Matthew 15: Command versus Tradition; Feeding of Four Thousand.

Matthew 15: Command versus Tradition; Feeding of Four Thousand.

Collin Leong; April 22, 2025

(v1-20) Command verses Tradition

(1-3)  Some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked Him why His disciples break the tradition of elders when they did not wash their hands before they eat. Jesus asked them back, why did they break the command of God for the sake of their tradition? 

(4-6) For God said to honor your father and mother, and anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. But their tradition said that anything you declare to be devoted to God, then you are not to honor their father and mother with it. Thus they are nullify the word of God for the sake of their tradition. 

In their tradition, resources devoted to God is called "Corban." They can verbally declare that a specific assets are “corban” to the religious authorities and recorded in temple records. Then the asset is considered sacred and off-limits for ordinary use. Many times the “dedication” is not fulfilled and the owner use them for his own purpose. 

This declaration effectively exempted them from using those resources, such as money, to support their parents, even if their parents were in need. The key issue here is not the act of devoting resources to God, but the misuse of this tradition to avoid fulfilling moral and familial responsibilities.

(v7-9) Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 which says: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ 

Isaiah 29:13 has slight changes in the translated words. This is because the wording in Matthew reflects the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), which was commonly used during Jesus' time. Isaiah, on the other hand, is based on the original Hebrew text.

(v10-14) Jesus told the crowd to understand that what goes into the mouth does not defile them, but it is what comes out from the mouth that defiles them. The disciples came to Him and told Him that the Pharisees were offended when they heard what Jesus said.  Jesus replied that every plant that the Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. He said to ignore the Pharisees as they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. 

The Jewish law, as outlined in the Torah, prohibits eating certain animals, including pigs, as part of dietary laws designed to maintain ritual purity (Leviticus 11). Jesus is not abolishing the dietary law, but he is shifting the focus from external adherence to dietary laws to the internal state of a person's heart and actions. (Abolishing the dietary law was done later in Acts 10)

(v15-16)  Peter asked Jesus to explain the parable to them. Jesus was disappointed with His disciples and asked if they are still so dull. In ESV, it was translated as "Are you also still without understanding?"  While he was disappointed, he is also encouraging them to think beyond surface-level interpretations. This interaction shows Jesus' patience and commitment to helping His disciples grow spiritually, even when they were slow to understand.

(v17-20)  Jesus explained that whatever goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is expelled. But the things that come out of a person mouth is from the heart. Out of the heart comes evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. 

They were thought that they can worship God by being being physically "clean" through the dietary rituals and washing their hands. But Jesus is telling them that this is not enough, and that it is more important to be spiritually and mentally clean. True worship is not just about external actions but also about the internal condition of the heart. Jesus highlights that harboring unresolved conflicts and anger hinders genuine worship. Reconciliation aligns one's heart with God's will, making worship more sincere and meaningful.

(v21-28)  The Faith of a Canaanite Woman (Mark 7:24-30)

(v21)  Jesus left Galilee towards the gentile region of Tyre and Sidon. These are ancient Phoenician cities located in modern-day Lebanon. 

(v22-24)  A Canaanite woman came to him, crying "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly." Jesus did not answer her. The disciples asked Him to send her away, as she were very persistent. Then Jesus answered that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. 

While NIV did not say who he is answering to, most think that she is answering to both his disciples and the Canaanite woman. (See NLT which indicate he was speaking to the woman.)

(v25-28) The woman knelt before him, asking for His help again. Jesus replied and said: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”   The woman agreed with Jesus' metaphor, but also said that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus said to her that she has great faith, and granted her request. Her daughter was healed at that moment. 

It may have sound like Jesus used a racist word, using "dogs" as the metaphor for Canaanites. However the culture of the Jews at that time was they consider all gentiles as "dogs."  The exact word Jesus used here, in Greek, was kunarion, meaning “small dog” or “pet dog.” This is a completely different word from the term kuon, used to refer to unspiritual people or to an “unclean” animal. 

Jesus' purpose was to test the Canaanite woman, and to change the attitude of his disciples who had rejected her and asked Jesus to tell the woman to leave. The woman passed the test, for she did not argue, but humble herself to ask for the crumbs that falls from the master's table. Her persistency and faith gained approval from Jesus who healed her daughter.  The disciples experienced a mind-shift, when they saw how Jesus had mercy and gave grace to a gentile.

(v29-39)  Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand (Mark 8:1-10)

(v29-31) Jesus left the gentile region and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain side and sat down. Great crowds came to him bringing the disabled (lame, blind, crippled, mute and others) and He healed them. The people were amazed and what Jesus has done and they praised the God of Israel. 

(v32-33) Jesus told His disciples that He has compassion for these people, and they have been following me for three days and have nothing to eat. He did not want them to send them away, or they may collapse on the way.  The disciples asked where can they get enough bread in the remote place for such a crowd. 

(v34-38) Jesus asked them how many loaves they have, and they said they have seven loaves and a few small fish. Jesus told the crowd to sit on the ground and gave thanks for the small amount of food. He broke them and gave it to his disciples, who distributed them to the people. After they have eaten, the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of left over. The number of people were four thousand men, excluding woman and children. 

I found it strange that the disciples asked the same question that they did when Jesus fed 5000 men with five loaves and two fish. (Matthew 14). Is it because they have forgotten what had happened? Or is it they doubt Jesus can do it again? Whatever it is, they faith is still developing and Jesus is still in the process of teaching them they need to depend on Him, now and in future when He ascend to heaven. 

Sometimes we also have the same attitude, that we keep doubting God when He had already helped us and answer our prayers in the past. Joseph Bayly, a Christian author and publisher, once said: "Don't doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light,"

(v39) After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into a boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.