Matthew 15:12 says, Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? Jesus' disciples asked Him if He knew that the Pharisees were offended by what He had said. Sometimes, people today may be offended by what we say if we are speaking God's truth. Verse thirteen declares, But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Jesus said that every plant which His Father had not planted would be rooted up, but He really wasn't talking about plants. Jesus was referring to those who believe in Him as their Savior and Lord and those who don't. Verse fourteen adds, Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Jesus told His disciples to leave the Pharisees alone, as they were the blind leading the blind and would both fall in the ditch. If we follow false teachers today, then we are the blind being lead by the blind. Verse fifteen states, Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. Verse sixteen adds, And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Peter asked Jesus to tell the disciples the meaning of the parable, and Jesus asked if they were also without understanding. We as Christians should be able to understand God's word, even when the people of the world don't. The Holy Spirit will lead help us to understand if we simply put ourselves under His guidance. Verse seventeen asks, Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? Jesus asked if the disciples understood that what they ate went in the mouth and what was not digested then came out as waste. Verse eighteen adds, But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. Jesus said that it was not the things going into the mouth but the things coming out of the mouth that defiled a person. The things that we speak come from the heart. Verse nineteen continues, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: Jesus tells us that evil deeds originate in the heart, or mind as we would say today. Verse twenty concludes, These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Jesus said that our evil thoughts defile us and not some failure to follow some physical ritual, like washing ones hand, which I have said I believe was a ceremonial washing. Verse twenty-one says, Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus once again left the area. Verse twenty-two states, 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. A woman of Canaan came to Jesus asking Him to have mercy on her because her daughter was possessed of a devil. When we have problems with our children today, the first thing we should do is to bring our concerns to Jesus and ask for His mercy on us. Verse twenty-three declares, But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Jesus did not answer the woman right away and the disciples told Him to send her away because she was bothering them. We need to never send people who need to come to Jesus for salvation away because they are bothering us, and they may not immediately accept His gift of salvation, Verse twenty-four adds, But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Jesus said He was sent first to the lost people of Israel, but fortunately for those of us who are not Jewish, the gospel ultimately went to all people. Verse twenty-five declares, Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. Though not a part of the nation of Israel, the woman came and worshipped Jesus and again asked for His help. At one point, we were all outside of the family of God, and the only way to be healed spiritually is by putting our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Verse twenty-six states, But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. Jesus basically said that it was not right to take what was meant for the people of Israel first and share it with others. We know that the gospel was meant for everyone, but at this point Jesus was still presenting it to the people of Israel. Verse twenty-seven says, And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. The woman said that it was true that a person should not give the food meant for the children to dogs, but that even the dogs were allowed to eat the scraps that fell from the table. She did not take offence at what Jesus said, but still put her faith in Him. Verse twenty-eight declares, 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. Jesus commended the woman's faith, and her daughter was immediately healed. We cannot accept Jesus for others, but we should pray that Jesus will heal them spiritually by them accepting them as Savior and Lord, and if they do they will be healed immediately.
No comments:
Post a Comment