1562 | MattheW 15:7
your tra di tion . 7 You hyp o crites ! Isa iah was right when he proph e sied about you :
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“ ‘ These people honor me with their lips , but their hearts are far from me .
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They worship me in vain ; their teachings are merely human rules .’ a ”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
15:21-28pp — Mk 7:24-30
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Leav ing that place , Jesus with drew to the region of Tyre and Si don . 22 A Ca naan ite wom an from that vi cin i ty came to him , cry ing out , “ Lord , Son of Da vid , have mer cy on me ! My daugh ter is de mon-pos sessed and suf fer ing ter ri bly .”
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Jesus did not an swer a word . So his dis ci ples came to him and urged him , “ Send her away , for she keeps cry ing out af ter us .”
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He an swered , “ I was sent only to the lost sheep of Is ra el .”
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The wom an came and knelt be fore him . “ Lord , help me !” she said .
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He re plied , “ It is not right to take the children ’ s bread and toss it to the dogs .”
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“ Yes it is , Lord ,” she said . “ Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their mas ter ’ s ta ble .”
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Then Jesus said to her , “ Wom an , you have great faith ! Your re quest is grant ed .” And her daugh ter was healed at that moment .
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Jesus called the crowd to him and said , “ Listen and un der stand . 11 What goes into some one ’ s mouth does not de file them , but what comes out of their mouth , that is what de files them .”
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Then the dis ci ples came to him and asked , “ Do you know that the Phar i sees were of fend ed when they heard this ?”
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He re plied , “ Ev ery plant that my heav en ly Father has not plant ed will be pulled up by the roots .
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Leave them ; they are blind guides . b If the blind lead the blind , both will fall into a pit .”
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Pe ter said , “ Ex plain the par a ble to us .”
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“ Are you still so dull ?” Jesus asked them .
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“ Don ’ t you see that what ev er en ters the mouth goes into the stom ach and then out of the body ? Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
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But the things that come out of a per son ’ s mouth 15:29-31pp — Mk 7:31-37 come from the heart , and these de file them . 19 For 15:32-39pp — Mk 8:1-10 out of the heart come evil thoughts — mur der , 15:32-39Ref — Mt 14:13-21 adul tery , sex u al im mo ral i ty , theft , false tes timo ny , slan der . 20 These are what de file a per son ; but eat ing with un washed hands does not de file them .” a
9 Isaiah 29:13 b
14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
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Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Gal i lee . Then he went up on a moun tain side and
15:7 Isaiah Jesus quotes Isa 29:13 , which originally referred to the people of Jerusalem , and by extension God ’ s people as a whole , and applies it to the Pharisees .
15:10 – 20 Jesus turns the confrontation with the Pharisees into a teaching opportunity for his disciples . He emphasizes the priority of the heart over external matters , such as handwashing and ritual purity .
15:11 defile Make ritually unclean . 15:13 Every plant Drawing from Isaiah , Jesus uses plant imagery to describe the people of God ( see Isa 60:21 ). will be pulled up by the roots Jesus implies that the Pharisees , who oppose his message and burden the people with human-made laws , do not come from the Father ( even though they are Jews ) and therefore will be destroyed . 15:14 they are blind guides The Pharisees , who knew the law better than the rest of the Jews , should have been teaching and instructing the people in the ways of God . Instead , they became caught up in ritual concerns of the law , unnecessarily burdening the people with secondary matters . 15:18 come from the heart In the Hebrew conception of personhood , the heart represents intelligence and will . 15:20 These are what defile a person Jews believed that ritual purity protected them from incurring God ’ s wrath ; they would not approach God if they were unclean . Jesus teaches that matters of the heart — not external ceremonial regulations — render people unfit to enter God ’ s presence .
15:21 – 28 Jesus seizes this opportunity to instruct his disciples about the value of faith and their Gentile ( non- Jewish ) neighbors .
15:21 Leaving that place Refers to Gennesaret ( Mt 14:34 ). Tyre and Sidon Powerful Gentile city-states on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea , northwest of Gennesaret . 15:22 Canaanite woman The Canaanites , Israel ’ s enemies in the Hebrew Scriptures ( e . g ., Dt 7:1 ), no longer existed as a distinct people . Mark uses the more historically accurate designation “ Syrophoenician ” ( Mk 7:26 ). Matthew probably is employing “ Canaanite ” to emphasize the woman ’ s outsider status as a Gentile ( non-Jewish person ). Lord , Son of David The title “ lord ” could simply be a sign of respect ( see Mt 8:2 and note ), but the title “ Son of David ” has Messianic overtones , indicating that the Canaanite woman had better insight into Jesus ’ identity than many Jews . 15:24 lost sheep of Israel Refers to the Jews . Eventually , the gospel will be preached among non-Jewish people ( as recorded in the book of Acts ), but Jesus focused on teaching and healing among the people of Israel . His interaction with the Canaanite woman represents an exception to his normal pattern of ministry ( compare 8:5 – 13 ). 15:26 children ’ s Refers to the Jews . dogs Refers to the Gentiles . Rather than conveying personal hostility toward non-Jewish people , Jesus ’ choice of words likely reflects a common Jewish sentiment , which he uses to evoke a response from her about Jewish and non-Jewish relations . 15:28 Your request is granted Jesus ’ response illustrates his point in vv . 10 – 20 : The state of one ’ s heart , shaped by faith , is the decisive factor .
15:29 – 31 Jesus leaves Tyre and Sidon and returns to Galilee . The summary statement of his healing ministry ( v . 30 ) is reminiscent of 4:23 – 25 ; 9:35 – 36 ; 14:34 – 35 . Wherever Jesus went , he brought physical and spiritual restoration .