Matthew 15:3
He [Jesus] answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition?"
Do you want to know what all these traditions really are? They're the work of lawyers. They're little tweaks here, and little tweaks there, of the law that meets the needs of someone somewhere. And they're need, is something they've worked out in their own mind to satisfy some unclean situation they've determined is a violation of faith.
When the Pharisees did their handwashing ceremonies, they must be done to exactly the right order and manner. As they pour the water over the hands, it must run down over the wrists, because as soon as the water touches the fingers and palms, it's now unclean water, and therefore anything that touches that unclean water is now unclean. And of course, then you must do likewise over the back of the hands.
Now, I can appreciate this to a certain degree. I'm a huge fan of handwashing. Not for religious purposes, but just in general. I've always worked outdoors in grimy grubby conditions. Hands always in the dirt. And I can work all day with dirty hands. But if it's lunch, or I need to touch my face, or mouth (smoking when I used to smoke), I always had to first scrub up my hands. I could be otherwise covered in mud, but I can't stand the feel of dirty mud or slimy grease on my hands, especially when eating. I don't like barbecue ribs for this reason. They taste good, but I can't deal with the finger licking goodness.
At any rate, back to the scripture.
Jesus is trying to point out to these Jewish lawyers that they're inventing traditions that they believe are aimed at perfecting their faith. But what's really going on is they are trying to cope with their day-to-day wretchedness in order to satisfy their disgust about their own lack of faith.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13
"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.”
He's trying to help them see that they can wash their hands; wipe the cups, filter the water, whitewash the tombs, bless themselves with the sign of the cross, touch holy water on themselves, kneel and genuflect at all the right moments, responsively read their prayers and hymns, but everything inside is still spoiled and dead if they have not love for God and his commandments. He's telling them that if they've established all these traditional ways of worship to replace faithfully keeping the commandments, they've remained in their sin. He's trying to help them see that defilement is from within.
Matthew 15:10-11
Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”
The Pharisees and doctors of the law (lawyers) hated these teachings of Jesus. His interpretation of the law flew in the face of their traditional trade, and frankly that's not good for business. The people weren't going to be paying the temple tax if they thought it accomplished nothing for them regarding pleasing God. They weren't going to give their family inheritances over to the priests to honor their families. And that's not very much appreciated by those who rely upon those offerings.
The disciples catch wind of these unhappy religious leaders and run to tell Jesus. They want him to challenge them and their authority.
And Jesus explains this for them,
Matthew 15:14-20
"Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit...whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”
It may not defile me to eat with unwashed hands, but I don't care, I'm not going to do it. Not because I'm trying to live a life of piety, just because it creeps me out.
The main point of all of this is that God is looking for faith, not some idea that puts on the semblance of purity. Not our church membership, or race. He's not interested in our "put on's". And as if to illustrate this, Matthew's gospel goes on to tell the story of a Canaanite women they meet on the road. Her daughter is apparently severely possessed by a demon. Jesus ignores her, as if she isn't even there. The disciples want her to leave, and Jesus refuses to hear her. It's really quite strange this encounter. Not Jesus-like at all.
Matthew 15:25
But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26 He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
What the hell does bread and dogs have to do with whether or not a gentile woman is welcomed by a Jewish Rabbi?
Okay...first we need to understand the food aspect. In those communities one would eat the food with their hands, meat, gravy, grease and all. So... already I'm out. When the solid food was finished, they would then clean their hands by taking a piece of bread and wiping them clean onto the bread. Then they'd toss that bread to the dogs.
So there's the context in regard to the food. But then we've got this whole race situation. This woman with the demon possessed daughter is a gentile, a Canaanite woman. She is considered unclean by the Jews. Jesus was a Jew. So, by tradition it would be a serious matter for him to associate with her. Her presence could make him unclean and trigger a bunch of cleanliness ceremonies.
But Jesus hears her. And that's important. He took the time and the chance to listen to her.
Remember the Jesus principle, it's what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.
She says to Jesus:
Matthew 15:27
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Jesus loves this answer. He can see her faith and love for God and he's willing to take the risk on her. Sure, she's a Canaanite. She's probably steeped in paganism. How else did her daughter find herself in this dilemma? But Jesus sees something in her, something he can work with. He's not looking at her to see how she keeps traditions or tries to put lipstick on a pig. He sees her faith.
Matthew 15:28
Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed.
And that's enough for him now, at that point. Yes, sanctification will follow. Yes, he's going to work on her and get her into his perfection relationship with him. Jesus is a fisher of men, and he always cleans his catch. But for now, what has come out of her mouth is faith and that's all he needs.
God bless and be blessed. Grow in your faith today. Call upon Jesus for help if need be. He's listening for you. You realize don't you that he didn't travel near Tyre (the Canaanite region) because he wasn't interested in meeting her. He's there, right there near you.
#Faith #JesusIsLord