THIS MONTH we are to study the events recorded in Matthew, chapter 15. But in order to appreciate the facts, we must get our connection with that which has preceded. As we saw in last month's study, Jesus fed the multitude of "five thousand men, besides women and children," at the time of the passover (Matt. 14:13-23). Though Matthew does not say that the passover was the time, John does so state this fact (John 6:4). After the feeding of the multitude, our Lord constrained the disciples to enter into a boat in order that they might go back to the west side of the lake. After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up into a mountain apart to pray. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came walking upon the water to the disciples, who had been distressed by a severe storm at sea. Jesus stilled the tempest and brought them safely to their destination.

They landed in the Plain of Gennesaret. Upon His arrival, the people of the community, recognizing the Lord, went throughout the region bringing their sick in order that He might heal them. Thus He engaged in a great preaching and healing ministry.

From this place He went to Capernaum, where He had His headquarters. In the synagogue of the city, He preached the marvelous message on the bread of life, the record of which is found in John 6:22-71.

On the day after Jesus fed the five thousand, the multitudes who had been fed crossed the sea to Capernaum in search of Him. When they found Him, they asked when He had come. Jesus, knowing their hearts and realizing that they were simply seeking for material things, preached the sermon on the bread of life. Thus it is clear that this great message was spoken the next day after the feeding of the five thousand, which was at the season of the passover.

In Matthew 15:1 we are told that the Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and questioned Him concerning His disciples not observing the tradition of the elders. Though we cannot be dogmatic as to the exact location where this interview took place, it is quite likely that it was in Capernaum. We may be confident that Jesus was still in Galilee and that the scribes and Pharisees were at Jerusalem to observe the passover when it occurred, but on this occasion they were in Galilee attacking Jesus. In view of these facts we may be certain, therefore, that the events of which we are now studying occurred some little time after passover--after the festivities had ceased. They would have to make the journey to Galilee after the feast, but we may be certain that they were hot on the trail of our Lord and did not lose any time after the passover in arriving in Galilee.

These carping critics of our Lord had accosted Him with the question, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread." Traditions are those things that are handed down from one generation to another--things passed on from father to son. A tradition is all right provided it is in accordance with facts and the Word of God. For instance, the Apostle Paul commended the church at Corinth because it was holding "fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you" (I Cor. 11:2). The same Apostle lauded the church at Thessalonica saying, "So then, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye were taught, whether by word, or by epistle of ours" (II Thess. 2:15). To the same church he wrote, "Now we commend you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us" (II Thess. 3:6). Traditions in these passages indicate the true revelation of God which He made through the Apostle Paul. It is proper and right that we should observe these.

But traditions, in the sense of that which was originated by man and passed from one generation to another and which is not to be observed, are mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the following quotation: "And I advanced in the Jews religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers" (Gal. 1:14). Tradition is used in the same sense in the following passage: "Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Col. 2:8). Of course, in this passage the Apostle was speaking of the philosophies and the speculations of men along with traditions of men in general. Anything, therefore, which is of human origin and contrary to the revealed will of God falls into the category of traditions which must be rejected in toto.

By our Lord's day and time the Pharisees had collected many of the opinions of their ancestors and had stamped these with the approval of ecclesiastical authority, which, in the eyes of the masses elevated them to the same plane with the revelation of God. A glimpse of some of these man-made regulations may be seen in Mark 7:3,4. Men seem to be prone not to investigate personally the Word of God themselves but to rely upon what others have thought and said about its meaning. This condition should not exist.

The Pharisees who were attacking Jesus on this occasion felt that the disciples of the Lord were transgressing or doing wrong in failing to observe the ritualistic requirements of their traditions. Obviously they were not observing these traditions. There was no necessity for their doing that. They were with Jesus and had the true light. Hence they had seen the futility of observing tradition and the commandments of men.

Jesus answered His critics by asking them, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; 6 he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition" (Matt. 15:3-6). Doubtless many of the Pharisees--possibly the majority of them--did not know the difference between the traditions of men and the revealed will of God. They had accepted what their elders had said without question. Little therefore did they realize that they were making void the Word of God by observing traditions. Nevertheless, in their holding on to the traditions of their fathers, they were making null and void the Word of God. Today people can do the same thing. They can accept without question, though being honest and sincere in doing so, what they are taught by parents and by others. Notwithstanding their sincerity they are making the Word of God void by practicing those things that are handed down by tradition. In view of these facts it behooves each one of us to make a personal investigation of the things which we believe and teach and be certain that we have a "thus saith the Lord" for those things which we teach and practice.

In the quotation which we have just studied, our Lord called the Pharisees attention to instances of their making null the Word of God by their traditions. God had given the specific command that children should honor parents, but by rabbinical sophistry and quibbling, this direct command had been made void. Their teachers had said that a person did not have to support his parents whenever it was necessary, if only he would dedicate what he had to the service of God. In other words, those responsible for these traditions declared that a person could donate his substance to carrying on the worship of God in general. If he did this, he was under no obligation at all toward his parents from that time on in using his means to take care of his aged parents.

Our Lord did not mince matters. He called those men who had attacked Him and His disciples hypocrites and declared that Isaiah had spoken of them in the following passage:

"8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men."

We are not to assume that Jesus included in this denunciation all of the Pharisees. There were doubtless many of them who were honest and sincere, nevertheless blinded. We may be certain that those who were attacking Him on this occasion and many others were not sincere but were teaching and practicing religion from a professional standpoint. The Lord detests all cant, hypocrisy, and professionalism. He therefore denounced these hypocrites.

After dismissing the Pharisees, Jesus called the multitude to Him and explained thoroughly that which defiles one. (Let the reader now turn to Matthew, chapter 15, and read carefully our Lord's words on this point.) In substance He declared that anything entering the person's body physically does not defile him in the sight of God. These Pharisees were of the opinion that the food of which one partakes was contaminated and thus rendered impure if one did not wash one's hands in a certain prescribed way before one took hold of the food. According to their conception, when a person thus ate, he was ceremonially unclean and could not worship God acceptably. Jesus disposed of this cavil by showing that all the food of which a person partakes, and which cannot be assimilated into the body, is cast off by the organs of elimination. Thus he may partake of food without washing his hands ceremonially. Of course for sanitary reasons a person should wash his hands before eating food.

Having disposed of this phase of the subject, our Lord then explained that which does in reality defile a person. Before He did this the disciples called His attention to the fact that the Pharisees were offended at His explanation. Jesus did not ruthlessly offend anyone. He was always gentle and kind to others. Nevertheless whenever it was necessary for Him to use sternness He did not hesitate. Moreover, He did not shun exposing hypocrisy and evil. He therefore told the disciples, "Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit." From this language we see that those Pharisees attacking Jesus were absolutely blind, being unable to perceive the primary principles of truth. They believed what they taught, but their trouble was that they were not sincere and were not seeking for truth and light. Had they been of this attitude, our Lord would have given them the proper understanding. In the Sermon on the Mount He had declared, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This special group of men was so very blind and they were so committed to their position that they did not want any further light. Our Lord therefore compared them to a plant which God had by no means planted. They were blind and put themselves up as leaders of the untaught. They therefore, being blind, could not lead and guide the uninstructed ones who looked to them for direction. Jesus therefore declared that both they and those whom they were leading would fall into the ditch and perish.

Peter, according to verse 15, asked our Lord to explain the parable. Jesus expressed surprise that they, the Apostles, were without understanding. He thereupon told them that the food which enters the body does not defile one for the unused portions are eliminated. Then He called attention to that which in reality does defile a person--the things which proceed out of the heart. God created man perfect. He was pure and holy. When he transgressed the one and only command or prohibition laid upon him when he was in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and contaminated his very nature. Since then the heart of man has been deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). Every type of evil thought and wicked deed proceed from the heart. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Evil deeds are simply expressions of the thoughts that well up from the corruption of human nature. These are the things which defile a man and which corrupt his life. The only thing that can counteract this evil in the heart is the regeneration of the soul by the Spirit of God and the indwelling of the Spirit.

In verses 21-28 we have Matthew's record of our Lord's second withdrawal from the Holy Land. As we have already noticed on a former occasion, He first withdrew to the regions at the northeastern side of the Lake of Galilee. But His rest was interrupted by the multitude. After the feeding of the five thousand, He returned to Galilee and was attacked, as we have just seen, by the carping Pharisees. He, with His disciples, therefore withdrew from Palestine, going up into the regions of Tyre and Sidon. It is highly probable that He was seeking an opportunity, not only of rest, but of teaching the disciples and of preparing them for the work which they were to carry on after His departure.

Upon His arrival in the regions of Tyre and Sidon, a Syro-Phenician woman came to Him and implored Him to have mercy upon her daughter who was grievously vexed with a demon. In speaking to Him, she addressed Him as, "0 Lord, thou son of David." This fact shows that she had some knowledge as to who He was. This fact is easily understood in the light of the statement found in Matthew 4:24. In this passage of scripture we are told that, when Jesus began His ministry, the report concerning Him went out into all Syria; hence those who had relatives sick and possessed with demons brought them and Jesus healed them. She had therefore probably known of Him for at least eighteen months.

Although the leaders of Israel did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, this woman did. She was of an alien race and did not enjoy the spiritual blessings of the Jews; nevertheless she had faith and sufficient understanding that she recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of David. God does show the truth to those who are honest and who are seeking for light. The case therefore of this woman should be of great encouragement to all.

When the disciples saw her and heard her request, they asked Jesus to dismiss her, claiming "... she crieth after us." Thereupon Jesus told her that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. That statement would have settled the case with the average person. But she wanted truth; she wanted her daughter healed; she had faith to believe that Jesus could and would heal the child. She therefore came close to Him and worshiped Him saying, "Lord, help me." Again He spoke, still giving her no encouragement. "It is not meet," said He, "to take the children's; bread and cast it to the dogs." This language seemed to be ruthless. Nevertheless it was not. It was designed to call forth her faith. She was equal to the occasion and said, "Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters table." She realized that she and her people were of a different race from the Jews and that they were not the Chosen People of God. Doubtless she realized her sinful condition also. To all such our Lord's heart of compassion goes out. He therefore said, "0 woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt." "And her daughter was healed from that hour."

In order for one to obtain the blessings of God, one must believe. If one does not, one has no right to expect anything from God. (See Hebrews 11:6.) What all of us need is a genuine faith in God. "Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17). This faith must be exercised by trusting the Lord, who is willing to solve all of our problems at any time. Indeed it is blessed to have an experimental knowledge of God and of the Saviour. This can be obtained only by walking with Him daily by faith.

Jesus told this woman that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel the Jews. In making this statement, He affirmed that His personal ministry was to be confined to the Hebrew people. The gospel was to the Jew first in that day. After our Lord's resurrection and ascension He commissioned His disciples to preach the gospel "... in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This is the program which He inaugurated. This same principle should govern the Christians today. As proof of this position, may I call attention to Romans 1:16 which declares: ". . . the gospel . . . is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." This order still obtains. So long as the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, that long is it to be given to the Jew first locally--and then to the Greeks (Gentiles). That this interpretation is true may be gathered from the practice of the Apostle Paul. Whenever he went to any place where there were Jews, he gave the gospel to them first. After they had had ample opportunity to accept it, he then turned to the Gentiles of the same community (Acts 13:44-52; 18:5-11; 28:23-28). Paul's practice of going to the Jew first of a given locality and then turning to the Gentiles of the same community shows unequivocally what he meant by saying that the gospel is to the Jew first today and then to the Gentiles. Since the Lord has not rescinded this measure, every group of Christians should place the Jew in its program, just where God has put him. Brother, are you putting the Jew first? May the Lord enable each of us to follow Him in this as well as in all other matters.

From the regions of Tyre and Sidon, our Lord went eastward into the territory east of the Jordan and south to a locality on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee. Upon His arrival He went up into a mountain and sat there. It is quite likely that He was at this time continuing His private instructions to His disciples, but He could not have any privacy; for we are told in verse 30 that "there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet." He of course had compassion on them and healed them. People were amazed that such marvelous, complete healings should take place. Therefore "they glorified the God of Israel." The Almighty is here called "the God of Israel." In their use of this name for God is echoed the fact that Jesus was in Gentile territory, when He was performing these miracles. In this general locality there were ten cities, the inhabitants of which were of Gentile origin. They were called "the Decapolis"--ten cities. Though as Jesus told the Syro-Phenician woman that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, our Lord here ministered to these Gentiles. They had faith and were hungry for truth. Jesus recognized this fact and met their faith with His bountiful mercies of ministry and healing.

Our Lord was able to leave the people and come to the disciples. Thereupon He told them of the compassion of His heart toward the multitudes, because they had followed continually with Him for three days and had nothing to eat. He then said that He could not send them away fasting "lest haply they faint on the way." In reply the disciples asked, "Whence should we have so many loaves in a desert place as to fill so great a multitude?" This question is indeed surprising to us, as we have already seen how our Lord fed five thousand men, besides women and children, with the five loaves and two fishes. How prone we are to forget! To our Lord's question, "How many loaves have ye?" the disciples answered, "Seven, and a few small fishes'." Immediately the Lord commanded the people to sit down upon the ground. Then He took the loaves and the fishes, gave thanks, and broke them, giving them to the disciples who in turn gave them to the multitudes. All were satisfied. There were taken up of the portions that were broken seven baskets full. The number of those eating were four thousand men, besides women and children. Thereupon the Lord dismissed the multitudes, entered into a boat, crossed the sea, and came into the borders of Magadan.

In Matthew 14:19 we read of the Lord's commanding the multitude to sit down on the grass when He fed the five thousand. By comparing Matthew's account with that of John we know that it was at passover time when He fed the five thousand. The grass in Palestine is green and most beautiful at that season. At the time our Lord fed the four thousand the grass had doubtless withered away under the summer heat, for we are told in Matthew 15:35 that Jesus caused the multitude to "sit down on the ground." Everyone who is acquainted with Palestine knows that the grass in the early spring is most beautiful and very prolific. After the moisture from the spring rains has disappeared from the soil, the grass completely dries up. These incidental remarks by the Evangelists show that they spoke forth truth, actual facts, as an honest man does when he is relating an incident without any ulterior motives in view.

Only twice did our Lord feed the multitudes. There was a crisis on both occasions. The people were hungry, both for the bread of life and for the actual physical food. It was the part of wisdom by our Lord to perform the miracle and to feed the multitudes on these, two occasions. If He did it at any other time, we have no record of it. We are to assume therefore that probably He did not feed them at any other time. His feeding the multitudes raises the question as to how much material assistance the Christian can give to those who are in need. This is a burning question, at least with those who are conducting missions for the "down and out" in our large cities. It is also a live issue with missionaries on the foreign field. If material assistance is given to people constantly, they will become pauperized and little spiritual benefit will accrue from the practice of doling out relief. If a man will not work, neither shall he eat (II Thess. 3:10). At the same time children of God should be considerate of and helpful to the unfortunate.