🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – We don’t understand why it is that we sometimes separate ourselves from You. We return purposely today – for when we grow apart, we find ourselves in a miserable place. And today when we spend time with You, letting You speak to us, we already know that we are to be filled with awe and wonder! We submit our hearts and our minds today to be filled by You, Lord, as we return to reading Your Word. Give us what we need today. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Where have we been so far? (Click here to jump to the recap of chapters 1 through 14.)
That Which Defiles
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ [Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ [Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’[Isaiah 29:13]”
Points to Ponder: The first thing we learn in this chapter is that Jesus also sees the hypocrisy of religion. Somehow, over time, God’s Word became corrupted into a checklist mentality. It happened in the Jewish faith… it’s happened with the Christian faith. People all over the world have spiritual ideas that they are comfortable with. These ideas allow them to live comfortably the way they want today… and give them a sense of peace about their afterlife if they believe there is an afterlife.
The differences are incredible. Even a child can conclude… they can’t all be right.
Jesus’ response to the crowd is huge.
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Points to Ponder: How is V16 not everyone’s favorite verse? This is my ‘LIFE VERSE’! 🤣 I laugh when it is applied to me. Not so much when I see it in others. Religion has caused a great deal of death and destruction in this broken world – our hearts break over the war between Israel and Hamas right now. Hamas believes that the destruction of Israel is a necessity! How can this be????
Whether someone does the correct ceremonial things of religion… worships on Saturday or Sunday… eats clean or unclean foods… baptizes with full immersion or a sprinkle… has communion with juice or wine… these things do not make us clean when our beliefs lead us to take wrong actions.
Jesus warned us earlier in Matthew 12:36-37 that we are accountable for the words that come out of our mouths. The things we say and the things we do are a result of beliefs we hold dear in our hearts.
The Pharisees were the spiritual leaders of Israel and they didn’t recognize Jesus as their awaited Messiah. He calls them blind. It is a bit mind-blowing to think about. Then you have to ask yourself, what might I be missing? Am I still so dull?
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Points to Ponder: Another favorite of mine! Jesus kind of called this woman a dog! She is from the region of Tyre & Sidon, modern day Lebanon. Historical enemies of the Jewish nation. Mark 3:8 records this region as where Jesus went to a solitary place and performed miracles, but they did not repent. She is from a non-Israel area, considered, a gentile… another race.
The story is amazing. This outsider calls Jesus the ‘Son of David’ and pleads for her daughter. The disciples want her to go away. Jesus tells her that He is here for Israel and she will not be deterred – she kneels at His feet! He tells her that Israel is His priority… they’re His children, she’s like a dog at the table. SHE AGREES! And says, YES and I’LL TAKE THE LEFTOVER CRUMBS!!!
So, while the disciples have been called out for being so dull… a gentile woman is praised for her great faith! (AMEN! Thank You Lord for seeing the faith of those considered the least, the lost, and the left-out!)
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
29 Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31 The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
32 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”
33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38 The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
Points to Ponder: Yes – as a disciple, you will be tested. Even a child can read this sequence of stories and KNOW that Jesus can feed this crowd… He just did that in the last chapter! Let us always remember what He has done before and walk in the Godfidence that He will do it again… He has compassion on us, trust Him. Staying ‘so dull’ is our choice. 🤦♀️
The Demand for a Sign
16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
Points to Ponder: How sad for Jesus to see the Israelite leaders demanding more proof! Mankind likes to promote his secret knowledge of what’s to come… whether we prop ourselves up with astrology, tea leaves, podcasts, the almanac or the weather channel… asking Jesus to ‘prove Himself’ was wrong then and it is wrong now. Those of us who live on the other side of His resurrection sin greatly by taking the same position of these Pharisees.
(If you’re doubting God’s Word because of something you listened to on YouTube or read on FB… well, you just identified your idol.)
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Points to Ponder: Do you still not understand? 😔 Jesus is talking about what we believe… what is the tiny little seed that has planted itself in our hearts to form the basis of our faith? In the parables of the Kingdom of Heaven we saw that a tiny mustard seed or a bit of yeast can grow into God’s abundance. Here we are warned to be on guard for the bit of yeast that is from false and misleading religious leaders. When in doubt… check it out. The Scriptures are the standard for truth.
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Points to Ponder: Let’s remember that the disciples were those of little faith at this point. Jesus credits God the Father for revealing the truth of Jesus to Peter.
These verses have been corrupted throughout history in establishing the papacy with Peter as the first Pope. I believe that even well-intentioned people can go wrong. We must pray for truth according to God’s revelation in His Word. NOT… ‘what does this scripture mean to me.’ Remember Isaiah 55:8-9 and humble yourself! And when God reveals His truth to You, accept that as His forgiveness towards you of having gone astray. Confess… repent… and strengthen your faith with prayer and reading more of His Word.
No man on earth builds The Church. ‘The Rock’ is the truth God revealed to Peter… a weak-in-the-faith disciple. The Rock is that Jesus is the Messiah – the Son of the living God – and He came to earth on a rescue mission. This may seem common place – one of many ideas – in today’s culture. This was HUGE when Peter made this announcement and the religious leaders of Israel were just called a ‘wicked and adulterous’ generation.
Jesus builds His Church and no one will defeat it. Forget the buildings that get built… that get abandoned… that are called ‘churches’. The Church is the fellowship of believers… across time and across geography… forming one body with Jesus as the head. (There is a woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon in The Church and we believers can ask her all about that time Jesus referred to her as a dog… and then we can thank her for her example of Great Faith!)
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
28 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Points to Ponder: How quickly we can return to our own ideas of what is good and right. Peter doesn’t resemble ‘a rock’ here. It’s not until after (1) he denies knowing Jesus to a servant girl (2) he is restored by Jesus after the resurrection and (3) he is filled with the Holy Spirit and delivers His great sermon at Pentecost, that we can think of Peter as ‘strong’ in the faith.
Yes, it is that same Peter who Jesus now calls Satan. You know Jesus loved Peter and here we see that sometimes it is the people we love who can become the stumbling blocks in our faith journey. This is why it is so important to spend time with other believers.
The people we love don’t always have the concerns of God guiding them. Sometimes they, too, are influenced by the lies and fears that Satan spreads throughout the earth. Let us always remember what is at risk here… if you are trying to save ‘your’ earthly life, you are risking the loss of it all.
Jesus is sowing the good seed and hopefully it is landing on good soil. That’s when the real work begins! We deny ourselves our own selfish desires in order to learn from the master of life. He promises that we will find true life – as designed by the author of life, our creator – God.
He’s talked before about returning in glory with the angels… we know what takes place. (There’s some sorting… and some go to where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.) These bodies we are in now here are earth will perish. It is the condition of our eternal souls that matter.
That last verse is a mystery! Many think that since Jesus has not yet returned… it won’t really happen… that it is some symbolic metaphor with mysterious spiritual meaning, so maybe its not that important. That kind of thinking is a lie! Time will end one day and until then, His Words live on and when He returns, some of us reading these Words will not have died. That is a truth for all the generations that were born after He spoke these Words. (It is also a preview – a transition sentence to the next chapter!) Like all Biblical prophecies… some are immediate, some are far off.
Summary: In these chapters we see that there is distinction between truly honoring God by accepting and following His Son, Jesus and participating in ritual religions. Some of those you wouldn’t expect to have faith, like the Canaanite woman, have great faith. And some that you expect to have great faith, like the Pharisees, didn’t. We are always to be on our guard seeking the truth – which is only revealed by God in His Word.
We are to be prepared when reading Scripture – that He will tell us things that we don’t want to hear and things we don’t agree with. Guard your heart and mind and ask God to help you understand the tough parts. You don’t want to risk your eternal soul because some alternative teaching is more comfortable or agreeable.
Jesus died for you; He loves you. Satan would readily lie to you to make you feel comfortable on your way to eternal suffering.
🙏🏻 Heavenly Father – Thank You for Your Word even when it is difficult to accept. Our hearts break for those unwilling to listen. Help us see the opportunities You place in front of us to guide others to You and the eternal life that only You can provide. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
- Chapter 1 – The genealogy of Jesus showing this has always been God’s plan to restore humanity. GOD IS FAITHFUL.
- Chapter 2 – The wise men, the outsiders search for the king. His own people reject and try to kill Jesus. NOT ALL HAVE EYES TO SEE.
- Chapter 3 – John the Baptist prepares the way by calling people to repentance and baptizing Jesus. IF WE ‘SEE’, HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
- Chapter 4 – Jesus is tested by Satan in the wilderness. He remains faithful and standing strong using the Word of God. Jesus begins His mission – gathering disciples, healing, and preaching about God’s Kingdom. JESUS SHOWS US THE WAY.
- Chapter 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 1. Rethink everything! What it means to be blessed… what is our purpose… this was always the message of the Old Testament. You think you know right from wrong? Not just murder, but anger and dismissing others is wrong. Not just adultery, but leering is wrong. Divorce may be legal but it was never part of God’s design – keep your promises – all of them… integrity matters to the people around you. Eye-for-eye? No! Learn to love your enemies.
- Chapter 6 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 2. Draw near to God, your father, in relationship. No showy religion when serving God or others. Pray to God, earnestly. Fast for a purpose. Do all this in secret where your Father sees you and rewards you in heaven. Don’t worry about the things of this world… He sees your giving… he sees your working… he hears your praying… he sees and knows what you need? Trust Him – Seek Him first; everything else falls into place.
- Chapter 7 – Sermon on the Mount – Part 3. Living it out as a disciple of Christ. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME… ALONE. 😉 Christian life is designed to be lived out in a community – connected to God through Jesus in order to connect to other believers. As this new life progresses, this life is designed to be generational. You start as a baby… you need to learn from your Christian siblings and your Christian parents. Don’t judge others, you’re still a child! Pray always… continually… He’s waiting to spend time with you! And be bold… try something new. Do something for someone else, that you would like. This is the way He told us to live – not everyone will be faithful, but you are in charge of your decisions. Building your life on the teachings of Jesus is akin to a house on a solid foundation.
- Chapter 8 – JESUS WALKS THE TALK. He teaches and He puts it into action – healing a leper, healing the servant of a Roman officer – nothing is outside of His domain. He heals those with fevers and those possessed by demons. People want a piece of the action, but He reminds them that He has no home here. If you want a piece of His Kingdom, you have to give up this one. (And if you still doubt the value of such a choice – Jesus spoke to calm a storm.)
- Chapter 9 – WHAT DOES HIS KINGDOM LOOK LIKE? First and foremost – our sins are forgiven, completely. Religious formality has no authority over sin, Jesus does. We watch Jesus call the outcasts that religion often overlooks and bids them, ‘Follow Me.’ Jesus teaches us to rethink the motivation behind religious practices. Instead of becoming unclean by associating with the unclean, Jesus is Lord over all the corruption in life – He brings new life and restores the broken and unclean around Him. Everyone is hungry for the life that Jesus offers, except for the religious leaders.
- Chapter 10 – THE DISCIPLES ARE SENT TO WORK THE HARVEST. For a time, they are empowered to heal diseases, raise the dead, and cast out evil spirits. All must hear the Gospel message of the Kingdom and choose for themselves. We are to go boldly and unashamed.
- Chapter 11 – THERE’S TWO OPTIONS… BEING A CHILD OF GOD OR BEING CHILDISH IN YOUR REFUSAL. He is Lord; we are not. Insisting on your own way is not only childish, but incredibly dangerous. Being a child of God opens up your heart and mind to learn from God.
- Chapter 12 – GOD’S CHOSEN SERVANT – behavior that is not always modeled by religious leaders. 💔 We are all tempted by the real enemy – The Tempter. We are either under the influence of Satan, doubting God or we are God’s children, turning our backs on Satan’s influence in this world and aligning ourselves with the will of God as revealed in Scripture.
- Chapter 13 – Parables for this pre-harvest age and parables for the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Chapter 14 – The horrific death of John the Baptist and Jesus’ response – feeding 5000+ and walking on water. Dang!
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