:12-13 tells us how you are saved. “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.” (N.L.T.) The supreme thing in a relationship with God is obedience to His Word. The supreme thing in religion is outward conformity to tradition.
Vs. 4-6 These guys had come, bringing an illustration of how the disciples had violated tradition. Jesus now gives them an answer to how they violate the word of God by tradition.
This was the 5th commandment, and the first one with a promise linked with it was the passage about cursing against their father or mother. That is what the Word of God said. “Corban” means a gift or donation. In such a case, it could still be in your possession and even in your regular use, but it belonged to the temple.
So they would go all through their possessions and dedicate everything to the temple. So Mom & Dad would be in need of help, and they would say, “Mom, Dad, I would really like to help you out, but you know everything I have here is dedicated to the temple!” Also, you could curse your father or mother by starting your words by saying,
“Mom, dad, what I’ve got to say to you is for your benefit, and it’s a gift dedicated to the temple. Your two dirty rotten no good so & so’s!” All these traditions placed the Word of God void. Tradition was ahead of the Word and took away the responsibility to obey the scriptures.
Folks, we all have our little traditions, but do those traditions leave out responsibility to obey the Word? People obey tradition to look good before man, but we obey the Word because we love God!
Vs. 7-9 Jesus further illustrates His point by quoting Isaiah. Hey, it’s impossible to honor God with your mouth when your heart is far from obeying Him! It’s not all the religious stuff that God is impressed with; it’s where your heart is at. A lot of times we sing songs like we did this morning: “Just a closer walk with thee, grant it, Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”
Was that your prayer as you sang those words? Or was it just some ritual? God is concerned not just with the action but with the heart’s motivation behind the action. The other day I went to watch a little of my son’s freshman basketball team as they practiced. There were two teams on the court as they were practicing offenses and defenses. It was quite obvious one team was motivated and the other was not, a point the coach quickly picked up on. You can’t just go through the motions to do it right; your heart has to be in it.
Vs. 10-11 Notice here that what Jesus has to say He wants everyone to hear. This ought to settle the issue about what makes a person holy for all time. He renders for all time the uselessness of external religion and, at the same time, the importance of a heart relationship. It’s not what a person eats with their mouth or touches with their hands that makes them unclean or sinners.
That is not how you tell if a person is a sinner. It is what comes out of their mouth that shows where their real heart character is. Of course, Jesus is talking here about ceremonial cleanliness in regards to foods and hands. He is not speaking of smoking dope, getting drunk, or what you are putting into yourself as far as worldly things.
The point being that when a person thinks because they observe some rules here and there in their life that they have a relationship with God, they have missed what God has for us. God is after the heart, not just the outward conformity.
Now, you’re probably thinking well; that’s all right because I don’t have a problem with this. Do you ever pray over your food at home, then go & watch some TV program that you should not be seeing?
Vs. 12-20 Inward or Outward Holiness?
Vs. 12-14 The disciple’s picked up on the fact that the religious leader from Jerusalem was upset with Jesus’ last words. These men were the representatives of the faith; they were what you thought of when you thought of religion. And Jesus just blows away in one statement the whole outward thing. Look at what He says:
A.) Vs. 13 Religion is just a temporal thing; it concerns itself with temporal things, and ultimately it just gets in the way of what the Father has. Jesus does not attack the stewards of the system; He attacks the system! What’s wrong with rituals? They are not planted by the Father! Let me say this very plain: God has not planted religion; He has planted relationships! So He is going to uproot religion.
B.) Vs. 14 Now He addresses the religious leaders, the blind leaders of the blind. Simply put, those who want to appear before men to be religious will always be satisfied with outward appearances, but those who want the truth of a relationship won’t follow.
No matter what evidence has been put forth, even by those in the profession, there are still people who claim that “professional wrestling” is real. Have you ever watched that stuff? My son and I watch it sometimes to get a laugh. Now I’m not saying that these guys aren’t some pretty incredible athletes, but the whole thing is staged.
Vs.15-16 Now Peter is a good Jew, and he is struggling a bit with this whole clean and unclean thing. He is going to struggle with it some more as well. Folks, rituals, and external things are tough to get over. We like to be able to think of ourselves in light of what we are doing instead of what He has done for us. Peter wants a fuller explanation between physical defilement and moral defilement; you see Peter still sees them linked. So Jesus gives him the answer in how they are eliminated.
A.) Vs. 17 First, what goes in must come out so it is naturally eliminated. What is ceremonially unclean—pork and other things—is just going to be taken care of as it passes through your digestive system.
B.) Vs. 18-20 Second, these things cannot be eliminated in any other way than a changed life. There is no ritual that can take away these except a changed heart. It is these things that determine where a person is and where they are headed, not what they eat.
The great issues of character are seen in actions of love, mercy, forgiveness, and repentance. Not in what you stick in your mouth. Mc Gee says, “What is in the heart of the well will come up in the bucket of the mouth sooner or later.” Oh dear Lord, may You always be in the heart of our well!
Matthew 15:21-28
“Worshiped”
Vs. 21-28 Puppy Dog Faith
Intro
On the heels of Jesus conflict with the religious, He again departs this time into uncharted territory. At the halfway point of His earthly ministry, Jesus goes into gentile communities. The response is amazing! The simple faith and simple prayers of those in need are only exceeded by the love of Jesus to reach those who call out to Him.
Simple faith, instead of religious traditions. What a wonderful thing and how different it is from religion. A man went bear hunting on a Sunday. As he was in the woods, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around, he saw the largest bear he had ever seen standing on its hind legs, growling and salivating. He aimed his rifle and pulled the trigger; instead of “bang,” he heard “click!” He had forgotten to load the rifle.
He threw down his rifle and began to run. As he ran, the bear was on his heels, until he tripped over a stump and rolled down a ravine. He tried to stand, but his leg was broken. Knowing things looked bad, he began to pray, “Father, I know that I should be in church right now, and believe when I say, I wish I was there at this moment.
Have mercy upon me and give me favor. Lord, cause this bear not to be hungry; indeed, Lord, cause this bear to be saved, that I might be saved. Lord, if you do this one thing, I will serve you all the days of my life.” About the time that he finished his prayer, the bear was standing over him, and as soon as the man had finished his prayer, something amazing happened. The bear fell to its knees and put paws together. The man was overflowing with joy and thanksgiving until he heard the bear’s prayer: “Lord, thank you for this food you have provided!” Simple prayer, simple faith—an amazing thing!
Vs. 21-28 Puppy Dog Faith
Vs. 21 Religion had questioned him, but relationships compelled him to compassion. So He leaves the region of Galilee & crosses the border some 50 miles to Tyre & Sidon, gentile country. They were Canaanites by nationality and Greek by religion. They had started out as tradespeople, builders, and artisans. And from this they acquired great wealth, and that wealth and prosperity led them to wicked idolatry. They were the hated enemies of the Jews, and they hated the Jews. Most of them worship Asherah, the god of nature.
Vs.22 There are four things Jesus does to draw this woman out, all seen in the word “answered.” Now Mark’s gospel tells us that upon arriving in this region, “He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.” He could not be hidden, for this woman’s need drew him forth.
I like to think of this event from the perspective of Jesus. He knew that there was a gentile woman with false ideas about God. She had grown up raised on a host of false deities; perhaps she was faithful to those ideals, and now a crisis has come into her life; her daughter has been severally possessed by a demon. Her concepts of God and her religious works avail nothing.
Yet she has heard of this Jesus, and even though it goes against her religion and all of her prejudice, she comes to Him. Folks, he traveled 50 miles to meet this woman, and in so doing, he broke religious barriers with the gospel. Do you realize that this is the first recorded gentile convert? She is not coming for herself; she is coming for her daughter. Jesus came not to destroy her faith but to develop it.
Note: The contrast between the Pharisees and scribes and this woman: They had come to him traveling 50 miles to argue tradition above relationship. Jesus had traveled 50 miles because there was a woman wanting relationships above her traditions. I believe that all people are religious, and they all have to overcome those religious traditions of their lives to come to Christ.
Now notice her words to Jesus carefully:
A.) “Have mercy.” Nothing wrong with this; it ought to be the cry of every soul in distress. It speaks from the human side of being unworthy and from God’s side as being greater than any other thing.
B.) “Son of David.” Of the 16 times you find this phrase in the gospels, it is the only time in which it is uttered by a gentile. This term was used to acknowledge His Messiahship, something that she would not know anything about. She had heard this term used of him by Jews and wanted to address him properly, so she used the phrase. Hey, a great many non-believers have the terminology down correctly, but that is not what Jesus is after.
Vs. 23 This is the religious response, the proper Jewish way of addressing Him, and He has not a word to say. At first glance, this seems to be a bit harsh: a desperate woman trying to save her child, trying to say the right thing to get Him to respond in mercy to her need. “And he has nothing to say?” Do you ever feel like this? Do you ever have a pressing need and you do all the right things to get God to respond and nothing? May I suggest to you that Jesus will never respond to a religious formula, no matter how correct and truthful it might be? Jesus is not a theological conviction; He is not a creed you recite; He is a person!
You go to the person you want to marry and you’re going to propose, so you pull out a piece of paper and start reciting a conviction or creed, and then you ask, What do you say? Will you marry me? No, you go to the person you love who fills your life with joy and laughter, and you pour your heart out to them; you become vulnerable.
So this woman keeps on crying out to the Lord so much so that the disciples say, “Hey, Lord, do something that she may go away!” Look folks, I’m not so sure that I would not have said the same thing. People are messy, and getting involved requires us to get dirty. This is the second time they have asked the Lord to send needy people away.
Vs.24 Now, based upon her initial statement and approach, He tells the disciple’s and the woman that, “If you are approaching me based upon religion and tradition, then I will answer you only upon religion and tradition.” Do you see that? “You call after me in some religious formula for heart need, and based upon that formula, I’m only called to Jews that are lost.” May I list to you the things going against this gal?
1.) She was a woman, and they were not thought of very highly.
2.) She was a Canaanite, and they were hated.
3.) She had not made a good impression upon the disciple’s.
But you got to admire her determined faith!
Vs. 25 She is driven by her need past all the religious barriers. Look at what she does here.
A.) She came and worshiped Him. The word worship means to turn and kiss, like your dog does on your hand. It is a spontaneous sign of great affection. Folks, where religious formulas fail, spontaneous affection worked. It was simple and sincere.
B.) She no longer called Him by what those Jewish people would call Him based upon her heartfelt need: “Lord” or, if you will, “supreme master.” Gone is all the religious pretense; now all there is left is sweet surrender!
C.) Help Me: There is no long-winded shopping list; no, you have got to do this thing some way. No, just “help me.” This is one of the three shortest prayers recorded in the Bible. Peter had just cried out, “Lord, save me.” Now we see this woman cry out, “Lord, help me.”. Then finally you will hear the thief on the cross cry out, “Lord, remember me.”
1.) “Lord save me.”
2.) “Lord, help me.”
3.) “Lord, remember me.”
You know what? All of these got an immediate response. Hey, you don’t need all the thee’s and thou’s to impress the Lord; He wants us to cut to the heart of our need. But do you see that though each of these prayers cuts to the heart of the need, they are all open-ended and totally dependent upon Jesus meeting those needs the way in which He sees best?
Vs. 26 Now at first glance, this seems quite harsh, as He calls her a little dog. The Jews hated dogs; they were called “goys.”. They were kind of like our wolves or coyotes—virtual animals that traveled around in packs, attacking farm animals and little children. In the Hebrew language, there is no such thing as swear words; there are just no words for such things. So this is as bad as it would get, and this is what they called gentiles “goyim.” It was a racial slur, a dirty word, if you will. But that is not what Jesus calls her. Notice that our English translation renders it “little dogs”? There is another word for dog, and it describes a little puppy dog. That is the word he used here.
Vs. 27, she responds back to Him using the same analogy. She doesn’t argue her unworthiness to receive mercy from the Lord; she only asks for the crumbs that would fall from the table. In those days there were no eating utensils, nor were there any napkins. So eating was a messy proposition. So they would save a piece of bread or two after the meal, and they would use that to clean their faces and hands, and then they would throw that piece of bread to the little household pet dog under the table. She is just asking the Lord to deal with her on her low estate, right where she is. No religious pretense, just honest brokenness.
Vs. 28 This is what Jesus has been drawing her into simple faith based upon who He is. I can just picture a smile breaking out on His face. Notice how He speaks to her: “Woman.” Now in our culture, to address a lady like this would be disrespectful, but the word Jesus uses for her is “goo-nay,” and it is used as a term of endearment. In fact, it is the same word Jesus uses to address His mother. It is also used when a person would speak to their wife. Maybe we would say, “Dear.” Then Jesus marvels at her trust in Him. Her faith had overcome religion, prejudice, silence, and disappointment. She had come through all of that and came out with what she asked for.
I marvel at Jesus’ willingness and the great lengths that He would go to touch people. May I again point out to you that time and time again Jesus rejected religion and ministered to sinners? That gives me great joy, for I know that it is not some formula that saves me in my time of need; it is a person!
Matthew 15:29-39
“The Freedom of Faith”
Vs. 29-31 At the Feet of Jesus
Vs. 32-38 Fed & Sent on Our Way
Intro
As Jesus demonstrated that He was not into religion and rituals, He left and departed to an area known as Decapolis. It was an area that included a confederation of 10 Gentile cities who had their own monetary system, judicial system, king, and army. They were very prosperous and worldly; the cities were littered with monuments to Zeus and other Greek gods.
Folks, Jesus is still on the wrong side of the tracts as far as the Jews were concerned. Yet, as with the case of the Canaanite woman, His love still went forth in response to people’s needs. He had taught against the traditions and religious attitudes that no foods were unclean and no people were unclean, so he demonstrated this by going to people that no one would reach out to.
We are all too prone to react to tradition. It seems that in Australia they were dedicating a new building, and they asked an Anglican bishop to pray. So a few minutes before the ceremony, in full priestly attire, he went out to survey the audience. It just so happened that he spotted a friend he had not seen in about 25 years in the audience of over a thousand. Afraid he would not get another chance to get his attention, he yelled out his name. Normally this would have gone unnoticed if it were not for the long-lost friend’s name; you see, the bishop’s friend’s name was “Neal,” and when he yelled out the name, over 1000 people went down to their knees.
Vs. 29-31 At the Feet of Jesus
Vs. 29 Now Matthew does not tell us what region Jesus went to, but Mark tells us that it was Decapolis, which was again Gentile territory. Mark also informs us that the first person Jesus healed there was a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Now Jesus told him not to say anything, “but the more He commanded, the more widely they proclaimed it.” Their response was that “he has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Again, there is no reasoning away the miracle as the religious had done; instead, their voice of approval could not be silenced.
Vs. 30 Probably as a result of the healing of this man and their speaking of it, “great multitudes came to Him.” Notice several things about the healings on the hill:
1.) These were people outside the covenant. That is again, Jesus is reaching out to those folks who, having heard of the healing of the deaf and mute man, bring more to Him. What I mean to say is that Jesus touched people who were in the wrong place; more than that, they were the wrong people. So often again, we think that God will only work on our behalf when we are in the right place with the right people. Hey, God responds to the human heart, and He always knows where you are. What caused these folks, with their prejudices, to respond and forsake their false religion? Simple put, their religion did not work; it did not bring relief from their pain and suffering.
2.) Second, notice what these heathens do! “Great multitudes came…having with them those who were lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others. Do you see this? These carnal people are not only coming by themselves; they are bringing others who are of greater need. Why, you don’t see this response from the disciple’s. These folks did not stop and ponder whether or not Jesus would be troubled with them. They did not worry about the proper way of doing things; they just grabbed every person they could think of to bring to Jesus.
Why is it that we professing believers have such a hard time talking and bringing people to Jesus to be touched by Him? May I suggest that it is found in the words, “Came to Him.” We need to be leading people to Jesus, not church. Now I’m glad when people come to Calvary Chapel at the invitation of those who call this home, but let’s make sure that we are bringing them to meet Jesus.
If you’re here visiting, we want you not to be impressed with us; we want you to realize that Jesus is the answer! You say, “Well, I’m not so sure I know what the question is.” That’s all right, we are here this morning to be sure with you that we all had different questions, but we all came up with the right answer!
3.) Thirdly, look at the variety. As I said a moment ago, “different questions or problems.” Now I know that these are all physical ailments that were brought to Jesus, but permit me here for a moment to look at these from a different angel.
A.) Lame: It describes a person who limped. A great many people today can still move around a little, but they are not moving around the way God had designed them to. We’ve got this beautiful cherry wood clock. It looks good from the outside. The hands of the clock still move around the dial, and the chimes still go off at the hours. The problem is that it never runs at the right time, and chimes instead of making the beautiful tones they were designed to make this awful oriental sound. You may not be completely unable to function, but are you willing to settle for that?
B.) Blind: That is the word “opaque or smoky.” You see, the problem is not that they don’t see it; it is that they don’t see as they were designed to. How about you? Is life opaque and fuzzy? Are you living in the world 9-5, 5 days a week, thinking, “Wow, I’ve made it; now how do I give it back?”
C.) Mute: Now this is an interesting word, for it emphasizes being unable to speak, but it does so from the standpoint of being unable to hear. Hey, folks, I think that is why so many people are struggling in their relationships with others. We’ve all heard it: “I just can’t talk to that person!” Perhaps it’s because you aren’t listening to them?
D.) Maimed: The word here means to rock about, and it suggests being completely enabled to use the hands or fit. Sometimes our ailments are a lot more debilitating, aren’t they?
Now notice that it says, “and many others.” In other words, it does not matter what it was that was troubling them; Jesus was the answer. Maybe what’s going on in your life is not in some category; that’s all right; it does not have to be.
At this point, I want you to notice something: where were they brought? “At the feet of Jesus.” That’s a humbling thing, and it suggests that things we saw last week were “worship and surrender.”
Vs. 31 And what was the result of coming to Jesus? They were made whole! They functioned as God intended. Folks, it doesn’t matter who goofed up your life or how broken a certain area is; God does not just fix it; He makes it new! It is interesting that just here the mute talking, they heard them preaching. They didn’t just see the maimed able to move around; they were healthy and well fit.
They didn’t just see the lame take a few steps; they saw them walking all around. The blind were not just able to see; they were able to perceive; they could comprehend what they saw. Man, we are talking about some radical changes.
Now notice what they all do. They glorify the God of Israel. That tells us that they knew the difference between the old false religion that they had held on to. It also shows us that they saw through the religion of Israel to the relationship to the God of Israel. Is that not amazing? Simple faith grasped what tradition could not in thousands of years convey: “the worship of the One true God!”
In the midst of the wrong country with the wrong people, God made worshipers out of sinners. How? By touching those that came with His love and compassion. All that self-righteous stuff turned them away, but genuine care for those that hurt changed lives!
Vs. 32-38 Fed & Sent on Our Way
Vs. 32 The scene that we talked about above lasted parts of three days. And no doubt all their food supplies had been used up. There are those who say that this feeding is really the same miracle as recorded in chapter 14, but there are some major problems with that opinion:
1.) 5,000 versus 4,000.
2.) 5 loaves 2 fish versus 7 loaves, few little fish.
3.) Mainly Jews versus mainly gentiles.
4.) Near Bethsaida versus near Decapolis.
- Crowd with Him one day versus three days.
6.) Setting of the green grass (spring time) versus setting on the dirt (summer time)
7.) 12 small baskets full over 7 hampers full.
8.) Tried to make him king versus no response.
With that pointed out, Jesus himself says in chapter 16:9–10 that there were two feedings. So why do some folks try to insist that this is the same miracle? Well, it’s because of these dumb disciples’ responses. I mean, look, why would not these guys just say, “Sure, Lord, here is what we have? Go do your stuff!” Hey, how many times has the Lord proven Himself faithful to you in areas of your life? Too many to count, right? Yet something comes up in your life right now. What do you do? Doubt! End of argument!
Now perhaps you’re thinking, “I’m not deserving for the Lord to touch my life; I mean, I’ve messed it up all by myself. What right do I have to expect Jesus to be willing to help?” Folks, these people were not asking for this; they were not deserving this. He just responded to human need. He did not preach a message afterward; He just blessed these people because they were in need.
“I cam across this the other day for those of us who are looking to help out those who are less fortunate than ourselves.“ With the Christmas season approaching, please look into your heart to help those in need. Hundreds of N.B.A. Players right here in our own country are living at or just below the 7-figure salary level. What’s worse is that they may be deprived of their pay for several more weeks, even the rest of the season.
But you can help! For only $700.00 a day or $20,835.00 a month, you can help pay the minimum wage of the average player. For your little sacrifice of your month’s mortgage or rent, you can make the difference between their vacation in Florida or their cruise through the Mediterranean. Their having to keep that year-old Lexus or being able to purchase the second Ferrari. Won’t you please make a sacrifice so they won’t have to?
Vs. 33-38 Hey, that is the way I see us sometimes. Blessed, not because we even need it. So here the Lord does, just as we saw a few weeks ago. It starts with His compassion and what we are willing to give to Him. Then there is that part of obedience where the multitudes sit down, then He blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the waiters.
Perhaps these disciples’s thought, “I know the Lord can feed 5000 Jews, but I don’t think He will bother with these heathens.” The Lord has no limits on what He can do except the ones we place upon Him!
I came across something pretty neat when I was looking at the words “gave thanks.” It seems that according to Jewish customs, the head of the house was to speak the blessing only if he shared in the meal. The only exception to this was if those who sat down to eat were his children or of his household, then he would speak even if he did not eat. Jesus treats these people as if they were His children.
The other thing of interest here is the amount of leftovers, “seven large basket fulls.” The 12 of chapter 14 were small, like picnic baskets or lunch boxes. Here the word used for “large basket” is the same word used to describe the basket that was used to lower Paul from the wall of Damascus. It was a basket large enough to hide in. Folks, sometimes less is more! We are all caught up in stats, but clearly the feeding of 12,000 was as impressive as the 15,000.
Vs. 39 Here we see Jesus just dismissing the crowd and going across the lake to the area in which Mary Magdala was from. No fanfare, just simple faith, all in response to a loving Savior who was there for them—that’s what it’s all about!