Matthew 15:10-20 – Deal with the root, don’t just treat the leaves

In these verses, Jesus began to address the question that the Pharisees from Jerusalem had raised. They asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate.  Jesus answered them by addressing the crowd, through a riddle-like parable. His answer needs unraveling that even Peter needed an explanation from Him.

The disciples of the Lord told Him that the Pharisees took offence with His statement. Jesus’ answer indicates to some alluded lessons of the parables He spoke earlier. He, Jesus our Lord, came to sow the seed of the Kingdom. Then there were others who came to sow seeds of a different kind, with other agendas. They pushed for the option of keeping the purity of the law and were unwittingly barking up the wrong tree. They will be uprooted eventually. Each one of these teachers was like a blind man trying to lead others who were equally blind around the direction in life. Consequently, both the teachers and followers would fall into a pit on the way.

The disciples of the Lord told Him that the Pharisees took offence with His statement. Jesus’ answer indicates to some alluded lessons of the parables He spoke earlier. He, Jesus our Lord, came to sow the seed of the Kingdom. Then there were others who came to sow seeds of a different kind, with other agendas. They were planting different kind of trees. Their pushing for the option of keeping the purity of the law and made them unwittingly barking up the wrong tree. They will be uprooted eventually. Each one of these teachers was like a blind man trying to lead others who were equally blind around the direction in life. Consequently, both the teachers and followers would fall into a pit on the way.     

Jesus maintains that it’s not what enters one’s mouth that would make him unclean. It is what comes out of his inner being. We know Jesus wasn’t talking about undigested foods and vomits. He was referring to words that one speaks. Why? Because words reveal what the person is made up of at the heart of his being. What make a person unfit for God’s presence are in the list shown in verse 19: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, theft, false witness, slander - and much more. And all these actions are motivated by the thoughts, and they are revealed through one’s words that come from the depth of one’s personality. Our words indicate what’s at the depth of our being. It tells us what must be changed to help us become what is acceptable to God. 

In this discussion Jesus was driving at something deeper still. It is not about keeping tradition which the Pharisees maintained and were teaching the Jews to do. It’s about the sort of pure people God wants us to be and how a pure desire can be attained. The heart of the matter is about how a person’s heart can be made pure. It certainly cannot be accomplished by following a set of regulations. If we think it can, we are sorely mistaken. It reveals how lack of understanding we have about the level of human wickedness. It reveals how lack of understanding we have about the menace that lies underneath our personality. Every one of us, none excluded, is capable of what Christ had listed in verse 19 and much more.  

The point is this, through all that Christ is doing, God is giving us humans, a cure to the deep seated root of impurity. Merely treating the symptom can never get rid of the disease that’s festering at the root. As followers of Christ, we need to ask, are our thoughts, our intentions and the words we casually express, indicative of the level of our purity? What are we doing about it? We must certainly realize that the real remedy to all these lies in our relationship with Christ. It’s in knowing Him and His Word, and applying the liberating truths that can indeed set us free to be the version of “me” God is looking for!   

Matthew 15:1-9 - The importance of obeging God's Word

The essence of whatever is happening in these verses can also be found in the church scene today. There are people who like to do things the same old way year after year. They don’t care if there are new revelation. They don’t even care if they are bringing in a new transformational effect on the community. Such people disregard a new level of experiences in one’s relationship with God. Like sticks in the mud they’d rather stick to old tradition. Anything new is viewed with suspicion.  

In these verses some Pharisees came from Jerusalem to Galilee to confront Jesus on why His disciples did not keep to the tradition of hand washing before they eat. This seems like a trivial issue, yet to them it warranted such an action. We need to bear in mind that Jesus is heading a new movement and brought people into a new level of relationship with God in a revolutionary way. He was revealing truth in a brand new way that brought people into fresh relationship with God. This frees them to a deeper level of fellowship and worship. People were responding to Him and large crowds were attracted to His authoritative and transforming teachings. What He was doing was viewed as dangerous by the Pharisees. Even though God was not disrespected at any point, they were looking for little tell-tale signs to discredit Him.  

In this passage Jesus did not answer the Pharisees directly. Instead He launched a counter attack that addressed the issue. Jesus told the Pharisees that in their adherence to traditions, they had nullified the Scriptures which is more important than tradition. He pointed out that they had allowed a tradition to cancel out the command to honor one’s father and mother, stipulated in the Ten Commandments. In their tradition, anyone who gave to the Temple the amount equivalent to what was required to sustain their parents through old age, they were under no obligation to keep that command.

Jesus then called them hypocrites. He suggested that they were merely play acting, like people who put on a mask. The mask was their words of piety. But behind the words they had no desire to honor God. Unwittingly, they had raised human tradition above God’s command. This short passage underscores the importance to study the Word of God. When we understand where God is coming from, we can then evaluate the demands of tradition in the light of God’s Word. Some traditions are helpful to discipline living, but we need to make sure they are in alignment with God’s Word. Hence it makes Bible study and understanding the Word absolutely important to right living.

Matthew 14:23-36 – Overcoming the storms of life

Resolved to have His solitude, Jesus now sent His disciples into a boat to go ahead of Him to the other side of the lake. Then He sent the crowd away while He went up to the Mountain to pray. At last, He got the solitude He needed and was by Himself and praying all alone. How needful it is for us to emulate the Lord. No matter how busy life presents itself, we must take time out to be alone with God. There is absolutely no replacement for undivided time to talk to God and to learn to listen attentively to Him.

The hour Jesus sent His disciples and the crowd away was not indicated in the passage. However, we are told that He was there alone praying and it was evening. Meanwhile, the disciples were already a great distance from the shore, and the boat was sailing into the eye of a storm. It was tossed and driven by the rough wave. A strong wind had blown from the opposite direction and was preventing them from advancing in their journey. Isn’t this very much the story of life and faith journey with Jesus? Things are not always smooth sailing. The Lord, who sent us on the journey ahead, knows that we have to confront the storm and adversities of life. Through it all, we must remember that oak trees grow strong through contrary wind, and diamonds are made under great pressure. We need to be aware that God never leaves us alone to struggle on our own. All we need is to look up and look to Him.

Verse 25 tells us that it was at the fourth watch of the night, which is between three to six o’clock in the early morning. Here they were in the fiercest moment, engulfed by fear that the Lord came to them walking on the water. Two things to ponder. Firstly, He who sent us into the storm is also the Lord of the storm. Secondly, whatever storms that threaten to overwhelm us are already under His feet. More importantly, He will always come to us in the night of our storm. And He will come to help us walk through it.

Jesus coming to us may not be as apparent as we sometime wish it is. But like Peter, we can always seek His affirmation. But when we are walking towards Him, let’s keep our eyes on Him and not the threatening storm. But first, if we want to walk over our storm, we need to get out of our boat, our comfort zone. Keeping our eyes on the Lord is imperative. Fears develop when we look away from Jesus. Keeping our eyes steadfastly on Jesus in the face of difficulties requires faith. And without it we sink into the mire of fear and despair. Always know that He stays around to help get us out. As Peter cried out to Him, we need to cry out when we feel overwhelmed. His hands are never too short that He will not save, and His ears never too dull that He will not hear.

In this account Jesus helped Peter and together they got into the boat. How can they who experience such wonders not worship? So the disciples did exactly that. They worshipped Him there and then in that boat. He truly is God’s Son. He certainly is! News concerning Jesus spread. People thronged to Him. Many sick implored Him to heal them. We know He did. Even those who merely touched the fringe of His garment went away healed. Let us get out of our comfort zone and walk with Jesus! There can never ever be a storm too great that He will not be able to take us through! Brace up for the journey over your storm!  

Matthew 14:13-22 – God’s economy – He doesn’t just add, He multiplies

Just put yourself in Jesus shoes for a while. Imagine you have heard news that someone who is very dear to you has passed on. And like Jesus, you sought a place of quiet solitude to think through and be by yourself for a while. And the last thing you would be thinking about would be ministry. But much to your chagrin, where you were was found out. And your friends and people, whom you have blessed and ministered to in life, came in drove to where you are, yearning to hear your wisdom. What would you have done?

This was the precise place where Jesus is, in these verses. News of John’s death reached Him, he departed to a secluded place for solitude, somewhat sad and disheartened. And soon He discovered a throng of people seeking Him out, wanting to be ministered to. What Jesus did was to convert His sadness into ministry. He did not chase the people away, and then sat there and mopped over the demise of His cousin and partner in ministry. He channeled His energy to minister to the people and brought healing to those who were sick. What a marvelous self-sacrificing Lord!  

And when evening came, He even thought of the physical needs of the crowd. It was already late and the nearest town where they could get some food for the people was four hours away. It was impossible to get anything for them to eat. However, he was told by the crowd that there were five loaves of bread and two fish. In a similar account in John’s Gospel, we are told that these food belonged to a small lad. So Jesus asked for them to be brought to Him. He instructed the people to sit all over the field probably in groups. He then took the bread and the fish, looking toward heaven, He blessed them, broke the bread and gave them to His disciples to be distributed to the people. The amazing thing here is that the supply equal the demands. That’s God’s economy. God doesn’t just add, He multiplies. So everyone had their fill and were totally satisfied. And when they collected the left overs of broken pieces, they could fill up 12 baskets full. Matthew tells us that besides the men, there were women and children that ate and were fully filled.

Each one of us probably would go away taking different lessons from this account. Allow me to offer some thoughts here. We should not allow a deep sorrow to de-capacitate us and keep us from doing what God has called us to do. We should not disappoint anyone seeking for ministry for a touch from the Lord, even during the time of our deepest disappointment and pain. Let’s seek avenues to serve and meet the needs of others despite our own personal hurt. There is no problem too small that the Lord would not take notice. There is no resource too little that the Lord cannot multiply to meet the needs of many. What little we bring to Him could be turn into huge resources to meet the needs of the multitude. If anyone of us needs to evaluate how much it would cost to follow Him, take into account what it costs Him to offer His leadership, so that you can freely follow Him.

Matthew 14:1-12 – The senselessness of pride and lust

In Matthew 4:12, we recall that John the Baptist was arrested and taken into custody. Then in Matthew 11, we read that John was in prison and entertained doubt if Jesus was the Messiah. So he sent his disciples to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah or should he look for another. Now we come to the reason he was arrested and finally executed. This Herod Tetrarch referred to here was one of the sons of Herod the great, the one who tried to kill Jesus earlier. This son of his is none other than Herod Antipas.

John the Baptist came to prepare the way for the Messiah. He warned and cleared the way for the Messiah. He e He had pointed to Jesus as the coming Messiah. In the process he had also shown why this Herod was not the king of the Jews, the Messiah.  The idea that Herod Antipas as the Messiah was unthinkable. His moral life left much to be desired. And John had blatantly confronted him and told him it was unlawful to take his brother’s wife. For stealing his brother’s wife, he was clearly an adulterer, and such an immoral behavior would of necessity preclude him as the Messiah of Israel. If not for the fear of the crowd who considered John the Baptist as God’s prophet, Herod would have gotten rid of him earlier. So now he had John sent to prison for daring to point out his wrong.

In this account, we get a glimpse of events that led to the death of John the Baptist. Here we read of the events that led to his execution. Herod was enticed by his step daughter, who was also his niece. He had already stolen his brother’s wife and now he was being aroused by Herodias’ daughter on his birthday. In his drunkenness and having been seduced by her sensual dance, he made a promise to give her anything she asked for. It was a promise that he regretted, but a promise he was too proud to retract. In consultation with her mother, his step daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This was more the desire of her mother, who was offended by John’s forthright declaration of her adultery with this Herod Tetrarch. Her long wait had finally found its perfect moment. At the height of Herod’s arousal, Herodias got her daughter to make that request of John’s head on a platter. This was duly granted. John was beheaded in prison, and his head on a platter was brought to Herod’s step daughter. She then brought it to her mother. Meanwhile, the disciples of John then came to take his body away to bury it and also to report everything to Jesus. 

Among many applications, this account warns of the danger of pride and lust. When overtaken by them, one becomes incapable of sound reasoning. Much as Herod knew about John’s innocence, yet he was incapacitated by his pride and lust. He finally gave in to what he knew was wrong. From his life, we see how needful it is to deal with pride as well as taking control of lust. The way to do it is to live a Spirit filled and directed life. For it is in living a Spirit filled life that we cultivate the fruit of faithfulness and self-control.

Matthew 13:53-58 – Don’t shut out God’s blessings

If the proverbs that says “familiarity breeds contempt” is any clearer, it is here. In these verses, we find Jesus returning to His hometown after teaching a series of parables of the Kingdom by the Sea of Galilee. Here, He began teaching in the synagogue. Not only were His teachings clear but the insights that came with it were powerful and explosive. We surmise from the people’s reactions that it must have been spoken right into the heart and calculated to elicit changes to one’s lifestyle. The exactness of His demands and the truths that He spoke, must have pricked the conscience of His hearers. For people who were steeped in their past, it was hard to respond to Him positively.

Thus, they tried to find reasons and rationales to deny the truths and the power He demonstrated. They knew His earthly father was none other than Joseph, that ordinary carpenter of the city. They knew His mother, Mary not as someone special, but just a very ordinary woman. Then there were His earthly brothers, James, Joseph, Simon and Judas, the children of Joseph and Mary – all very human. How can He be the Messiah, the one sent from God? These were their much too common conclusion. John 1:11 affirms this: He came to His own but those who were His own did not receive Him. And just because they knew His earthly family, they took offence with the truths He brought, despite the authority and miraculous demonstration that came with it. However, these verses point beyond the shadow of a doubt that although 100% Divine, Jesus is also 100% human.

Knowing their rationales, Jesus concluded that, “A prophet is not without honor except in His hometown and His household.” This verse suggests that even His earthly family took offence with Him. In all these, it was not a case that He could not do but that He did not do. When the signs were so clear, and in Jesus’ ministry elsewhere they were in abundance, to reject Him and His message was not simply a case of one being off track. It was a case of denying God the opportunity and avenue to pour out His blessings. From these, we must learn never to take God’s presence for granted. We must grow in awareness of His presence and cultivate gratefulness and gratitude, so that we will not shut out His presence. Be mindful that the moment we shut out His presence in our life, it will leave us high and dry! 

Matthew 13:44-52 – The Kingdom is priceless

Jesus continued to share other parables concerning the Kingdom of heaven. He likened it first to a field with a hidden treasure, and then a pearl of great price. It is so precious that one should be willing to get rid of every other treasures in order to acquire this field of hidden treasure or this pearl of great price. Jesus’ assertion in these two parables is this: wonderful as all the experiences of life may be, religion or otherwise, there is only one experience that’s worth having. It is none other than the experience of the Kingdom of heaven, the one that He came to usher in. We will know that this Kingdom contains a great treasure. It is also like a great pearl like no other. Once we have discovered it, we want to possess it. Even if it means trading all others in order to gain it.

The Kingdom is also like a dragnet that a fisherman spreads over the sea. He drags in the school of fishers caught in his net toward shore. There he spreads the net out with all the catch of different fishes. He will then sort the catch on the shore. The good ones go into a container and the bad ones will be thrown away. This parable again anticipates an end-time judgement, when everyone will be assessed. Jesus’ emphasis is that the whole world will be divided sharply, only into two categories. Those who with joy gladly accept and experience the message of the Kingdom, and those who repel and refuse it.  

Jesus rounded up these verses with the account of a householder. He brings out from his storeroom some new items and some old ones. In this, Jesus is pointing to Himself. In Him we have the new items concerning the treasures of the Kingdom with all its vision and promises. The old items are the messages of old that contain the wisdom and the hope of Israel. In the Gospel the two are brought together. The root of the message Jesus brought, could be traced to the wisdom of the old found in Israel’s past. A scribe who embraces the Kingdom of heaven knows how to share the new and true message rightly, combining the new with the old.  

What is our understanding of the Kingdom? Having known what it is all about, what must be our action? It is pointless if we have heard about the Kingdom, know all about it and yet remain passive. But it is also just as pointless, if we jump into action without first seeking to understand the message and the workings of the Kingdom. While the Gospel we preach is rooted in Israel’s past, it has the capacity to bear the new and fresh fruit of the Kingdom of heaven. We need to know and understand it well but we must also do all we know so that we will bear the righteous fruit of the Kingdom.