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MATTHEW 15
Survey of the chapter
Matthew continues to show the Lord teaching His followers to live during the time the kingdom was not manifest. They must learn to react to the world and one another in a way that befits the subjects of the king.
Having shown in chapter 14 how to react to the need of men, and how to deal with self-confidence, and fear, the disciples are taught in this chapter how to react to tradition, defilement, impatience and powerlessness.
Structure of the chapter
| (a) | Verses 1-9 | The disciples and tradition |
| (b) | Verses 10-20 | The disciples and defilement |
| (c) | Verses 21-28 | The disciples and impatience |
| (d) | Verses 29-39 | The disciples and powerlessness |
(a) Verses 1-9
The disciples and tradition
15:1
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying- a number of factors may have prompted this visit. First, the Lord was travelling around Galilee, and the Galileans were looked down on by the Judeans as being simple peasants, who did not take their religion as seriously as the Pharisees. The fact was that there were many in Galilee who were godly souls, who did not go to the excesses of the Jews of Jerusalem. Matthew expressly tells us that this deputation was of Jews from Jerusalem.
Second, the death of John was the signal that the end of “the law and the prophets” was near, for the Lord said, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John”, Matthew 11:13.
He Himself likened John’s ministry to children playing funerals, whereas His wdisciples were like children playing weddings, Matthew 11:16-19. It is understandable that the Pharisees, ardent defenders of the law as they claimed to be, were wondering if the preacher from Nazareth was about to slacken the requirements of the law. They need not have worried, for He said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”, Matthew 5:17.
Third, they may have wondered if Christ was about to be more assertive, now that John, the other preacher, (and one who they thought, mistakenly, was His rival), was dead. The Pharisees of Jerusalem had been concerned whether John was a threat to their hold on the people at the start of his ministry, and had sent a party to question him, John 1:19,24. Now they have the same fear about Christ. By writing “then”, Matthew indicates that it was when many flocked to hear Him that this happened. The rulers feared an uprising, especially if they had heard that the crowd had wanted to take Him by force and make Him king, John 6:15.
Fourth, they had already resolved to slay Him, Matthew 12:14, so they think that their apparently innocent question about purifying might trap Him, giving them an opportunity to report Him to the authorities.
15:2
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? This highlights one of the big mistakes the Pharisees had made. They had complicated the law with many of their own commands, supposing to protect the law from being broken. These traditions gave them a false sense of security, thinking that to keep them was to keep the law.
It is one of the features of false religions that they elevate their own writings to the level of the word of God, or even higher. This is a sure sign of error, for man’s word can never compare to the infallible word of God.
For they wash not their hands when they eat bread- they are not suggesting that the disciples ate their food with dirty hands. Rather, they say that the disciples did not engage in the elaborate ritual that they themselves used before they ate food. They had devised a complicated ritual of hand and arm washing in order to impress others with their care about religion, whereas all it did was draw attention to themselves and showed them to be hypocrites.
15:3
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? By using the word “also”, the Lord is not admitting that the disciples were transgressing any of God’s commands. What He means is, “You say My disciples transgress, and I also have something to say, even that you transgress”. But the contrast is between transgressing the commandments of men, and the commandments of God. Far from helping them to keep God’s law, their traditions either hindered them from doing so, or hid the fact that they were not doing so. This latter effect the Lord emphasises in the next verse.
By sternly rebuking the Pharisees, the Lord was upholding the integrity of the law. He treats their charge with contempt by not answering it, but makes a charge of His own which was of much more serious character.
15:4
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death- He uses two statements of the law, one positive, that contained a promise attached to it, (“that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”, Exodus 20:12), and one negative, with a threat attached to it, (“shall surely be put to death”, Exodus 21:17).
One would think that these commandments were simple, and easy to understand, and so they were. But the Pharisees, who were covetous, sought means whereby they could avoid providing for their parents in their old age, but to do so in such a way as made it appear that they were doing God service.
The word for curse in the verse the Lord quoted can simply mean “to lightly esteem”, so there did not have to be a verbal curse, just a mental attitude.
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;
But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me- the Pharisees had devised a scheme whereby they could, instead of mercifully caring for their aged parents, state that the money they would have spent on them was going to be diverted to the temple treasury. This was known as Corban, meaning “a gift”, as Mark tells us, Mark 7:11.
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.
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free- by supposedly reserving a gift for the temple treasury the Pharisees declared themselves free from obligation to their parents. By doing this they not only failed to honour their parents as they should by caring for them, but by their action showed they lightly esteemed them.
Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition- in this way they had cancelled the binding force of God’s law by elevating their tradition above it.
15:7
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying- the Greek word “hypocritos” was used for the mask that actors wore on the stage, so that their public face was different to their personal one. Such were the Pharisees, putting on a show for the sight of men, but here exposed by Christ, who is God manifest in flesh.
15:8
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me- what they said with their lips and what they said by their lives were completely opposed. Drawing nigh to God in the temple courts, but in heart at a distance by their hypocrisy, which God hates.
15:9
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men- by their teachings they cancelled out their supposed worship of God, for they raised their traditions to the level of the commandments of God. This showed a light regard for those commands.
(b) 15:10-20
The disciples and defilement
15:10
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand- the Lord will now expose the folly of the thinking of those who said that to wash the hands in a complicated ritual made them more holy. All it did was try to impress others with their supposed piety. It is implied that the Pharisees would not hear what He had to say to them, so they would not understand. He turns to the people so that they may learn the lesson.
15:11
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man- from the particular matter of dirt on the hands and thereby entering the body, the Lord goes on to draw a lesson about spiritual defilement. Mere water could not deal with this, either actually or symbolically, but the Pharisees acted as if it could. They were pretending to purify their souls by washing their bodies.
But that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man- the Lord is teaching that what comes out of our mouths by way of wrong speaking not only affects others but also ourselves. It is as if we put moral dirt into our own mouths, for what we say becomes an expression of what we are in character.
15:12
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? Isaiah tells us that the Messiah shall not judge after the sight of the eyes, Isaiah 11:3, for the Spirit of wisdom, the spirit of knowledge and understanding, of counsel and might, shall rest upon Him. He will not be taken in by appearances, but will judge with perfect discernment. And so it is here, for the Lord has shown that He is not deceived by the outward appearance of piety that the Pharisees tried to portray, but has looked deep within their hearts. They knew this, and were offended, because the truth always offends the natural man. If the disciples had related the passage in Isaiah to their Lord, they would not have needed to ask the question.
15:13
But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up- He has no need to apologise for offending them, for there needs to be no apology for the truth.
When a person believes, the Father plants him in the kingdom of heaven, the sphere of profession. The Pharisees claimed to be believers in the God of Israel, and God had taken them up on their profession. But if they showed themselves false, they would be rooted out. All who make profession of faith in God are in the kingdom of heaven, but only true believers are in the kingdom of God. This teaching builds upon the doctrine of the parable of the tares, which are rooted up in the time of harvest, Matthew 13:24-30.
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.
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind- the apostles had recently been given the authority to teach, and perhaps they were wishing to attempt the conversion of the Pharisees. But the Lord knew the hearts of those men, that they were blinded by their hatred of Him, so that they could see the truth when it is presented to them. The Lord has already quoted the words of Isaiah when he said, “their eyes have they closed…lest at any time they should see with their eyes”, Matthew 13:15; Isaiah 6:10.
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch- there was a danger in this situation for the disciples, that too much contact with these evil men would lead them astray, and they might fall into the ditch of error. Hence the word, “Let them alone”.
One of the reasons why some of the Corinthians were going astray on the matter of resurrection was because they had been listening to false teaching on the subject, and the apostle has to urge them, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners”, 1 Corinthians 15:33. We should be careful and discerning in the presentation of truth. For the disciples to have sought out the Pharisees to teach them would have been to cast pearls before swine, Matthew 7:6. Some are so far gone into error that only the Spirit of God can rescue them.
15:15
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable- the parable in question being the one about defilement coming out of the mouth, which Peter seems to think is obscure, and in need of explanation. The Pharisees heard, and were offended. Peter heard, and sought more light.
15:16
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? The “also” would indicate that that the Pharisees were without understanding, being blind, but the apostles should have understood. The “yet” is a rebuke to Peter and the others, for they had been with Him for a long time now and should have understood. It was the same later on with the Hebrews, who had to be rebuked with the words, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God”, Hebrews 5:12. It can be the same with us, for it is possible to hear the word of God preached for many years, and not advance in the knowledge of God through neglect of applying the truth.
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?
Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? If we should take in food with soil on it, the body has mechanisms whereby this is rejected, and it passes safely through the system, for God has designed it so. So even though the disciples did not wash their hands so thoroughly as the Pharisees did, there was no threat to health.
15:18
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart- the attention is now focussed on what comes out of the mouth, not in physical terms, but moral. Things that are said are the product of the heart, for words express thoughts, and as the proverb says about man, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”, Proverbs 23:7.
And they defile the man- we may use words to carry out many sins, and when we have done that we have stained our record with guilt. In this way words defile us.
15:19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts- this is the initial thing, the thoughts of the heart, which are then translated into words, which then result in deeds, and then finally in the defilement of the man himself. This is a vicious circle that only the power of God can break.
Murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies- evil thoughts are now detailed as to what they produce. The Pharisees had already begun to take counsel to destroy Christ, Matthew 12:14, so if they were told afterwards what Christ said, (Mark tells us that these words were spoken after He had entered into the house from the people, and after the disciples had enquired about the matter), they would feel the force of the mention of murder first. Words are used to prepare for the sins listed here.
Note that both adultery and fornication are listed, telling us that they do not mean the same thing, as some would teach (for there are no redundant words in Scripture). Adultery is sexual sin on the part of married persons, and fornication is sexual sin on the part of unmarried persons. Here the Lord is warning against the use of words to persuade another to sin in this way.
Thefts do not always result from something said, but there are many instances in which they do. It is obvious that false witness and blasphemies are carried out through words, and those words are sinful in themselves.
Matthew ends his list here, so after the general thought of evil thoughts, he lists six sins which spring from these thoughts, making seven in all. Mark, however, recording the same discourse, lists seven more, making twelve in all. He includes covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, pride and foolishness.
15:20
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man- the two parts of this verse relate to Christ’s teaching and the Pharisees’ teaching. The things which defile a man have been listed by Christ, but those who were guilty of many if not all of those sins, yet who made a pretence of being pious, are contradicted.
(c) 15:21-28
The disciples and impatience
15:21
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon- previously the Lord had retired to the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to have some rest with His disciples, who had just come back from their first preaching tour. The people followed Him there, however, and having fed the five thousand, He had returned to the western side of Galilee. The people thronged Him there also, so it seems the only way He can gain some respite is to retreat to the northernmost part of the land. Mark says, “And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid”, Mark 7:24.
Tyre and Sidon were in the territory of the tribe of Asher, Joshua 19:29. By coasts is meant borders, (as Mark says in his account), not necessarily the sea coasts; the idea is the edge of the territory that was dominated by the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
We may see at least two points here. First, that although He is Son of God, the Lord Jesus is truly human, and needs rest. There is nothing wrong therefore in taking a brief rest from the work of God in order to be refreshed and reinvigorated. Second, that as the King in Matthew He claims the furthest reaches of the land, whether it be westerly, as here, or northerly, as in 4:24 where His fame went “throughout all Syria”, which extended as far as the river Euphrates. He claimed the east of the land, too, for He had just been on the easterly side of Galilee, and of course His influence extended to Judea in the south.
Abraham had been commanded to look northwards, and southward, and eastward, and westward, and then to walk the length and breadth of the land of promise to claim it for his own, and to claim it for his seed, Genesis 13:14-17. During His ministry the Lord Jesus, the Seed of Abraham, claimed the whole land of promise. This was one way in which He “came unto his own”, but His own people received Him not, John 1:11.
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.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts- Mark tells us that this woman was “a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation”. The whole of the promised land was called Canaan, but originally the one who gave his name to the area, (the grandson of Noah through Ham, Genesis 9:22), lived in that part which came to be known as Phenecia. The land of Syria was later divided into Syria, Syro-Phenecia, and Syro-Palestina, no doubt based on a division that was prevailing in Bible times. So she was a Greek in the sense she was not a Jew; a Syrophenician in the sense she came from that part of Syria, and she was a woman of Canaan because where she lived was the man Canaan’s original home.
Matthew has already recorded Christ’s work in Galilee, and that “his fame went throughout all Syria”, Matthew 4:24. Now the name Jesus is the same as Joshua, so the question is will this New Testament Joshua drive her out, as he drove out the Canaanites? He will certainly not do so, for His name means Jehovah the Saviour, and if she appeals to Him on that basis, as far as she understands it, He will save her daughter from the devil, and save her from the trauma of her daughter’s condition.
And cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David- Noah had cursed Canaan, but this woman seeks a blessing. She appeals to Him as Son of David, a title she must have heard used of Him before. For instance, the two blind men of Matthew 9:27 called Him this, and when they were healed “spread abroad his fame in all that country”, verse 31, meaning Galilee, which adjoined the territory of Tyre and Sidon. Is she aware that Hiram, king of Tyre, “was ever a lover of David”, 1 Kings 5:1, and had contributed to the building of the temple in Jerusalem? Is she appealing on that basis for her daughter?
My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil- this is a very strong appeal to the feelings and mercy of Christ, and His grace would help her; but truth must also be upheld. He cannot disobey the command of His Father to only go to Israel, as verse 24 will tell us. He had not gone to Tyre and Sidon on a preaching tour, but to gain respite from the multitudes.
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.
But he answered her not a word- on the lips of one who was not a Jew, the title Son of David was the wrong approach, even though Hiram had helped David, and also Solomon the first “son of David”. This is a great test to her faith, and was designed to be.
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us- the Lord had said nothing about sending her away, but the disciples, perhaps filled with Jewish prejudice, (as was the case later with John and James in relation to the Samaritans, Luke 9:51-56), found her annoying. They had not yet learnt the compassion and patience of Christ.
Thinking that she was not getting a response from Christ, (although His heart was no doubt moved by her plight), she had begun to pester the disciples, such was the strength of her belief that their Master could help her.
15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel- here is the reason for His apparent indifference. He has a word from His Father to go to Israel, and He will not be diverted from the pathway of obedience. So does this mean that He cannot help the woman? We learn otherwise in the next verse. Even in this verse there is a hint as to what he will do, for he speaks of israel as lost sheep, showing He has a shepherd heart.
15:25
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me- as soon as she worships Him as Lord, then she has appealed to Him on ground that is not restricted to Israel. To claim from Him because He is Son of David, (even though He is), is to take the place of an Israelite. To acclaim Him Lord and give Him worship is to take the place of a creature of His hand, a place common to all on the earth, Jew or Gentile. He had been sent into the world, as well as unto Israel, for “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”, John 3:17. Note the three-fold mention of the world in that verse.
15:26
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
But he answered and said- no doubt she thought she had addressed Him now aright, and had found the formula which would secure the blessing she so much sought. However, there is still a “but”, signifying a problem to be resolved.
It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs- this is a further barrier for her to overcome. Even worshipping Him and calling Him Lord does not cancel out the fact that in the age in which they were living, the Gentiles were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise”, Ephesians 2:12. The commonwealth and the covenants were the children’s meat, and the Gentiles were aliens and strangers. The use of the word promise is interesting, for Canaan is called “the land of promise”, in Hebrews 11:9. This woman is a woman of Canaan, but she has no claim on the promise.
The use of the word dog is not rude, for the reference is to a family pet, not a disease-ridden scavenger of the streets. The latter would certainly not be under the table.
15:27
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
And she said, Truth, Lord- this woman does what we should all do, namely face up to the truth. She accepts His word about being under the table, for she still calls Him Lord.
Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table- note that the word master is in the plural, (not master’s, but masters’), so she is not even claiming to be a special dog; she is saying that this is true of all dogs under every table. She has understood the meaning of His saying about dogs and children, and has not been offended. In humility and need she appeals for but a crumb. She knows she cannot claim the food on the table, but she believes that there is something left for her. She would no doubt know of the way in which many Gentiles had been blessed when they came into contact with Israel in Old Testament times.
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.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith- her faith was great because it triumphed over every obstacle as the incident unfolds. It was said of Abraham that “he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith”, Romans 4:20. Yet here is a woman who has no promise to hold on to, yet persists in faith.
There was another who displayed great faith, the centurion of Luke 7. Of him the Lord said, “I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel”. This is a foretaste for the Lord of the present age, when multitudes of Gentiles exercise faith.
Be it unto thee even as thou wilt- the promise of the Lord Jesus to His disciples was that “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”, John 15:7. So those in fellowship with Christ, and who hold His words in their hearts, will only ask what He is able to grant, and they will receive on that basis. So it is that the apostle John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him”, 1 John 5:14,15.
And her daughter was made whole from that very hour- notice that the Lord does not even see this woman’s daughter, let alone touch her. Her daughter was made whole because the devil had left her. Mark tells us “And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed”, Mark 30.
The fact that the Lord did not go to her is a further sign that the time had not come for the Gentiles to be blessed generally, but it was a preview of the present age, when Gentiles are being delivered from walking according to the…prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”, Ephesians 2:2. In this present age the apostle can say that the Lord “came and preached peace to you which were far off”, Ephesians 2:17. He did that through His servants, who by that time had learned the lesson of this chapter.
(d) 15:29-39
The disciples and powerlessness
15:29
And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee- we are told by Mark that He did this by going “through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis”, Mark 7:31. Decapolis, meaning “ten cities” was an area mostly east of the Jordan, extending from near Damascus to the north end of the Dead Sea. This area was particularly under Gentile influence. It was the ancient territory of half the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Gad, two of the three tribes which remained on the east side of Jordan.
And went up into a mountain, and sat down there- this is another of Matthew’s un-named mountains, found throughout his gospel, and maintaining the theme of the kingdom, which a mountain symbolises in scripture. The only one he names is the mount of Olives, for that mountain featured in Zechariah 14:4 as being the place the King will return to when He comes to reign. We usually associate Him sitting on a mountain with His teaching, Matthew 5:1; 24:3, but here the emphasis is on healing. Mark highlights the deaf man who was healed, Mark 7:31-37.
15:30
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others- whilst we do not read of Him teaching concerning the kingdom at this point, His actions spoke loudly, for He was demonstrating His ability to perform the “powers of the age to come”, Hebrews 6:5. Isaiah had foretold that in the Kingdom Age “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing”, Isaiah 35:5,6. These things are being foreshadowed here, and represent the credentials of Christ as the Messiah.
Notice that Matthew does not give the order as in Isaiah, but he does put first the two classes of people that David is said to have hated, no doubt because they were not able to fight in his army., 2 Samuel 5:8.
It is instructive to notice that Ezra did not mention this when he wrote 1 Chronicles 11, for he was writing for the remnant who had returned from Babylon, and he only writes about the kings of Judah, and the way in which they reflected, in a faint way, the features that would mark the coming King. He clearly thought that to hate the blind and the lame would not be a feature of King-Messiah, and he was right, as this passage shows.
The third category, the dumb, is the one Mark emphasises, for he gives an account of the healing of the deaf and dumb man, Mark 7:31-37. The verdict of the people when they saw this miracle was, “He hath done all things well”, Mark characteristically emphasising the work of Jehovah’s Perfect Servant.
And cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them- it seems strange that they should cast or throw these sick people at His feet. The apostle Peter uses a connected verb, (epirrhipto, as opposed to rhipto here), when he writes, “Casting all your care upon him, ; for he careth for you”, 1 Peter 5:7. Perhaps he had in mind the words of the psalmist, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee”, Psalm 55:22. this is what the people are doing in this chapter, and they find that He sustains them, and in fact, removes the burden, for their loved ones are healed. They find that this King is a King-priest, combining power with sympathy.
15:31
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see- if the location was one where the Lord had not been before, then we can understand the wonder of these people, for it was perhaps the first time that the Lord had worked miracles amongst them.
And they glorified the God of Israel- this would show that the people involved were probably Gentiles, hence the title they gave to God. They are not looking for a Jewish Messiah, so simply attribute the works of Christ to power given to Him by the God of Israel.
15:32
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat- there are certain obvious similarities between the feeding of the four thousand, which is about to be described, and the feeding of the five thousand, so we might ask why both are recorded. Of course, we could ask that about the miracles as a whole, for most of them were performed many times, and are recorded several times in different circumstances. Not only is this miracle performed in a different place, but involves a different sort of multitude, this time with a more Gentile character, being in Decapolis.
It is part of the process by which the Lord shows that He is about to turn from a nation that has largely rejected Him, as seen in the fact that most of the five thousand walked away from Him after they had heard His teaching, John 6:66.
The repeat of the miracle also gives the disciples the opportunity to be more believing than they seemed to be before. Sadly, they do not seem to have progressed in faith. In fact, Mark tells us that after the feeding of the five thousand, “they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened”, Mark 6:52.
We should bear in mind that Matthew is not only writing for us, but for a future people of God after the church has been raptured to heaven. The Jews who will be saved then will need to be strong in faith, and trust God even for their daily needs. The Lord has already taught them to pray “Give us this day our daily bread”, Matthew 6:11. They may find that the Gentiles who have responded to the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom in those days will be more believing and trusting that they are.
And I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way- the five thousand had only been with the Lord the day He fed them, but these have continued with Him for three days, showing greater persistence. They had even got to the point were there were not just hungry, but fasting. Their only hope of nourishment lay in the Lord.
15:33
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? It is difficult to understand the unbelief of the disciples here, since they have recently seen the Lord supply the need of a greater company. It is almost like Israel in the wilderness, who after a while began to despise God’s provision of the manna.
15:34
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? It is noticeable that the Lord, sensing their unbelief, does not suggest that they supply the people. They are not in a fit state to do that.
And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes- so they had more loaves than before, and less people to feed, but they were still at a loss. Perhaps we should not criticize them, for are we always full of faith? Later on the Lord will rebuke them for not perceiving and not understanding the significance of what He had done, Mark 8:14-21.
15:35
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground- unless they bow to His authority they will not be fed.
15:36
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude- so as He broke the loaves there was a constant supply, but once He had handed the bread to the disciples the miracle was over; they simply passed what had been given to them. He never gave His disciples the power to multiply loaves. The people had only to receive the bread; they did not have to go and gather as the Israelites did the manna.
15:37
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full- as before, the Lord’s supply was more than enough for the need. He kept breaking the loaves until it was clear that the appetite of the crowds was satisfied. What was left over was not wasted. By broken meat is meant the food He had provided by breaking the loaves, not scraps dropped on the ground. He had provided more than they could eat. There was “bread enough and to spare”, to use the words of the Prodigal son, Luke 15:17, for the grace of Christ is grace abounding.
15:38
And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children- no doubt, as before, they had been organised into companies, so the number was known. The number is given so we realise the greatness of the supply that was made.
15:39
And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
And he sent away the multitude- there is no attempt made here to force Him to be their king, as there was after the feeding of the five thousand, again showing that it is a different sort of company that is in view.
And took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala- another difference is seen here, in that He does not stay behind to pray, does not walk on the water to come to them, as happened before, but He enters the ship immediately and they arrive at Magdala without incident. Magdala was a village on the west of the Lake of Tiberias, at the place where the lake is at its widest, indicating that the miracle of the loaves was performed on the eastern side. Mark describes the place where they landed as “the parts of Dalmanutha”; this was a village near Magdal which seems to have given its name to the region, Mark 8:10.