Down an Unfamiliar Road

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Part III

Verse 12: Then the disciples understood what Jesus meant. He was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread. He was telling them to guard against the interpretation of the Law by the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Finally, they got it! Jesus spent a great deal of time explaining to them the purpose of yeast and how it affects the dough,¹ but they failed to make the spiritual connection with the “yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” which was their interpretation of how to live according to the Law. In many instances, they made up laws themselves that had nothing to do with what God gave to Moses.

Although this may not have had any influence on their thinking, the Jews did differentiate between yeast used by non-Jews and yeast used by Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.² Our Lord’s disciples no doubt knew about the Jewish restrictions on using yeast bread made by non-Jews for their own use and consumption.³ However, now they saw clearly that what Jesus is really talking about was the theology and philosophy used by the Pharisees in their interpretation of God’s Word. This is what Jesus’ labels as yeast.

The Jews also used yeast as a metaphor, as we see in this prayer: “O Sovereign of the Universe, You know full well that our will is to perform Your will, and what prevents us from doing so? The yeast in the dough and the subjection to the foreign Powers. May it be Your will to deliver us from their rule so that we may return to perform the statutes of Your will with a perfect heart!”⁴ In their comment on this prayer, Jewish scholars say that this yeast refers to: “evil impulses, which causes a ferment in the heart.”⁵

So by our Lord using yeast in this fashion, it was not new to the mind of His Jewish followers. One of their own Rabbis once said: “How poor must be the yeast when the one who kneaded it in the dough himself says it is bad!”⁶ In other words, Jesus was not surprised at the corrupt interpretation of Scripture by the scribes and Pharisees. One well-known Jewish Rabbi states: “God acknowledges that man fights a losing battle with his evil urge from the day he has been born.⁷ God admits that the prevailing circumstances favor the evil urge, Satan.”⁸

But the next question is this: What were the Pharisees and Sadducees teaching that Jesus was trying to warn His disciples against. The Pharisees represented the educated elite in Judah who prided themselves on how they controlled and dominated the religious affairs of the Jewish people. They were self-appointed experts on the Scriptures. And anyone who disagreed with them was in danger of being censored, ostracized, imprisoned or even put to death. When Jesus failed to fold under their pressure, they committed themselves to getting rid of Him, even by killing Him if necessary. The one major conflict between them and Jesus involved their belief that the verbal traditions of ancient rabbis were necessary for understanding the purpose and meaning of the Law while Jesus said that the Law, as given by God, was clear enough and did not need their interpretation.

On the other hand, the Sadducees agreed with Jesus against the Pharisees as far as seeing the Torah, or written law, as the sole source of divine authority. However, as priests, they felt they were the ones to properly interpret what the law said to everyday living and faith. They taught that man has free will and can choose between good and evil. But they harshly disagreed with Jesus by denying that the soul was immortal by claiming there was no such thing as an afterlife. Therefore, there would be no resurrection or rewards for the faithful, and punishment for the wicked.

Church scholar Jerome concludes that our Lord’s warning about adding the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees to the Word would result in false teaching. He writes: “Remember the yeast about which even the apostle speaks when he writes, ‘A little yeast spoils the whole dough.’⁹ The sort of yeast of which he speaks is something like the kind that Marcion and Valentinus¹⁰ and all heretics exhibited. It is to be avoided by all means. Yeast has this power, that, if mixed with flour, that which seemed small would grow into something larger and draw to its own essence the whole loaf. So too with heretical doctrine, if it tosses even a tiny spark into your heart, in a short time a huge combustion grows beneath and draws to itself a person’s entire substance. It was then that they finally understood that he had not meant them to beware simply of the yeast in the bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”¹¹

Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, who was a Pharisee, describes the Sadducees errors.

The Pharisees are those who are esteemed most skillful in the exact explanation of their laws and introduce the first sect. These ascribe all to fate [or providence], and to God, and yet allow, that to act what is right, or the contrary, is principally in the power of men, although fate does co-operate in every action. They say that all souls are incorruptible, but that the souls of good men only are removed into other bodies, – but that the souls of bad men are subject to eternal punishment. But the Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men’s own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades. Moreover, the Pharisees are friendly to one another, and are for the exercise of harmony, and regard for the public; but the behavior of the Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them. And this is what I had to say concerning the philosophic sects among the Jews.¹²

What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances handed down from their fathers, which are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to treat those observances as being obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. And because of these things many great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have the populace fawning over them, the Pharisees have the multitudes on their side.”¹³

One thing that Jesus emphasized is that every word is important to understanding the whole message in its context. Let me illustrate the importance of examining every word. While teaching at the European Bible Seminary in Switzerland, one day I gave my class a quick quiz. One question read: “Which wife did Joseph marry first, Leah or Rachael?” They all got it wrong and couldn’t understand why until I pointed out that it wasn’t Joseph, but his father Jacob who married Leah first. I did this to show them how careful they needed to be when receiving instruction. Sometimes I feel agitated when I hear preachers say, “Jesus doesn’t care who you are, or what you are, or what you’ve done, He loves you anyway.” I want to jump up and say: “Of course He cares! Otherwise, God would not have sent His Son to die on the cross, if He didn’t care.”¹⁴

Verse 13: Jesus then went north to the area of Caesarea Philippi where He asked His followers, “Who do people here say I am?”

One Early Church scholar was quizzical about this venture of Jesus to the area of Caesarea Philippi. He writes: “Caesarea Philippi is outside Judea in the region of the Gentiles. Why therefore did our Lord not examine His own disciples within the borders of Judea? Why did He go far north into the territory of the Gentiles? But as our insignificance [as Gentiles] works against us, He questioned the disciples in Gentile territory. The result was that by the true and everlasting conviction of the blessed apostle Peter—what flesh and blood had not unveiled, the Father revealed from the heavens. Through faith, the Gentiles rather than the Jews would come to acknowledge the Son of God. This indeed occurred in the city of Caesarea—Cornelius who was first among the Gentiles to believe with all his own household, through the holy apostle Peter. The Lord was not inclined to question His own disciples in Judea when the Jews did not believe that he was the Son of God but regarded him merely as the son of Joseph.”¹⁵

Epiphanius certainly has an interesting point. Since, by this time, many people in Galilee had accepted Him as the Messiah, but the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees were still skeptical and most of them denounced Him as not being the Anointed One from God. Jesus had also had several contacts with non-Jews living in this area, and they too seemed quite open to accepting Him as a Prophet sent by God to bring the Jews back to living according to God’s Word. So what better way of getting a more authentic test of what people thought of Him was to go outside the area where these religious leaders had strong influence and control.

Early Bible scholars tell us that Cæsarea Philippi was called Paneas in ancient times, named after the mountain of Panium, or Mount Hermon, at the foot of which it was situated, near the springs of Jordan; but Philip the tetrarch, the son of Herod the Great, having rebuilt it, gave it the name of Cæsarea in honor of Tiberius, the reigning emperor, and he added his own name to it, to distinguish it from another Cæsarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Jews referred to these two Caesareas as: “East Kesrin and West Kesrin.”¹⁶ It was afterwards named Neronias by young Herod Agrippa, in honor of Nero; and in the time of William of Tyre, it was called Belinas. It was, according to Josephus, a day’s journey from Sidon, and 14 miles from the lake of Phiala; and, according to Abul Feda,¹⁷ a journey of a day and a half from Damascus.¹⁸

Many have confused it with Dan, (or Leshem); but Eusebius and Jerome expressly affirm that Dan was four miles from Paneas, on the road to Tyre. One European visitor in the 1700’s said that it was called Banias, a hamlet of about twenty miserable huts, inhabited by Muslims.¹⁹ But Swiss traveler and geographer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt said it contained about 150 houses, inhabited by Turks, Greeks, etc.

But more important than the location, is the question Jesus asks His disciples. He knew what the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees were saying about Him, but what about the general public. Historian Pliny tells us: “The river Jordanes rises from the spring of Panias, which has given its surname to Cæsarea.”²⁰ At the time of Pliny’s writing, he tells us that the Arabs called the Jordan River, “Bahr-el-Arden.” He also says: “Cæsarea Philippi also bore the name of Panias. It was situated at the south of Mount Hermon, on the Jordan, just below its source. It was built by Philip the Tetrarch, 3 B.C. King Agrippa called it Neronias; but it soon lost that name.”²¹

Jesus did not explain to His followers why He chose this site to ask this question. After all, this would be a 32 mile round trip from Bethsaida where He had been ministering. But we do know that in the open-air Pan Shrine, next to the cave mouth, there was a large niche, in which a statue of Pan (a half-goat, half-human creature) stood, with a large erect phallus, worshipped for its fertility properties. Surrounding him in the wall were many smaller niches, in which were statues of his attending nymphs. On the shrine in front of these niches, worshippers of Pan would congregate and partake in bizarre sexual rites, including copulation with goats – worshipped for their relationship to Pan.

Now, we don’t know for sure where they were standing in the Caesarea Philippi region, but Jesus’ next statement gives us an idea that they may have been standing within sight of the Rock of the Gods. This has led one unnamed Christian writer to suggest: “Might it be possible that He took His disciples to the most degenerate place possible to tell them: “THIS is where I want you to build my church. I want you to go out into the repugnant, degenerate places, where God is not even known. I want you to go out to places that make Caesarea Philippi look tame, and THAT is where I want you to build my church.” Because that is exactly what they did. They went to places in Asia Minor and the ends of the earth, where “gods” were worshipped in unspeakably awful manners and where Christians would be persecuted in a horrific manner, and they gave their lives doing EXACTLY what they were told to do by their Rabbi.”

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Part II

Verses 5-6: Jesus and His followers then sailed across the lake. But His followers forgot to bring along any bread. So Jesus said to the followers, “Be careful! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

It is very generous for Matthew to say that the disciples “forgot” to bring any bread along. By all accounts, we could say they were irresponsible and careless for not remembering to bring bread with them. But again, without a doubt, Jesus knew of their failure to think ahead, so instead of chastising them before the boat left shore, He chose this occasion to guide them into deeper spiritual insights.

After the disciples realized that provisions for this trip were not taken care of, there is a good possibility that they began to point fingers at one another as to who forgot what. As the boat sailed along, you can imagine their animated bickering as their Master looked on, perhaps shaking His head. So, while in the process of figuring out what to do, suddenly Jesus interrupted their conversation with these words about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. I’m sure they looked at one another in surprise because now they had to figure out what He meant.

The main point the disciples missed concerning the connection between Jesus’ warning about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees had nothing to do with the bread, it had to do with what had just happened before they set sail. They so quickly forgot that Jesus had just been confronted by these religious leaders and demanded a sign from heaven that He was the Messiah. Instead, Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah’s three days in the belly of the monster fish. Their demand for Him to prove Himself as the One sent from God was the yeast Jesus was talking about. Any small amount of the doubt, distrust, or disbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees getting into the minds of the disciples could put the purpose for His whole ministry into danger.

Origen in his remarks on this faux pas by the disciples offers this comment: “The bread that they had before they crossed the lake was no longer of any use to them when they reached the other side. They needed one kind of bread before they crossed and a different kind afterward. They forgot to take any loaves with them because they were careless about carrying bread. The disciples of Jesus had also crossed to another side. They had passed from the material to the spiritual, from the sensory to the intellectual. This is why Jesus said to them after the crossing, be careful and be on your guard.”¹ In other words, they had not yet made the connection between the bread from the earth and the bread from heaven.

Origen continues: “The Pharisees and Sadducees offered a different dough of teaching, a truly ancient yeast-restricted to the bare letter of the law and therefore not free from evil. Jesus does not want His disciples to eat of it any longer. Instead, He mixed a new spiritual dough when He Himself offered to any who would abandon the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees and come to Him, the living bread which came down from heaven and gives life to the world.² Anyone intending no longer to use the yeast and dough of the Pharisees and Sadducees’ teaching must first ‘be careful.’ He must ‘be on guard’ that he will not use the old yeast either accidentally or due to shortages. So Jesus tells His disciples first, ‘be careful,’ and second, ‘be on your guard.’”³ How true today when we use men’s thinking to understand the things of God instead of using God’s thinking to understand the things of men.

But preacher Chrysostom has a different perspective on what’s involved here. He writes: “Why did Jesus not say plainly, ‘Beware of their teaching?’ His purpose is rather to remind them of what had just been done—the feeding of the multitude—for He knew they had already forgotten its significance. But Christ did not immediately admonish them. Rather, He took their own thoughtlessness as the occasion for reproof. Remember that He had not reproved them when they had earlier said, ‘Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ It seemed better now to say to them what He says here. He did not want to rush hastily on to another miracle. He did not admonish them before the multitude, nor did He seek to elevate Himself in their eyes. He might have been much harsher with them after their forgetfulness following the miracle of the loaves. All of these considerations gave His reproof a greater meaning.”⁴

On this subject, early church Bishop Hilary had this to say: “The apostles are ordered to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They are warned not to be involved in the disputes of the Jews. The works of the law are now to be viewed in the light of faith. They are forewarned that they, into whose time and age the Truth had appeared incarnate, should judge nothing except those things that lie in the hope of the truth that is revealed. They are warned against allowing the doctrine of the Pharisees, who are unaware of Christ, to corrupt the effectiveness of the truth of the Gospel.”⁵

It amazes me how many “Christless” sermons are preached from pulpits and through Christian media today. It’s as though the speakers expect the listeners to already have a working knowledge of the “Jesus Element” in their lecture. When this happens, the message becomes mere words of men speaking for God, not the voice of God speaking through men. The yeast factor then becomes what man makes out of the Gospel, not what the Gospel makes out of the man. And just like yeast, it doesn’t take much to influence the whole message and turn what is the profoundness of God into the philosophy of men.

Verses 7-8: His followers discussed what He meant by this. They wondered, “Did Jesus say this because we forgot to bring bread?” Jesus was aware that they were discussing this. So He asked them, “Why are you talking about not having bread? Your faith is so small.”

Here it is quite obvious that the disciples were not listening to Jesus on a spiritual plateau but on an earthly level. Believe it or not, today’s believers often view Scripture the same way. When it talks about riches, they think of earthly wealth, not spiritual resources. When the Bible speaks of blessings, they more often than not think of man’s flattery rather than God’s favor. And when the Word of God talks about winning the victory, they rejoice in their accomplishment for God rather than God’s triumph for them.

Church theologian Origen made this note on what occurred here. He writes: “After Jesus said this, the disciples thought to themselves, ‘If we had bread, then we wouldn’t need the yeast from the Pharisees and Sadducees, but since we don’t have bread, we are at risk of taking their yeast. The Savior does not want us to return to their instruction, so He told us ‘be careful and be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”² I would be more inclined to think, that rather than the disciples having the foresight to see Jesus’ reference to yeast here as having anything to do with the philosophical influence that the Pharisees or Sadducees may have on their bread, they more likely were thinking they should not borrow bread from anyone who was a Pharisee. That’s why Jesus does not reiterate their failure to bring bread, but about their faith in Him to provide.

Origen then goes on to say: “But Jesus, seeing into their hearts and hearing their inner arguments, reproves them as the Shepherd of the heart because they did not understand nor remember the bread which they had received from Him. Because of what they had received, even when they appeared to lack bread, they did not need the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”³ Again this venerable teacher is giving the disciples more credit for perceiving our Lord’s intentions than what they deserve. This reasoning is clear by what the Master then has to say in the next verse. The bread represents that which feed humans in order for them to live while yeast is the ingredient in bread that causes it to take shape and determines its texture. He was giving them the bread they needed, but He wanted to make sure that when it came time for them to make bread, which is the Good News, that they not allow it to be influenced by the thinking of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Again, let’s remind ourselves of what “yeast” the Pharisees and Sadducees had that could affect their message to the lost sheep of Israel and the Gentiles. Basically, the Pharisees believed that in addition to the written Torah, accepted as having been dictated by God to Moses, there exists a verbal Torah, consisting of the collection of spoken laws, interpretations, and traditions transmitted verbally by God to Moses and then kept alive through memorization. Furthermore, that these verbal teachings had precedence over the written law. As for the Sadducees, they accepted the written Torah but did not believe in resurrection, spirits, or angels. But our Lord made it clear that the written Word was from God as well as the spoken Word which He was bringing to them. However, the written Word applied to the Old Agreement, while His spoken Word was the basis for the New Agreement.

Then Chrysostom concentrates on the disciples having such little faith. He writes: “Note how intense is Jesus’ displeasure. Nowhere else does He appear to have rebuked them so harshly. How does He do this? He is challenging their prejudices about food laws. Already He had said, ‘Are you still without understanding?’⁴ Now in this place, with a strong rebuke He says, ‘O men of little faith.’”⁵ In my years of ministry I’ve met fellow ministers who confessed that many times they would reach Friday or even Saturday without any idea or inspiration for their sermons on Sunday. So they habitually reached for something they preached over and over. I tried to share with them that if they really believe that their calling is from God, then they need to trust Him to guide them to find the bread needed. But they would have to keep asking, seeking, and knocking in order to find where it was stored.

To facilitate this, I shared with them that since the Old Testament was written thousands of years ago, God only sent one upgrade and that was through His Son.⁶ After that, God had no intention to send any further updates or upgrades every few months or years, so we must accept that what is already in God’s Word will be all He intends to say on that subject until the end. As such, then we should look at what nutrition our flock needs in order for them to be sustained and grow in the spirit and the knowledge of Christ. This we can easily ascertain by looking at our calendar to see if any special days or holidays are coming up; to look at our creed of faith to see what doctrines they need to be reminded of and have explained more fully. Also, what characteristics and works of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit need to be given new light for the trinity to be appreciated more by the believer. By selecting any one of these, we are exercising faith that as we read and study, the Spirit of God will guide us to the truths He wants us to expound on.

Verses 9-10: Don’t you understand what I’m saying? Remember the five flatbreads that fed the 5,000 people and the many baskets you filled with the bread that was left over? And remember the seven flatbreads that fed the 4,000 people and the many baskets you filled that time?”

This is where we can clearly see that the disciples of Jesus were still so trapped in their material and physical world that they could not see a spiritual truth when revealed to them. Jesus now seems upset with them because they failed to recognize that if He could feed 5,000 with five loaves and 4,000 with seven loaves why would He fret over how much bread was available. This definitely confirms beyond doubt the existence of two miracles in which Christ fed multitudes with a minimum amount of food. Some speculate that these stories are two versions of the same incident, but here Christ clearly debunks such conjecture.

As Chrysostom points out: “Leniency is not always a good thing. Christ sometimes allows the disciples freedom for their opinions. At other times He reproves them. By this variable nurturing He provides for their salvation. Note how at the same time His reproof is strong and yet mild. For all but excusing Himself to them for His severe reproofs to them, He says, ‘Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?’ He specifies the numbers and the fragments, so as to bring them to a clear recollection of what had just happened and making them more attentive to the future.”⁷

But we must also add, there was more to this than just the summation of these two events. To Jews, even to this day, numbers have special meanings. One Roman Catholic scholar has suggested that at the first feeding, the 12 baskets of leftovers represents the 12 tribes of Israel and therefore the bread of the first covenant. But there were also 12 disciples and as such it could have also represented the bread for the last covenant. Then we have the 7 baskets that were collected on the third day, which is taken as the bread that would be dispensed after our Lord’s resurrection and the number 7 represents fullness, perfection or completion.⁸ Yet, others see a different application. The twelve baskets were representative of that 12,000 who were actually fed the first time when you add women and children, and the seven baskets represent the 7,000 fed the second time when you make the same calculation.

Jesus’ disciples were uneducated fishermen, so it is quite unlikely that Jesus would try and embarrass them by speaking in academic terms. In simple language, we can see where fishermen might be able to reason that no matter how small or large the net, on any given day you may catch more fish than on other days. It all depends on the conditions when the net is thrown overboard. But all of this becomes less important when the keyword in Jesus’ admonishment is “remember,” and that’s what fueled the important phrase, “don’t you understand.” The number one thought here then is that there will always be sufficient spiritual bread to feed those hungry for God’s message. So the concern is not the bread, but what goes into the bread.

Verse 11: So how could you think that I am concerned about bread? I am telling you to be careful and guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

How clear and well expressed is our Savior’s concern that the bread He wanted fed to those hungry for salvation not be influenced by the doctrines and philosophy of the Pharisees and Sadducees. That would certainly affect how He would be presented as the Living Word and the Risen Savior. It would no longer be “what did men say,” but “what did the Word say.” And there would be no doubt about His being bodily raised from death by the One who sent Him, instead of teaching that it was their hope that He was still alive in their memories instead of in their hearts that would keep them going.

The venerable early church scholar Origen had this to say about how believers should understand this teaching of Jesus on bread as representing His message. He writes: “Some were distracted by the use of bread and yeast. In order to clarify and enlighten them in a still symbolic way that He was not speaking about literal bread but about yeast as representing teaching, Jesus adds, ‘How is it that you do not understand that I was not talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’ Even though He still had not exposed the literal meaning of His words but continued as before, the disciples would have understood the Savior as referring to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees as leaven.”⁹

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Part I

Verse 1: The Pharisees and Sadducees approached Jesus. They wanted to test Him. So they asked Him to show them a miracle as a sign from God.

Here we have the Pharisees trying once again to do what they failed to accomplish before,¹ and that was trick Jesus into performing a miracle at their command to prove He was the Messiah sent from God. This was not unusual since Jews were known to argue even among themselves over matters of divine authority and lawful activities. We find an interesting example of this in a story about how they accused a Galilean heretic, whom some Jewish scholars identify as a Sadducee, of the way he filled out a Bill of Divorce.² To say that they were picky, is being mild.

Their questioning of Jesus may have been motivated by the fact that since God gave Noah the rainbow as a sign to back up His assurances, it was not uncommon to ask for a similar sign of anyone claiming to have divine authority. We see in Jewish literature that such a sign would accompany the Messiah. It reads: “’Listen,’ said the merchant, ‘to the words of my father, addressed to me just before his death,’ “Never expect to behold the banner of Messiah until the bow appears in the heavens, flashing forth rays and colors of light so supernaturally glorious and splendid, that the sheen of it will light up the whole world. When this happens then look for the Messiah.” We learn this from the mysterious meaning of the saying, ‘I will look upon the bow and remember the everlasting covenant.’”³

Early church preacher Chrysostom gives us his thoughts on what happened here: “Their inquiry was rightly deserving of anger and great displeasure. Yet the goodhearted and foresighted One is not angry. He pities them even as they tempt Him. He is sad for their being so incurably infected after watching Him demonstrate His awesome power. They did not seek Him out in order to believe but to lay hold of Him. Had they come with any readiness to believe, He would have given such a sign. For He who said to the woman, ‘It is not fair,’⁴ and afterward gave, much more would He have shown His bounty to these officials. But since they did not seek to believe, He, therefore, calls them hypocrites, because in another place they said one thing and meant another. If they had believed, they would not even have asked. It is evident that they did not believe, since when reproved and exposed, they did not remain with Him, nor did they admit ‘We are ignorant and seek to learn.’ But for what sign from heaven were, they asking? Either that He should stop the sun, or curb the moon, or bring down thunderbolts, or work a change in the air, or some other such thing.”⁵

This is another way of saying, if they didn’t believe on Jesus after He performed so many miracles, even one more would not have brought them faith in Him as the Messiah. Jesus already rebuked their surreptitious effort by referring to the prophet Jonah. So now He will point to their weather predictions based on the redness of the sun in the evening and in the morning.⁶

Verses 2-3: Jesus answered, “When you people see the sunset, you know what the weather will be. If the sky is red, you say we will have good weather. And in the morning, if the sky is dark and red, you say that it will be a rainy day. These are signs of the weather. You see these signs in the sky and know what they mean. In the same way, you see the things that are happening now. These are also signs, but you don’t know their meaning.”

Church theologian Jerome tells us: “The meaning is clear from the order and harmony of the elements. Both fair and rainy days can be forecast. But the scribes and Pharisees, who were viewed as doctors of the law, could not discern the coming of the Savior from what the prophets had predicted.”⁷ In other words, although they were seen as religious scholars, and while they were knowledgeable of the physical world, they were blind to the spiritual world.

I remember as a child while living in my hometown which was a fishing port on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, hearing the ship captains say, “A red sky at night is a sailor’s delight. A red sky in the morning is a sailor’s warning.” Jesus knew full well that for the Jews the day of the coming of the Messiah was the biggest kept secret. This is captured in their discussion of the verse in Scripture that says: “That which exists is far away and deep, so deep, that it can’t be discovered.”⁸ In their commentary on Ecclesiastes, we read where it says: “The secret of the day of death, and the secret of the day when the king Messiah comes, who by his wisdom can find out?”⁹ So, on the surface, what the Pharisees were asking for here was only to prove for themselves that Jesus of Nazareth was, in fact, the Messiah they had been waiting for. But Jesus sees past this feigned intellectual approach. He knew it was a trick being played on Him so they would have a good reason to have Him arrested and put out of business for pretending to be the Anointed One.

The early church Bishop of Mopsuestia gives us his impression of what occurred here: “Jesus exposes the rashness of their question, saying, ‘You regard the air as moving according to a certain order, so that by means of signs you are able to predict when the weather will be fair and when stormy. But in the case of miracles you recognize no order at all. You do not recognize any occasions on which doing or not doing wonders is appropriate. You assume that such a thing happens completely without order and without any reason.’”¹⁰ Here we see that early on in the church, scholars believed that nothing Jesus did was on the spur of the moment, it was all planned from the beginning.

When Chrysostom preached on this text, he had the following to say: “What then does Jesus say to all this? ‘You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.’ Observe Christ’s meekness and moderation. Even earlier He did not just refuse and say ‘no sign will be given.’ And so now He goes further and states the reason why He gives them no sign, even though they were not asking for information. What then was the cause? It is much like the sky, He says, where one thing is a sign of a storm and another of fair weather. No one when seeing the sign of foul weather would expect a calm, nor in calm and fair weather would one expect a storm. So you would do well to think the same with regard to Me. My coming in this present time is different from the way in which I will come in the future. Now there is need of these signs here on the earth. But those in heaven are stored up in preparation for that time. Now as a physician I have come to heal. Then I will come as a judge. Now I am seeking those who have gone astray. Then I will demand an account. Now I have come in a hidden manner. Then I will come much more publicly, folding up the heaven, hiding the sun, not permitting the moon to give its light. Then ‘the very powers of the heavens will be shaken,’¹¹ and the manifestation of My coming will imitate lightning that appears suddenly.”¹²

Chrysostom leaves no doubt that since these doubters were asking for a sign that Jesus was truly the awaited Messiah, that our Lord anticipated the sign they would need at a future date that would prove Him to be the Anointed One. As Jesus continues His discourse, we can see what point in time He was talking about.

Verse 4: “It is the distrusting and immoral people who want to see a miracle as a sign from God. But no miracle will be done to prove anything to them. The only sign will be the miracle that happened to Jonah.” Then Jesus turned and walked away.

Jesus used the Pharisee’s general knowledge of this fact to point out how uninformed there were about even more important signs that were occurring in the spiritual sky of their day. Then Jesus repeats His suggestion that they look for something that will remind them of what happened to the prophet Jonah. We know that when He first mentioned this, it involved Jonah’s three days and nights in the belly of the big fish God created for that purpose.¹³ Although Matthew does not point this out, the language he uses to describe what Jesus did next suggests that our Lord turned and walked away in disgust because the light-headed, hard-hearted religious experts were unwilling to accept the truth right before their eyes.

Early Church fathers had various opinions on what our Lord was communicating here. For instance, Origen says: “Now Jesus called them evil because their wicked deeds had made them evil people (evil because of deliberate wickedness) and adulterous because when the Pharisees and Sadducees left their figurative spouse, the True Word, they committed adultery, with falsehood and the law of sin. Assume there are two laws: the law of our bodies, which is in conflict with the law of our mind. We might say then that the law of the mind (that is, the law of the Spirit) is the husband to whom the soul was betrothed by God as wife according to the Scripture; a wife is married to a man by God.¹⁴ But the other law is a seducer of the soul and as such is called ‘adulterous.’”¹⁵ This is another way of saying that when we look for evidence in spiritual things the same way we look for evidence in material or physical things, we betray our trust in God by allowing our carnal nature dominate our spiritual nature in the decisions we make and the actions we take.

Then Bible scholar Chromatius adds: “Just as that whale was not able to digest Jonah nor was able to keep him alive inside himself for long, so too voracious Death assuredly swallowed the Lord. But since he was not able to keep Him alive and in custody inside himself, Death regurgitated Him on the third day, just as the whale regurgitated Jonah. For Death, though accustomed always to eat and digest the dead, was nauseated and vomited out the Lord alive. Truly he was not able to digest Him, for He was a rock—as the apostle says: ‘Moreover, Christ was a rock.’¹⁶ And indeed, the whale gulped and expelled only Jonah. But Death in ingesting the Lord cast out not Him alone but many with Him. For we read that many corpses of the holy had risen up with the Lord.’¹⁷”¹⁸

Also, Bishop Hilary offers this commentary: “The Lord compares Himself by means of like appearance with one whom He had dispatched to Nineveh to accomplish the coming suffering for the proclamation of repentance. Indeed, Jonah was thrown from the ship by furiously raging winds and was devoured by the whale. After the space of three days, he was cast out alive, not retained by the monster. He was not digested as food, but contrary to the nature of the human body, he escaped whole and unharmed into the open air. He prefigured the Lord. Therefore, Jesus demonstrated that this sign of His own power had been divinely constituted, thus proclaiming in Himself the forgiveness of sins through repentance. For He was soon to be cast out of Jerusalem and the synagogue by the blast of unclean spirits and by the power of Pontius Pilate.”¹⁹

Verse 5: Jesus and His followers then sailed across the lake. But His followers forgot to bring along any bread.

It is very generous for Matthew to say that the disciples “forgot” to bring any bread along. By all accounts, we could say they were irresponsible and careless for not remembering to bring bread with them. But again, without a doubt, Jesus knew of their failure to think ahead, so instead of chastising them before the boat left shore, He chose this occasion to offer them deeper spiritual insight.

Origen in his remarks on this faux pas by the disciples offers this comment: “The bread that they had before they crossed the lake was no longer of any use to them when they reached the other side. They needed one kind of bread before they crossed and a different kind afterward. They forgot to take any loaves with them because they were careless about carrying bread. The disciples of Jesus had also crossed to another side. They had passed from the material to the spiritual, from the sensory to the intellectual. This is why Jesus said to them after the crossing, be careful and be on your guard.”²⁰ In other words, they had not yet made the connection between the bread from the earth and the bread from heaven.

Origen continues: “The Pharisees and Sadducees offered a different dough of teaching, a truly ancient yeast-restricted to the bare letter of the law and therefore not free from evil. Jesus does not want His disciples to eat of it any longer. Instead, He mixed a new spiritual dough when He Himself offered to any who would abandon the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees and come to Him, the living bread which came down from heaven and gives life to the world.²¹ Anyone intending no longer to use the yeast and dough of the Pharisees and Sadducees’ teaching must first ‘be careful.’ He must ‘be on guard’ that he will not use the old yeast either accidentally or due to shortages. So Jesus tells His disciples first, ‘be careful,’ and second, ‘be on your guard.’”²² How true today when we use men’s thinking to understand the things of God instead of using God’s thinking to understand the things of men.

But preacher Chrysostom has a different perspective on what’s involved here. He writes: “Why did Jesus not say plainly, ‘Beware of their teaching?’ His purpose is rather to remind them of what had just been done—the feeding of the multitude—for He knew they had already forgotten its significance. But Christ did not immediately admonish them. Rather, He took their own thoughtlessness as the occasion for reproof. Remember that He had not reproved them when they had earlier said, ‘Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ It seemed better now to say to them what He says here. He did not want to rush hastily on to another miracle. He did not admonish them before the multitude, nor did He seek to elevate Himself in their eyes. He might have been much harsher with them after their forgetfulness following the miracle of the loaves. All of these considerations gave His reproof a greater meaning.”²³

Two centuries ago, an English poet, painter, and etching illustrator named William Blake, largely unknown during his lifetime, wrote a work that was done in what he called: “visual artistry.” In one volume of poetry, where he portrayed the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s, “The Canterbury Tales,” we find these words: “It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”¹ Mister Blake does not go on to explain, but a closer examination reveals the secret of this saying.

You see, enemies are those who tell lies in an effort to tear you down while friends are those who tell the truth in order to build you up. So, one may ask, what if a friend tells you a lie? It’s simple, then they are not really your friend, they are your enemy. By the same token, if an enemy tells you the truth, they thereby have become your friend.

Too often, our friends are described as those who like the same music we like, go to the same places we go, play the same games we play, read the same books we read, and enjoy doing the same things we do. But that does not necessarily make them our friends. Rather, they are best described as companions, good company, associates, and people we feel comfortable being with. But many times, it is exactly those people in our life who we find out have not been telling us the truth, and that’s hard to take. That’s why it is so hard to forgive them.

Lies can often be exposed and thereby make the teller out to be a liar. Lies can wound, and, if left untreated, can become infected and cause unnecessary pain and agony. However, the truth goes much deeper. At first, it can cause severe pain and grief, but when seen for what it is, truth can be a calming lotion that helps gets rid of the irritant causing real problems in our experience with situations.

Lies, for the most part, may put a dent in your character and reputation, but when reveal as untruth you still are a sound and resilient, individual. Thus, you are not required to make any significant changes in your personality. But truth is not meant to bounce off and make no lasting impression. Just like a high-pressure hose or a sand blaster, truth can remove stains, scum and scales that have grown on our personality over time. The purpose of truth is to make us look cleaner and brighter for others to admire. So it does require change. Sometimes minor changes, and at other times significant changes, but all for the better.

So the next time a friend tells you the truth, don’t treat them like an enemy. Don’t push them away and avoid any contact with them. If they weren’t a real friend they would have let you remain as you are. They are only trying to help, not hurt. When you realize that “forgiveness,” means the willingness to stop demanding punishment for the person who supposedly hurt you, and the fact they were telling the truth, then to forgive them is really not that hard to do. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

1William Blake (1757-1827): Jerusalem: The Emanation of the Giant Albion, Printed by William Blake, South Molton Street, London, 1804, p. 91

GOD IS NEVER WRONG!

Years ago a good friend who pastored a church just outside Stuttgart, Germany invited me to come and hold evangelistic services for a week. He rented a meeting room in the local Gasthaus (Tavern) that seated about 200 people. The door to the meeting room was direct across from the door to the bar. The first night’s service went well with a group of Bible School students there to help us, but I didn’t feel any spirit of freedom in the praise and worship. The people appeared to be merely going through the motions. The second night service was just as lacking in enthusiasm. As I sat there, the Holy Spirit spoke to my spirit and said, “This must change so I can work, these people must cry out in prayer for Me to move.”

So after my sermon, I closed my Bible and announced that the evangelistic services were being halted and our gathering would be changed into a prayer meeting. I asked that the local church doors be open each day for prayer, where people could stop by on their way to and from work. The pastor looked at me in shock and asked, “You can’t do that! We have to pay for this meeting room, and we’ve spent a lot of money on advertising.” Nevertheless, I told him I was only following the voice of the Spirit.

The whole next day we were at the altar in the church praying as people stopped by. That night at the meeting hall, as people came in we had them kneel and pray for God to send an awakening. I was at the front on the platform praying, and about thirty minutes into the prayer I suddenly heard a new voice in the crowd. This person was crying and pleading with God for forgiveness. I opened my eyes and saw an older gentleman on his knees sobbing and praying for mercy.

I went over to pray with him and he told me that he came in that night to go to the tavern, but when he tried to enter something pulled him the other way toward the hall. He tried again to go into the bar but he felt the pull in the other direction. So he entered the hall, and when he did the power of conviction came over him and he felt the guilt of sin and realized that he was in need of salvation, so that’s why he made his way down front because it looked to him like everyone there was praying for forgiveness.

At the end of the prayer service, I had him give his testimony and announced that the evangelistic services were back on the next night. Each day we met in prayer at the church and each evening we gathered in the hall for services. Before long the police were called because there were so many people trying to find parking for the meeting it was causing a traffic jam. And a few nights later, the bartender decided to close down the bar because the few customers he had couldn’t compete with our singing, praying, preaching and praising God. So he opened the doors of the bar room and it became seating for the overflow crowd.

Two women who worked at a local factory heard about the meetings and decided to attend where they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They took the message they heard back to the factory and soon the manager let them hold prayer meetings in the factory at lunch time and people were being led to Christ. The pastor told me it was the greatest move of the Holy Spirit he had ever seen.

Among other things I learned during that experience that has never left me is this: it is better to obey the voice of the Spirit even if it looks silly to some than to look silly to everyone because you didn’t listen to Him. Not just in conducting revivals or prayer meetings, but in everything we attempt to do for His honor, praise, and glory. – Dr. Robert R Seyda

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

UPDATE

We just finished the very informative and enlightening 15th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus’ fame had spread from the shores of the Sea of Galilee to the walls of Jerusalem. The religious leaders there, knowing very little, if anything, about this unknown, upstart prophet who they started hearing the term “Messiah” being attached to His name, sent Pharisees to inquire about Him and the claims being made about Him.

Upon their encounter in a wheat field just outside Capernaum, the Pharisees saw an opportunity to accuse Him and His disciples of breaking the verbal law of the elders by not washing their hands properly. But Jesus turned the conversation back on them and their breaking the law of God when it came to honoring one’s father and mother. Jesus then uses this to teach them the important lesson on the difference between being clean on the outside and clean on the inside.

Then, for the first time, Jesus adventures outside His beloved Galilee on a divine mission to meet a woman with a daughter suffering from demonic oppression. Here, He had a two-fold mission. One, to show His disciples and followers how much faith there was among the non-Jews who lived in the area known as Phoenicia, and two, to teach them that if the Jews did not accept Him as the Messiah they would remain lost like wandering sheep, while the rest of the world would be invited into the Kingdom of Heaven as sons and daughters of God.

When they got back to Galilee and its familiar shores, Jesus once again took the opportunity to feed a multitude of people with a small amount of food. He thought that after feeding a crowd of 5,000 with five small flatbreads and two sardines His disciples might have enough faith that He could feed 4,000 with seven flatbreads and several sardines. But they failed the test again.

This time, however, instead of sending them away in a boat with the promise to catch up with them, He boarded the boat with them and sailed to the other side of the sea to a place called Magdala. Here the news spread of His being there and people streamed to Him if only to touch the hem of his coat for healing. But among them were the Pharisees and Sadducees, just waiting to try and catch Him violating the law or teaching some heresy so they could expose Him as a fraud and not the Messiah.

So we can see that the life of Jesus was not easy. He faced a lot of opposition and doubt, even among His own disciples. But He did not give up, and He did it all for you and me. That’s why we must keep on with His story. So next week we start in Chapter 16, where some very important truths will be revealed. One of which must have wounded the hearts of His followers as soon as they heard it.

Thank you again for your unfailing devotion to God’s Word. And may the Lord bless you as you hunger and thirst after more knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Part VII

Verse 32: Jesus called His followers to Him and said, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might faint while going home.”

On the earlier occasion, when Jesus fed the 5,000, we noted that He started teaching in the morning and it went until late afternoon. But now, with the 4,000, Jesus sees the need for food after the crowd had been with Him for three days. I doubt that they all came without bringing along some sustenance, but they may not have envisioned staying there for three days. It also may be a factor, in that this crowd was 1,000 fewer than the first group, with some of them having to return home for various reasons, especially those who had already been healed.

Could it be, that our Lord recalled what His royal ancestor did after finding a person who had not eaten for three days: “David’s men found an Egyptian in a field and took him to David. They gave the Egyptian some water to drink and some food to eat. The Egyptian had not had any food or water for three days and nights, so they gave him a piece of fig cake and two clusters of raisins. He felt better after eating.”¹ But as for the disciples, they were more concerned about the supply rather than the service. You would think, they had learned something from the other miracle where Jesus fed the 5,000, but apparently they saw this as different. Maybe, because they had more bread and a smaller crowd to feed.

Early church scholar Theodore of Heraclea comments on how this crowd found themselves it this predicament of needing to be fed. He writes: “In this way, by His speech, Christ had so inclined their souls that even they had become forgetful and had taken no care to provide for food or other necessary needs. They had not grown weary, even in the desert, of being with Christ. But Christ understood the weakness of our nature and that we require food for the health of our bodies. He makes preparation even for this, that it might be evident that He is concerned not only about our souls but about our bodies as well. For He is the Creator of both soul and body. He is not merely the Lord of one or the other, as the insane thought the Manichaeans hold.² They teach different creators, one for the soul and another for the body.”³

Verse 33: The followers asked Jesus, “Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are a long way from any town.’”

Now, in spite of what happened before with the 5,000, after Jesus told His disciples to feed this multitude they still ask Him where were they going to get the resources, seeing that this spot was quite a walk away from the nearest towns. So it appears that our Lord’s request came as a surprise to them. This may suggest that over the three days people were coming and going, so there seemed to be no need to consider such a picnic in the boondocks. In this case, we might say that in addition to all the healing miracles that Jesus performed, He had one more before the crowds were dismissed.

Bishop Hilary asks his readers to look more closely at this incident. He writes: “Do you see the mystery? The Lord has compassion on this hopeful following of believers and says they have been with Him for three days! Lest they weaken in the course of their worldly lives, in their workaday world, He wants now to feed them with His food and fortify them with His bread. In this way, they can complete the formidable task of the entire journey, for the disciples were complaining that there was no bread in the desert. Indeed, they had previously absorbed the lesson that nothing is impossible with God. But what certain events are meant to teach us can exceed the measure of our understanding.”⁴

Verse 34: Jesus asked, “How many flatbreads do you have?” They answered, “We have seven flatbreads and a few small fish.”

Even though this crowd was smaller than the first one, there is more food available. This was because instead of taking one small boy’s lunch, no doubt there were some in the crowd who had not eaten all they brought along for the occasion. But as in the first instance, it appears that these small flatbreads and tiny fish were a common meal for the people in that area. You would think that after Jesus had multiplied five small flatbreads and two sardines to feed 5,000, there certainly would be no trouble for Him to do the same with seven flatbreads and several sardines to feed 4,000. But when Jesus asked them what they had, they gave the same I-don’t-think-this-will-work response as the first time.

Chrysostom says in his homily on this text: “Observe, in this instance, that Jesus does not proceed immediately to the miracle but calls them out even into the desert. The multitudes who had come for healing did not even dare to ask for food. But He is here seen to be the goodhearted and caring one who gives even to those that do not ask. He said to His disciples, ‘I have compassion and will not send them away hungry.’ And in case someone might say that they came having provisions for their stay, He noted, ‘They have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat, so that even if some came with provision, it has by now been consumed.’ Therefore, Jesus did not do this on the first or second day but only when everything had been entirely consumed, in order that having first been in need, they might more eagerly receive the miracle of food. He offered them compassion, saying, ‘In case they faint in their journey;’ He implied that both the distance to food was great and that they had nothing left. Then disciples asked if You are not willing to send them away hungry, ‘Where are we to get bread enough in the desert to feed so great a crowd?’ Jesus responded, in order to stimulate their faith and make them more compassionate: ‘How many loaves do you have?’ But even then they did not fully understand the motive of His question. That’s why afterward, He said to them, as Mark relates, ‘Are your hearts so hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? Having ears, do you not hear?’⁵”⁶

So we can see by what Mark had to say, Jesus was very disappointed that after His disciples had seen the miracle with the 5,000 they still couldn’t believe for 4,000. Why is it that even today, no matter how many times God’s people have seen Him move and observed His power in action, they treat each crisis as though it’s the first time they’ve asked for help and guidance. It doesn’t mean that we should become passé or unconcerned in our attitudes when going to the Lord for help, but how much more rewarding if the disciples had come to Jesus and said: “Lord, we saw what you did the last time with the 5,000, we’ll see how much food we can find and bring it to You for Your blessing so we can feed these 4,000.”

Verses 35-36: Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. He took the seven flatbreads and the fish. Then He gave thanks to God for the food. He broke the flatbreads into pieces, which He gave to His followers, and they gave the food to the people.”

We notice that in both cases, Jesus blesses the meal before breaking the bread. According to Jewish custom, the following prayer is said before eating, “Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings bread forth from the earth.” There is also a custom of saying grace after the meal that is derived from the Torah: “So you will eat and be satisfied, and you will bless Adonai your God for the good land He has given you.”⁷ And so the benediction usually goes, “Blessed are You, O Lord, for the land and for the food.” Since Jesus prayed before dispensing the bread, Christians have adopted the custom of praying before a meal, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to thank Him after we are finished eating.

The prayer that Jesus prayed is not written here, but I have little doubt that He followed a tradition His listeners were familiar with. The reason for this may be, that if He were to use a prayer or chant with which they had no acquaintance they might have thought He was saying some magical formula, especially since the bread and fish began to multiply right before their eyes. So then, the loaves and fishes were being multiplied as they were being passed around. This is a lesson every preacher and teacher should learn. Take what you have for the congregation or class to Jesus first, ask Him to bless it before you share it with the group that has gathered to hear, so they can then take it and share it with others. That way, a sermon preached to 500 people, could end up feeding thousands of people.

Verse 37: All the people ate until they were satisfied. After this, the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were left over.

Again we notice a difference between the first feeding and the second. The larger crowed had twelve baskets of leftovers while this smaller group had seven. But the main point is that on both occasions we find that the people ate until they were content. In using the formula mentioned before, the number of baskets with leftovers may be representative of the actual number of men, women and children who were fed; 12,000 the first time and 7,000 on this occasion.

Bishop Hilary sees some spiritual applications between what occurred here on this hillside and what is done through the church to sinners he calls Gentiles. He writes: “They brought forward seven loaves of bread. The Gentiles received no salvation from the law and the prophets. However, they live because of the grace of the Spirit whose sevenfold light, as noted by Isaiah, is a gift.⁸ Therefore through faith in the Spirit the Gentiles receive salvation. They recline on the ground, for they were not subject to any works of the law or the flesh but were called in their earthly condition to the Spirit of the sevenfold light. The unspecific number of fish signifies the variety and dispensing of gifts and charisma, by which a diversity of graces satisfied the faith of the Gentiles. Moreover, the fact that seven baskets are filled indicates the overflowing and multiplied abundance of the Spirit of sevenfold light. What He generously gives, abounds. Having been satisfied, the gift becomes ever more richly endowed and full. The fact that four thousand men gather together refers to a multitude of countless people from the four corners of the earth. In terms of the future, a calculated number of people are satisfied in as many thousands of places as there are thousands of believers who hasten to receive the gift of heavenly food. Having been fully fed, the crowd is dismissed. And since the Lord remains with us all the days of our life, a great number of Gentile believers go on board the ship—namely, the church.”⁹

Verse 38: There were about 4,000 men there who ate. There were also some women and children present.

Says Theodore of Heraclea: “Jesus does this not only once but also a second time, in order that we should know His strength. This strength by which He feeds the multitudes when He wishes and without bread finds its source in His divinity. He does this in order to bring them to believe that He is the one who earlier had fed Israel for forty years in the wilderness. And Jesus not only fed them with a few loaves of bread, but He even produced a surplus of seven baskets, so that He might be shown as incomparably surpassing Elijah, who himself also caused a multiplication of the widow’s small quantity of oil and flour. Nevertheless, when Jesus produced a multiplication of seven baskets from seven loaves, He did not go beyond what was needed, lest the difference between these miracles should again be forgotten by the disciples.”¹⁰

Verse 39: After they all ate, Jesus told the people they could go home. He got into the boat and sailed to the area around Magadan.

This name “Magadan” appears only here in Matthew. However, in the Aramaic Version, we find, “Magodu” in Etheridge’s translation, and “Magdala” in Murdock’s rendering. The same story as told in Mark’s Gospel uses the term “Dalmanutha.”¹¹ When these two passages are put together, it seems fair that one refers to the region of Dalmanutha and the other to the town of Magdala in that region, since both lie on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. We find this mentioned in Jewish writings where Rabbi Yohanan talks about a farmer who “owned two courtyards, one in Magdala (also Migdal in Aramaic, as it is called today) and the other in Tiberias.”¹² Then we find these two cities mention together when Rabbi Hunah was talking about limits of walking on the Sabbath. He states that: “The Sabbath limit of Tiberias lie [within four cubits of the Sabbath limit of Magdala.”¹³

In fact, in the Jerusalem Talmud, we are told that Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai was asked by a Samaritan to remove a corpse that had been buried by an old Jew in a place it should not have been. We read that the Rabbi passed Magdala after having been in Tiberias.¹⁴ And in another place we find that the Rabbis were talking about a round trip from Tiberias to Magdala. Since the limit is 0.596 miles, that means the two were separated by about one-sixth of a mile, putting any walking back and forth on the Sabbath over the limits. Magdala lies north of Tiberias along the southwestern coast of the Sea of Galilee. We even find that a Rabbi named Isaac came from Magdala.¹⁵ Of course, for Christians, this was the home area of a woman possessed with seven demons,¹⁶ who would later become one of Jesus’ staunchest and most loyal supporters, Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene). Based on historical information, this area had a large fishing industry. But it was also well-known for the practice of magic. And just like the woman at the well in Samaria,¹⁷ this visit to Magdala was already on our Lord’s divine agenda.

One thing that any student of the life of Jesus will quickly notice is that He did nothing and went nowhere without it already being a settled part of His divine itinerary. It is like watching an oriental rug being woven where threads of different colors, seemingly selected at random, come together in an exquisite and beautiful pattern. Anyone who only reads the first part of Jesus’ life without the ending, do not get the whole picture. And the same goes for reading the end without the beginning. But let us not forget, there are future events yet to be woven into this story before it will be complete.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Part VI

Verse 27: The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces of food that fall from their master’s table.”

People from this area of Phoenicia had earned a reputation for being sharp witted. Greek philosopher and historian Eunapius once wrote: “The peculiar charm and sweetness that all Syria-Phoenicians display in general conversation allow one to see evidence that goes beyond their education. I’m talking about that quality which the people of Attica call a ‘keen sense,’ or ‘refined wit.’”¹­ Since Eunapius wrote this around 375 AD, which is reported by others to be the history of events from 270 AD, things did not change that quickly back then, so this could well be a good description one takes into consideration when evaluating this Syria-Phoenician woman’s response to Jesus.

In his sermon on this text, early church preacher Chrysostom has this to say:

See her humility as well as her faith! For He had called the Jews ‘children,’ but she was not satisfied with this. She even called them ‘masters,’ so far was she from grieving over how others were praised. She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Behold the woman’s wisdom! She did not venture so much as to say a word against anyone else. She was not stung to see others praised, nor was she indignant to be rebuked. Behold her stability. Jesus used the name dog, but she described the action of the dog. Do you see this woman’s humility?

Then compare her humility with the proud language of the Jews: ‘We are Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man.’² ‘We are born of God.’³ But not so this woman. Rather, she calls herself a dog and them masters. So, for this reason, she became a child. For what does Christ then say? ‘O woman, great is your faith.’

So we might surmise that this is the reason He put her off, in order that He might proclaim aloud this saying and that He might crown the woman: ‘Be it done for you as you desire.’ This means ‘Your faith, indeed, is able to effect even greater things than these. Nevertheless, be it unto you even as you wish.’ This voice was at one with the voice that said, ‘Let the heaven be,’ and it was.⁴

Do you also see how this woman contributed no small amount to the healing of her daughter? For note that Christ did not say, ‘Let your little daughter be made whole,’ but ‘Great is your faith, be it done for you as you desire.’ These words were not uttered at random, nor were they flattering words, but great was the power of her faith, and for our learning.

He definitely left the test and response, however, to the issue at hand. That being the case, her daughter was immediately healed.⁵

I’m certain that after the woman’s daughter was completely healed, Jesus prayed in His heart that His disciples had gotten the point. Even though the Jews were privileged to have the promise God made to Abraham, and God sent His Son to them first in order to deliver the message of salvation, Jesus did not want their refusal to accept Him derail the mission He came to perform. Eventually, even those who the Jews did not feel were originally included in the promise would be invited to partake and be blessed. So, woe to the Jews if they continued to deny Him as the Messiah, the Anointed One, who came to save them. There was a lost and dying world out there waiting for a Savior to come.

What strikes me is the similarity today between the churches and the unconverted world. Many in the church feel that the Bible, salvation, a holy life and the promise of the resurrection and heaven are meant only for them. As such, they have become proud of their status and look down on those around them who are not members of their elite group. But Jesus came to save all mankind, and that includes Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. So we should not be surprised to hear that the good news of salvation through Christ Jesus is already having a huge impact on them.

Verse 28: Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! You will get what you asked for.” And right then the woman’s daughter was healed.

Before Jesus made this trip, He had been in Nazareth⁶ and the surrounding area in Galilee⁷ before sailing to the plain of Gennesaret on the southwest side of the Sea of Galilee.⁸ But He had another mission in mind. So he makes the three-mile trip home to Capernaum before going northwest toward the area known as Lebanon today, some 50 miles away. The average walk in one eight hour day, without many stops, would transport a person some 20 miles. So this journey by Jesus and His disciples took three days at the very least. Now, this was out of His usual ministry circuit so He must have had a reason for going there, just like He did in visiting Jacob’s well in Samaria.

But His reputation had preceded Him, and that’s why this non-Jewish woman ran toward His entourage and called out to Him, “Lord,” and “Son of David.” She also attributed her daughter’s illness to a curse from the gods. As we already read, the Master did not show her any attention, even though she kept pleading with for help. Finally, His disciples became aggravated enough with her nagging that they appealed to Jesus that she be sent away. But when she insisted on running ahead and stopping Him in His tracks, He dismissed her with a kind rebuke. Again He used figurative language, but she got the point. This is where her wit, courage and faith combined to give Him an insightful reply.

I have no doubt that this was specially designed to teach His disciples how to discern the difference between favor and faith. Our Lord had already declined to do her a favor, but He could not resist her faith. So in an instant, the demon was exorcised and her daughter became normal. It is worth noting that Jesus referred to the “lost sheep” of Israel. This was His primary mission. With the Temple in Jerusalem so far away, and synagogues having been turned into schools and the gathering of the elite, many had lost all contact with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

There were reports even before Jesus came that they had turned to idols and erected altars to the gods of the Canaanites who they were supposed to have driven out, back in Joshua’s day. God lamented to Ezekiel, “And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal, so they were scattered. My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My flock was scattered over all the face of the earth. There was no one to search or to look for them.”⁹ But He also told the prophet, “I will search for the lost sheep. I will bring back the sheep that were scattered and put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. I will make the weak sheep strong…Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant out of David. He will feed them and be their shepherd. Then I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant out of David will be the ruler living among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.”¹⁰ So that’s who Jesus said He was searching for.

Many miss the significance of the meaning that lies herein as being relevant to our day. Both theologically and effectively, the church has replaced Israel as the propagator of the Gospel under the New Covenant. Therefore, Christians today fill the same position as Jews did in Christ’s day while the unsaved world today can be likened to the Gentiles back then. Using this analogy in the context of what happened here, we could say that Christ’s power is made available exclusively for Christians to benefit from. However, if back then, a Gentile (an unsaved sinner today) were to believe even as the Canaanite woman did on this occasion, their faith will be likewise rewarded by God.

If this is so, how much more should we believe, trust, lean and call upon the miracle-working power of Christ for unbelievers to see that Christ’s power is real, as well as believers. I’ve had people come forward for healing in an evangelistic service, but I did not first ask them, “Are you a Christian?” I left that discretion up to the Great Healer, just as in this case. Many times after receiving a healing touch, they wanted Christ to live in their hearts as Lord and Savior.

Verses 29-30: Then Jesus went from there back to the shores of Lake Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat down. A large crowd of people came to Him. They brought many other sick people and placed them in front of Him. There were people who could not walk, people who were blind, crippled, or deaf, and many others. Jesus healed them all.

Now Jesus makes the three-day trip back to familiar territory. He arrived in an area where the slopes of a hill ran down to the banks of the lake. With the word spreading quickly that He was back in the area, people came out by the hundreds, bringing their sick relatives and family members to be healed. Matthew is quick to account for their illnesses: paralytics, blind, crippled, deaf, and mutes. Jesus did not allow one of them to return home unhealed. It is correct to note that they did not give thanks to Jesus, but to the God of Israel for their healing.

The wording of this verse implies that Jesus had already made up His mind where He was headed. It seems that He was familiar with this place. And since the only marker we are given is the shore of Lake Galilee, there is a possibility that He revisited the spot where the feeding of the 5,000 recently took place. So in order for the next verse to fit what occurred, either after His arrival word began to spread and people started flocking to the area, or, somehow the word had gone on before Him and they were there when He arrived. In either case, it shows the power of His personality to draw such a crowd without advertising and months of prior planning.

In his sermon, Chrysostom offers this thought for the hearer to contemplate: “Now Jesus goes to the mountain awaiting those who are diseased. The lame are brought up the mountainside. They are no longer merely touching the edge of His garment. They have advanced to a higher step. They are being brought to His feet! Therein they are showing their faith doubly, first by struggling up the mountainside even though lame, then by wanting nothing more than to be cast at His feet.”¹¹

This feeding is not to be confused as a second telling of the original miracle.¹² First of all, Matthew only says that it occurred on the shores of Lake Galilee. Secondly, there is no mention of a small boy’s lunch, but the bread and fish here belonged to the disciples. Thirdly, only seven baskets of leftovers were collected here. Fourthly, the crowd here only numbers 4,000 plus women and children. Fifthly, it was three days after Jesus arrived that this miracle was performed. Sixthly, Jesus departed to a different destination without encountering any storm. And lastly, Jesus Himself distinguishes between the two events.¹³

When early church scholar Origen read this story, he had the following to say: “Think of this mountain to which Jesus went up and sat down, as the church. It has been set up through the word of God over the rest of the world, and all sorts of people come to it. To this assembly have come not only the disciples, as if they were leaving behind the multitudes, as they did in the case of the Beatitudes. Rather, there are great crowds here, many of whom are deaf or suffer from many afflictions. Look at the crowds who come to this mountain where the Son of God sits. Some of them have become deaf to the things that have been promised. Others have become blind in their soul, not looking toward the true light. Others are lame and not able to walk according to reason. Others are maimed and unable to work profitably. Each of these who are suffering in soul from such things ascends along with the multitudes into the mountain where Jesus sits. Some who do not draw near to the feet of Jesus are not healed. But those who are brought by the multitude and cast at His feet are being healed. Even those who come only to the edges, just the extremities of the body of Christ, who feel unworthy to obtain such things, are being healed. So now you come into the congregation of what is more commonly called the church.”¹⁴

It appears that by 200 AD the church viewed itself as a place where people could come to meet Jesus. The same healing power was available to those who were willing to put forth the effort to arrive where the church doors opened. I know it is hard for us in this modern world to envision operating in the world the same way they did in Paul’s day and then later in the Early Church era. But in some cases, the congregations have adopted this same approach that Jesus used. In many cities, churches have established a presence by feeding the poor and homeless who come to their doors. And while they are there, they take the opportunity to pray for both their physical and spiritual healing.

Verse 31: People were amazed when they saw that those who could not speak were now able to speak. Crippled people were made strong. Those who could not walk were now able to walk. The blind were able to see. Everyone thanked the God of Israel for this.

Isaiah had foreseen this, “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened so that they can see, and the ears of the deaf will be opened so that they can hear. Crippled people will dance like deer, and those who cannot speak now will use their voices to sing happy songs.”¹⁵ Again I am reminded, that these wonders are not individually noted in the usual list we find in a Bible Encyclopedia on the miracles of Jesus. The last chart I saw only listed twenty-eight. I’m sure the real number is much, much larger than that. But the greatest miracles of all are those who wandered in were brought out of darkness into His marvelous light to become children of the Most High God. That number is in the billions.

Chrysostom asks us to remember how long Jesus had delayed healing the Canaanite woman. But now He heals these people immediately. This is not because they were better than she; indeed, she was more faithful than they. In her case, He defers and delays in order to manifest her stability. In the case of these, He bestows the gift immediately to shut the mouths of critics and take away from them every excuse. For the greater the favors one has received, the more one is held accountable and liable if unresponsive. This is why we see the rich turning more wicked and being more severely punished than the poor. Why? Their hearts have not been softened, not even by their prosperity.¹⁶

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Part V

Verse 21: Jesus then departed from there and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon.

Most scholars believe that Jesus only went as far as the border between Israel and Phoenicia. Like John the Baptizer, it appears that our Lord set up a camp where He could teach and minister. Some also see this as the first test of how our Lord’s ministry would be received by non-Jews. So, as word spread more and more people came to be healed and ministered to.

This would be about a 50-mile walk from Capernaum to the Sidon district, taking Jesus and His disciples in the Northwest direction. Their walk took them over hills and valleys. Based on their speed and number of stops, this must have taken them at least three to four days. It is important to note, that Matthew includes both cities, Tyre to the south and Sidon to the north in what is Lebanon today. Below Tyre the area was called Syria. But between the two cities, it was referred to as Phoenicia. But just like the women at the well in Samaria, even so here Jesus did not do this for exercise, He was driven because of a divine appointment made by the Father.

While the exact spot where Jesus and His disciples stopped to set up camp is not named, many Bible scholars believe that it was close to the area of Hazor. Hazor is the largest biblical-era site in Israel, covering some 200 acres. The population of Hazor in the second millennium BC is estimated to have been about 20,000, making it the largest and most important city in the entire region. This is where Joshua had one of his biggest battles.¹ So this was not some out-of-the-way place where Jesus went to minister.

Aerial view from the southeast of excavated ruins of the upper city of Hazor

Verse 22: A Canaanite woman from the area to the east came out and began shouting, “Master, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon inside her, and she is suffering very much.”

Early church writer Epiphanius gives us his impression of what happened here. He writes: “O great mystery! The Lord came out from the Jews, and the woman came out from her Gentile territory. He left the Jews behind, and the woman left behind idolatry and an impious lifestyle. What they had lost, she found. The One whom they had denied in the law, she professed through her faith. This woman is the symbol of the Gentiles, and she knew Christ through faith. Thus on behalf of her daughter, (the Gentile people), she entreated the Lord. The daughter had been led astray by idolatry and sin and was severely possessed by a demon.”²

This may have been the view of some in the 5th-century church such as Epiphanius the Latin,³ but what our Lord told this lady does not seem to support the idea that He was leaving behind His ministry to the Jews and was now reaching out to the Gentiles. That would come later through the apostle Paul. What most scholars believe that Christ came here to do, was to show the Jews how physically near they were to God in the flesh walking among them, but how far they were in their hearts while the Gentiles were physically far from communion with God through His Son but so close in their hearts.

Augustine of Hippo offers commentary on this text in one of his sermons. He says: “She was apparently not from the people of Israel, from whom came the patriarchs, the prophets and the parents of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh; from whom came the Virgin Mary, who brought forth Christ. Clearly this woman was not from that people but from the Gentiles. For, as we read, the Lord withdrew into the regions of Tyre and Sidon; and then the Canaanite woman, having gone beyond those borders, insistently sought help to heal her daughter who was beset by the devil. Tyre and Sidon were not cities of the people of Israel but of the Gentiles, although they were close to that people. She, therefore, cried out, eager to get help, and kept insisting. But she was ignored, not that mercy might be denied but that desire might be kindled; not only that desire might be kindled but, as I said before, that humility might be praised.”⁴

Bishop Hilary in the 4^th century sees this woman’s involvement with Jesus as follows: “To grasp the inner motive of the Canaanite woman for obtaining what came to pass, we must reflect on the impact of her words. There is a firm belief that there was and still is in Israel a community of proselytes who passed over from the Gentiles into the works of the law. They had left behind their previous life and were bonded by the religion of a foreign and dominating law as though from home. And since a portion of those among the crowds who believed were proselytes, this Canaanite woman most likely had left her territory, preferring the status of a proselyte—that is, coming out from the Gentiles to the community of a neighboring people. She was appealing on behalf of her daughter, who was a type of all the Gentile people. And since she knew the Lord from the law, she addressed Him as Son of David. For in the law, the king of the eternal and heavenly kingdom is referred to as the ‘rod out of the stem of Jesse and the son of David.’⁵ This woman, who professed Christ as both Lord and Son of David, did not need any healing. Rather, she was begging for help for her daughter—that is, the Gentile people in the grips of unclean spirits.”⁶

Although they were in the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, which was known as Phoenicia, the Jewish text calls her, “A woman from Kena’an (Canaan),” as does the Aramaic Version. It is possible that this reference comes from the way these people are described by Joshua: “The Canaanites living by the Mediterranean Sea.”⁷ Thus, in Mark’s Gospel, we find her listed as: “The woman was a Greek, by birth a Syro-phoenician.”⁸ This is the same designation used by a Greek writer, who refers to: “the grandson of the daughter of a certain Syrophenician merchant, named Kadmus.”⁹ So, Matthew has the proper cultural identification of this woman seeking help from Jesus.

Chrysostom gives his opinion on what may have brought about this encounter between the Jewish Messiah and a Gentile woman. He writes: “If anyone should say, Why then does Jesus allow this woman to approach Him when He says to the disciples, ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles?’¹⁰ We first note that He Himself, being who He is, was not, strictly speaking, required to obey the command that He gave to the disciples. We observe, second, that Jesus was not going there to preach. This is the very point that Mark implies when he says both that Jesus hid and that He could not escape notice. The fact that He did not run to them first was consistent with the order of the tasks set before Him. In exactly the same way, driving away people who were coming to Him was unworthy of His love for humanity. For if one should pursue those who are trying to escape, much more should one not try to escape those who are pursuing.”¹¹

Verses 23-24: But Jesus did not respond to her. So the followers came to Him and said, “Tell her to go away. She keeps crying out and will not leave us alone.” Jesus answered, “God sent me only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

At first glance, this reaction by Jesus to the woman’s pleas for her daughter may seem somewhat coldhearted and uncaring. But our Lord had a purpose in mind, and what better way of attracting attention than to act differently than usual. Jesus was always so open, so loving, and so caring, I’m sure His sudden aloofness caught His disciples by surprise. Apparently His lack of response was not enough for her to give up and go back home, so she followed behind the disciples and continued to beg them to get Jesus to stop and listen to her. They, in turn, approached Jesus and begged Him to send her away. Again, the Lord kept His eyes on the road and spoke firmly without making eye contact, telling them that His father sent Him to find the lost sheep of Israel.

Epiphanius gives us his interpretation of what was going on in Jesus’ mind. He writes: “It was not that the Lord was unwilling to heal her but that He might reveal her great faith and humility. Then the disciples were moved to mercy and pleaded with the Lord, saying, ‘Send her away, for she is crying after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ Now He said this to the crowd of Jews that they might have no excuse on the day of judgment when they might pretend to say, ‘He wanted to come to the Gentiles rather than to us.’”¹²

Verses 25-26: Then the woman ran up in front of Jesus and bowed before Him. She said, “Lord, help me!” He answered her with this saying: “It is not right to take away the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.”

Jesus’ use of the word “dogs” here was in no way meant as a derogatory put down. Our Lord was only using the vernacular of His day which this lady would understand so as not to be insulted. That’s why she answered in such a coy and respectful way. One polemic Jewish writer finds this exchange between Jesus and the non-Jewish woman a great opportunity to go ad hominem on the Master: “Now, with regard to Jesus’ answer…that He came to the world only to forgive the transgressions of Jewish sinners, why did He cause them to sin and to stumble and to be blinded if He really came to forgive and pardon Israel (for they did indeed stumble as a result of his death)? Was there no other nation He could cause to stumble except the one which He had come to save and redeem? Moreover, regarding His statement to the Canaanite woman that ‘it is not righto steal bread from the children and give it to the dogs,’ what He must have meant by this metaphor is, ‘It is not right that I should steal the kindness which I have to perform for the Jews and give it to other nations,’ i.e., to this Canaanite who is called a dog.”¹³

It is crystal clear that this critic completely dismisses God’s promise to Eve, Abraham, and to others spoken of by Isaiah, all because he is unable or unwilling to accept Jesus as the one God talked about. We find that, for the most part, Jews did not consider non-Jews as human beings equal to themselves, but more closely identified them with animals. Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai once said: “Contact with the graves of Gentiles do not defile us, for it is written, And you my flock, the flock of my pastures, are men;¹⁴ only you are designated as ‘men’.”¹⁵ One Jewish commentator puts this same thought in a cryptic way by saying: “Another reason why God created only a single human being is to foster peace among His creatures, none being able to say that they are superior to others by birth, seeing they all are traced back to the same Adam. Yet another reason is to prevent the Gentiles from claiming that there are several Divine powers competing with one another in the heavens.”¹⁶

To make sense out of all this, the commentator mentions in the previous paragraph that only Jews are human beings. Therefore, when the same God made Gentiles, He did so as part of the animal world. This would bar Gentiles from claiming they also were made by a God in His image. Such thinking would require more than one God. Another venerable Rabbi made these comments on the subject: “Since the idol-worshiping nations are likened to bulls, rams, and goats, as it is said “Many bulls surrounded me, etc.,”¹⁷ and Scripture states: “The ram that you saw, the one with horns, represents the kings of Media and Persia,”¹⁸ and Scripture states: “And the he-goat is the king of Greece.”¹⁹ And the Israelites are likened to young doves, as it is said: “My dove, in the clefts of the rock.”²⁰ Therefore, he divided the animals, as an allusion that the nations will gradually perish. ‘But He did not divide the bird,’²¹ as an allusion that Israel will exist forever.”²²

This same thought was echoed in the writings of another esteemed Rabbi.²³ And in a paraphrase of a psalm of David we read: “The Gentiles have surrounded me, who are like many bulls; the princes of Mathnan have hemmed me in. They open their mouths at me like a roaring and ravaging lion.”²⁴ And one Rabbi, when talking about a female Canaanite maid, has even less kind words to say: “The Scripture say: ‘ You stay here with the donkey’²⁵ – these people are like donkeys.”²⁶ Another Jewish translator gives a more graphic rendering of this verse: “Sit here with the donkey.”²⁷ But Rabbi Eliezer takes it one step further by saying: “Every child in the womb of a heathen bondmaid is like the young in an animal’s womb.”²⁸ Not only that, but in the footnotes they explain: “Children born to Gentile woman have no kinship with the male father.”²⁹

But the one that comes the closest, is an old Jewish story told by Rabbi Abraham Saba, one that Jesus may have been familiar with. It reads like this: “A king provided a dinner for the children of his house; as long as they do his will they can eat their meal with the king, and he gives to the dogs the part of bones to gnaw; but when the children of the house do not do the king’s pleasure, he gives the dogs the dinner, and the bones to them: even so: while the Israelites do the will of their Lord, they eat at the king’s table, and the feast is provided for them, and they of their own will give the bones to the Gentiles; but when they do not do the will of their Lord, lo! the feast is, ‘for the dogs‘, and the bones are theirs””³⁰

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R. Seyda

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Part IV

Verses 15-16: Peter then said, “Explain to us what you said earlier to the people.” Jesus replied, “Do you still have trouble understanding?”

Just when our Lord thought He had explained it clearly and sensibly enough for anyone to comprehend, His own disciples disappointed Him. Their question may have reminded our Lord of what the people of Israel said about His heavenly Father’s teaching: “Who does He think He is trying to teach and explain His message to? Does He think we are babies who were at their mother’s breast only a very short time ago? He speaks to us as though we are infants.”¹ It wasn’t that Jesus’ message was too hard, but that they were too simple to grasp its deeper meaning.

Thank goodness for Peter’s willingness to overcome pride, and with humility ask the Master, “Please explain.” It may not be that Peter was so dense as not to grasp the meaning of the parable, but having had so many parables to assimilate, and most often not understanding the principle spiritual message, he did not want to miss getting the point of another one. Sadly, there are too many believers today who walk out of church or a Bible study not fully discerning the true meaning of what was taught, but are either in too big of a hurry to get somewhere else, or too big in their egos to ask for a clearer explanation, or don’t think it is important, or even lack any interest in seeing the whole picture.

One Patriarch of the early church in Egypt had this to say: “Without understanding is what the Lord calls those who, like the Pharisees, make a fuss about external matters and have not yet discovered the inner life. Therefore, Jesus says, foods have to do with filling up the body, but they do not reach into the heart.”² In other words, too often people are so concerned about those things that only benefit them temporarily that they ignore those things that have an everlasting effect. Do you know how many books have been written since the time of Christ? I would imagine the count runs into the billions. So why then, is the Bible still the top selling book year after year? Because it deals with ageless things.

Verse 17: Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body as waste.

Now the Master turns to something even the most uneducated person would understand, the human digestive system. Only, in this case, He says that what people feed their minds will come out of their mouths as verbal regurgitation. Jesus was not trying to be a gastroenterologist, dietitian, or nutritionist, but simply pointing out that the food we eat is only with us for a short time. It’s those things we mentally ingest that contribute to the way we think and speak, act and react for years. They come into the body by way of the eyes and ears with connections to our heart, mind, body, soul and spirit, which then provide nutrition for our thoughts, intentions, feelings, and emotions. As such, they are critical in helping us remain mentally, morally, and spiritually healthy.

One early church theologian has this to say: “The Pharisees, as Peter made clear, begrudgingly grasped the opinion of the Lord which says, ‘It is not what enters the mouth that defiles a man.’ God indicated through Moses long ago that not everything about the use of food must be considered clean. He declared that certain things were clean and other things were unclean. But now we must ask why God prohibited the people long ago from eating these things. Since all things created by God to be used as human food were blessed at the very beginning and they remain no less so by their very nature, why is it that divine law later prescribed to the Jewish people certain things as lawful for eating because they were clean and certain things as unlawful because they were unclean?”³

Since that is true of food, our Lord is attempting to teach those who are listening that the same principle applies to what we read and hear. Theologian Chromatius goes on to say: “First, precepts of this type were given by the Lord because of the indiscriminate and immoderate appetite of the people. For since they were overly concerned with eating and drinking, these people began to overlook God’s precepts. They made for themselves a molten calf in Horeb, about which it was written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’⁴ Those necessary things were forbidden by the Lord, so that with the best food having been denied and their immoderate appetites declared unhealthy, the people might abide more easily by the discipline of divine observance. It was only after their disobedience with the molten calf that we find those things were prohibited.”⁵

Chromatius then finishes his thought: “Concerning them, as though to rebuke these stiff-necked people [the Pharisees], the Lord made a mild and merciful declaration: ‘They will be unclean to you.’ Not that they are in themselves unclean, but ‘shall be.’ Nor did He say ‘to all’ but ‘to you.’ He thus made it clear that neither were they unclean nor would they be unclean to people other than themselves. And certainly they deserved this prohibition of many foods, for these people preferred the foods of Egypt, as well as cucumbers and muskmelons, to heavenly manna.”⁶

Why is it that parents are all too willing to warn their children not to touch a hot stove, or run with a knife or fork in their hands, or pick up a spider, or cross the street without first looking both ways, but are so reluctant to issue the same warnings when it comes to music, movies, books, TV programming, the internet, and cell phone texting? The first items mentioned may cause physical injury, and some may even be fatal, but the latter ones can impair and destroy what might be their potential for the future. I remember as a child that most Pentecostals were against the use of tobacco. While some of their own members were tobacco farmers, they pointed to other uses of this plant such as being great for repelling insects in kitchen gardens, and peach trees, garden centipedes, gophers and moles, spiders.

The American Indian used tobacco for skin rashes, Eczema and rheumatism, toothaches, rattlesnake and insect bites and the common cold. In fact, in India tobacco is used as toothpaste. And in the USA, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, those that suffer from mental disorders such as ADHD/ADD, schizophrenia, and other disorders may experience positive effects from smoking. Apparently, doses of nicotine have a short term normalization effect on the EEG (electrical activity in the brain). Also, those that suffer from Alzheimer’s can also benefit from doses of nicotine. According to studies, patients cognitive abilities slightly improved.

Nevertheless, it turns out that this stance against using tobacco for recreational uses, because it was addictive, and that it was a large contributor to lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and heart disease, was a healthy choice. Tobacco use can also trigger strokes, asthma attacks, and effect a women’s reproductive process which produces premature babies enhances the risk of type 2 diabetes, cause blindness, cataracts, age-related Macular degeneration, as well as causing colon, cervix, liver, stomach and pancreatic cancer. So these Pentecostals were saying much the same as what Moses told the Israelites, these things may be good for some purposes, but they are not good for you. And what is said of tobacco, can also be said of drugs and alcohol.

So the point here is that this illustration of what causes physical harm can be used to show what causes spiritual and moral harm. What children see on TV today as everyday fare, years ago could have only been seen in pornographic magazines and movie theaters. The vulgar language and words or phrases that have two meanings, one of which is risqué or indecent, employed by TV late night hosts now were once only heard in bars and brothels. When a child grows up thinking that this is “normal,” its no wonder then that it is carried into both school and Sunday school. Is this new? Jesus knew it way back then

Verse 18: That’s why the bad things people say with their mouth comes from the way they think. And that’s what gives people a filthy mind.

Early church preacher Chrysostom makes this comment: “Note how sharply Jesus deals with them and how He delivers His rebuke. He rebukes with a view to their cure. He appeals to our common human nature when He says, ‘Whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and so passes on.’ Even if it did abide for a while, it would not make one unclean. Yet they were not able to hear this. Because of this, the lawgiver allows just so much time for the law to have effect. After it has gone through one’s system, it is dispelled. At evening, He asks you to wash yourself and so be clean. The time of digesting and excreting is a limited time. But in matters of the heart, they stay inside. He is not making a refutation of the goodness of the nature of things. Rather, Jesus is speaking of the difference between what proceeds from the stomach and what proceeds from the heart. One does not remain; the other does. One enters in from the outside. The other goes out from the inside, and having gone forth it may defile, and the more it goes out the more it defiles. They were not yet able to be taught these things.”⁷

We’ve all no doubt heard the statement: “Actions speak louder than words.” In European literature, we can trace this back to French writer Michel de Montaigne, who, in his work called “Essays,” makes the statement: “Saying is one thing and doing is another.”⁸ But our Lord is one step ahead. He is making the point that “Thinking it is one thing, and saying it is another.” Most of us edit what we think before we say it, except for those spur-of-the-moment comments we wish we could take back seconds after we’ve said them. But the main point is that these sayings are not random or impromptu without any source. They all come from what is hidden in our hearts and minds. In examining these thoughts and ideas it can easily prove what we are, not what we say we are. I’ve even heard of preachers using bad language from behind the pulpit, and then trying to apologize by saying they didn’t know where it came from.

Church historian Jerome makes this point: “Out of the heart, Jesus said, come evil thoughts. Therefore, the soul or principle of action is not in the brain, according to Plato, but in the heart, according to Christ. On this point, those who believe that thoughts are introduced by the devil and do not originate from our own will are to be repudiated. The devil can aid and abet evil thoughts but he cannot originate them, even though, ever lying in wait, he kindles a small spark of our thoughts with his matches. We must not hold the opinion that the devil can also probe the depths of our heart. However, he can judge from our demeanor and gestures what we are thinking about. For example, if he sees us gazing often at a beautiful woman, he surmises that our heart has been wounded with the dart of lust.”⁹

Verses 19-20: All these bad things begin in the mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, and insulting people. These are the things that make people unfit. Eating without washing their hands will never make people unacceptable to God.

This echoes the old saying: “Bad things come out of bad people.”¹⁰ We find this same proverb quoted in Jewish literature that has been around since the time of the exile.¹¹ Solomon also gives us a list of traits that such people usually possess in varying degrees: “The Lord hates these seven things: eyes that show pride, tongues that tell lies, hands that kill innocent people, hearts that plan evil things to do, feet that run to do evil, witnesses in court who tell lies, and anyone who causes family members to fight.”¹² Then we read: “Good people know the right things to say, but the wicked say things to provoke others.”¹³ Followed by: “Listening to wise people increases your knowledge, but only nonsense comes from the mouths of fools,”¹⁴ and then: “Good people think before they speak, but the wicked do not, and what they do say causes conflict.”¹⁵

So it is clear, Jesus had these people figured out. But even more so, because He knew not only the objects of their wickedness, but also the source of their evil intent. It all comes from the heart, says our Lord. Was this new? Did it only occur in Jesus’ generation? No! We are told: “The LORD saw that the people on the earth were very evil. He saw that they thought only about evil things all the time.”¹⁶ When does this start? We are told: “People have bad tendencies from the time they are young.”¹⁷ The Scripture tells us that God’s knows this, but it takes a long time before a person comes to the same conclusion.

As a father, I never had cause to teach my children how to get mad, roll on the floor and throw a temper tantrum, or lie when they were asked if they broke something, or ate from the cookie jar when they were told not to. And I did not have to wait until they reached their teens to see this develop. Solomon must have faced the same thing because his instructions were this: “Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.”¹⁸ So this wise man had some advice for parents, “Children do foolish things, but if you punish them, they will learn not to do them.”¹⁹ This is important because he goes on to say, “Foolish plans are wrong, and people have no respect for someone who laughs at what is right.”²⁰

Jesus knew who He was dealing with, and He was very much aware of what God said to the prophet Jeremiah, “Nothing can hide its evil as well as the human mind. It can be very sick, and no one really understands it. But I am the LORD, and I can look into a person’s heart.”²¹ These scribes, Pharisees, and other religious leaders were too blind to see that the One standing before them had this same power. Had they realized this, they no doubt would have heeded what Isaiah had to say, “Evil people should stop living evil lives. They should stop thinking bad thoughts. They should come to the Lord again, and He will comfort them. They should come to our God because He will freely forgive them.”²²