Matthew15

Jesus confronts the Pharisees regarding their traditions, asserting that internal defilement from the heart, not external rituals, truly pollutes a man. He then travels to Tyre and Sidon, where He commends the great faith of a Canaanite woman and heals her daughter. Returning to Galilee, Jesus performs numerous healings and miraculously feeds four thousand people with seven loaves and a few fishes.

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Tradition vs. God's Command

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

What Truly Defiles a Person

Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.

A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.

Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.

“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.

Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.

The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”

The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”

“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

A total of four thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.

After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Study Notes for Matthew 15

Verse 1

This confrontation identifies Jesus' most powerful opposition: Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, the center of religious authority, who challenge Jesus' interpretation of purity laws.

Verse 2

The 'tradition of the elders' refers to the oral law, later codified in the Mishnah. This ritual washing was for ceremonial purity before meals, considered binding by the religious elite, but not explicitly mandated in the Torah.

Verse 3

Jesus turns the accusation back on them, establishing the critical distinction between divine written law ('commandment of God') and humanly devised regulations ('your tradition').

Verse 5

This verse describes the practice of *Corban* (a gift dedicated to God). By dedicating funds, a person could circumvent the responsibility of supporting their parents, thereby violating the Fifth Commandment.

Verse 6

Jesus asserts that their legalistic system prioritized human tradition and personal gain over the clear moral demands of the Torah, demonstrating their hypocrisy.

Verse 8

Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13, diagnosing the root issue: the Pharisees were focused on external observance and outward piety while lacking genuine internal commitment to God.

Verse 10

Jesus shifts the teaching from the religious leaders to the common people, emphasizing that spiritual truth requires internal understanding ('Hear, and understand').

Verse 11

This radical statement challenges centuries of Jewish dietary and purity laws, establishing that moral purity is internal (from the heart) rather than external or ritualistic (from food or physical contact).

Verse 12

The disciples recognize the political danger of Jesus' teaching, as challenging the traditions of the elders was seen as an attack on the authority of the religious establishment.

Verse 13

This metaphor suggests that the Pharisees' teachings and authority structure are not divinely instituted and will ultimately be uprooted and destroyed.

Verse 14

Jesus instructs the disciples to ignore the Pharisees, calling them 'blind leaders.' This is a strong condemnation of their spiritual guidance, indicating they lead their followers toward spiritual ruin.

Verse 17

Jesus explains the physiological fact that food is temporary and processed by the body, thus it cannot affect the soul's purity or defile a person spiritually.

Verse 18

The things that truly defile (evil actions and words) originate in the heart, which the Bible understands as the seat of will, intellect, and moral character.

Verse 19

This catalog of sins demonstrates the corrupted state of the human heart, contrasting sharply with the external ritual concerns over unwashed hands.

Verse 21

Jesus intentionally moves outside Jewish territory into the Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon, signaling the future expansion of his ministry beyond Israel’s borders.

Verse 22

Calling Jesus 'Lord, thou Son of David' is a Messianic title, significant because it comes from a Gentile woman (a Canaanite, descended from Israel’s ancient enemies).

Verse 23

Jesus’ initial silence and refusal test the woman's faith and highlight the primary, immediate focus of his earthly ministry: the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel' (v. 24).

Verse 26

The term 'dogs' (Greek: *kynaria*) is a diminutive, meaning 'little dogs' or household pets. This softens the comparison while maintaining the priority of Israel ('the children') in the plan of salvation.

Verse 27

Her humble and persistent reply shows profound faith. She accepts her subordinate status yet argues for the availability of God’s grace even to outsiders.

Verse 28

Jesus praises her 'great faith,' a rare commendation, demonstrating that sincere faith transcends ethnic and religious boundaries and secures God's blessing.

Verse 29

Jesus returns to the Sea of Galilee area, likely the eastern, more Gentile-mixed side (the Decapolis region), where the second large-scale feeding miracle takes place.

Verse 31

The crowds, witnessing the scope of the healing ministry (including the lame and blind), recognized this power and glorified 'the God of Israel,' acknowledging God’s covenant work.

Verse 32

This miracle is distinct from the feeding of the 5,000. The duration ('three days') indicates the depth of the multitude’s commitment to Jesus’ teaching.

Verse 36

The ritual actions (taking, giving thanks, breaking, distributing) mirror those used in the feeding of the 5,000 and anticipate the pattern of the Lord’s Supper.

Verse 37

The amount of leftover food (seven baskets full) emphasizes the abundance of the provision. The number seven often symbolizes completeness or perfection in biblical numerology.

Verse 39

Jesus departs for Magdala (or Magadan), a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, concluding this period of ministry in the region.

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Matthew15

Tradition vs. God's Command

What Truly Defiles a Person

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

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