Matthew 15:1._Then scribes and Pharisees. _As the fault that is here corrected is not only common but highly dangerous, the passage is particularly worthy of our attention. We see the extraordinary insolence that is displayed by men as to the form and manner of worshipping God; for they are perpetua... [ Continue Reading ]
2._Why do thy disciples transgress? _When we speak of human traditions, this question has no reference to political laws, the use and object of which are widely different from enjoining the manner in which we ought to worship God. But as there are various kinds of human traditions, we must make some... [ Continue Reading ]
3._Why do you also transgress? _There are here two answers that are given by Christ, the former of which is addressed, as we say, to the person; while the latter decides as to the fact and the question in hand. _Mark _inverts that order; for he first represents Christ as speaking on the whole subjec... [ Continue Reading ]
5._But you say, etc. _The mode of expression is defective, and is more fully exhibited by Mark, who adds, _you suffer them not to do anything more to their father or to their mother _The meaning is, that the scribes were altogether wrong in acquitting those persons who fail to perform their duties t... [ Continue Reading ]
7._Well hath Isaiah prophesied concerning you. _Our Lord now proceeds farther; for he decides on the question in hand, which he divides into two clauses. The first is, that they relied on outward ceremonies alone, and set no value on true holiness, which consists in sincere uprightness of heart; and... [ Continue Reading ]
9._But in vain do they worship me _The words of the prophet run literally thus: _their fear toward me has been taught by the precept of men. _But Christ has faithfully and accurately given the meaning, that _in vain is God worshipped, _when the will of men is substituted in the room of doctrine. By... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 15:10._And having called the multitudes to him. _Here Christ turns (404) to those who are ready to receive instruction, and explains more fully the truth at which he had formerly glanced, that _the kingdom of God does not consist in meat and drink, _as Paul also teaches us, (Romans 14:17;) f... [ Continue Reading ]
13._Every plant. _As the indifferent success of the doctrine had wounded their weak minds, Christ intended to remedy this evil. Now the remedy which he proposes is, that good men ought not to be distressed, or entertain less reverence for the doctrine, though to many it be an occasion of death. It i... [ Continue Reading ]
14._Let them alone. _He sets them aside as unworthy of notice, and concludes that the offense which they take ought not to give us much uneasiness. Hence has arisen the distinction, of which we hear so much, about avoiding offenses, that we ought to beware of offending the weak, but if any obstinate... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 15:15._And Peter answering said. _As the disciples betray excessive ignorance, Christ justly reproves and upbraids them for being _still void of understanding, _and yet does not fail to act as their teacher. What Matthew ascribes in a peculiar manner to Peter is related by Mark, in the same... [ Continue Reading ]
19._For out of the heart proceed wicked thoughts _Hence we infer that the word _mouth, _as I have mentioned, was used by Christ in a former verse by way of allusion to the context; for now he makes no mention of _the mouth, _but merely says that _out of the heart _of man proceeds all that is sinful... [ Continue Reading ]
_And pollute the man. _Instead of the verb _pollute, _the Greek term is κοινοῖ, _make common; _as Mark, a little before, ( Mark 7:2,) used the phrase, κοιναῖς χερσὶ, _with _common _hands, _for _with _unclean _hands. _(412) It is a Hebrew phrase; (413) for, since God had set apart the Jews on the con... [ Continue Reading ]
In this miracle we are informed in what manner the grace of Christ began to flow to the Gentiles; for, though the full time was not yet come when Christ would make himself known to the whole world, yet he intended to give some early manifestations of the common mercy which was at length offered indi... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 15:22._Have compassion on me, O Lord. _Though this woman was an alien, and did not belong to the Lord’s flock, yet she had acquired some taste of piety; (416) for, without some knowledge of the promises, she would not have called Christ the _Son of David. _The Jews indeed had almost entirely... [ Continue Reading ]
23._But he made no reply to her. _In various ways the Evangelists bestow commendation on the faith of this woman. Here they bring before us her unshaken constancy; for the silence of Christ was a sort of refusal, and there is reason to wonder that she was not cast down by this trial, but her continu... [ Continue Reading ]
24._I am not sent. _He informs the Apostles that his reason for refusing the woman of Canaan arises out of his desire to devote himself entirely to the Jews to whom alone he was appointed to be a minister of the grace of God. He argues from the call and the command of the Father, that he must not yi... [ Continue Reading ]
25._And she came and worshipped him. _We might be apt to think that this woman contends with some measure of obstinacy, as if she would extort something from Christ in spite of him; but there is no reason to doubt that she was animated by the conviction which she entertained as to the kindness of th... [ Continue Reading ]
26._It is not seemly. _Christ’s reply is harsher than ever, and one would think that he intended by it to cut off all hope; for not only does he declare that all the grace which he has received from the Father belongs to the Jews, and must be bestowed on them, otherwise they will be defrauded of the... [ Continue Reading ]
27._Certainly, Lord. _The woman’s reply showed that she was not hurried along by a blind or thoughtless impulse to offer a flat contradiction (420) to what Christ had said. As God preferred the Jews to other nations, she does not dispute with them the honor of adoption, and declares, that she has no... [ Continue Reading ]
28._Great is thy faith. _He first applauds the woman’s _faith_, and next declares, that on account of her _faith _he grants her prayer. The greatness of her _faith _appeared chiefly in this respect, that by the aid of nothing more than a feeble spark of doctrine, she not only recognized the actual o... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 15:29._And Jesus departing thence. _Though it is unquestionably the same journey of Christ, on his return from the neighborhood of Sidon, that is related by Matthew and by Mark, yet in some points they do not quite agree. It is of little moment that the one says he _came to the borders of Ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 15:32._I have compassion on the multitude. _Here a miracle is related not unlike another which we have lately explained. The only difference is, that on the former occasion Christ satisfied _five thousand men _with _five loaves and two fishes_, while, on the present occasion,_four thousand m... [ Continue Reading ]
33._Whence shall we obtain so many loaves in a solitary place? _The disciples manifest excessive stupidity in not remembering, at least, that earlier proof of the power and grace of Christ, which they might have applied to the case in hand. As if they had never seen any thing of the same sort, they... [ Continue Reading ]