The former part of this chapter acquaints us with. great contest between our Saviour and the Pharisees, about their traditions and old customs, which they valued more than the commandments of God; they accused the disciples with eating bread with unwashed hands, which, though it were in itself but.... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The heavy charge which our Saviour brings in against the Pharisees; namely, for violating an express command of God, and preferring their own traditions before it: you make void THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD BY YOUR TRADITIONS. Observe, 2. The command which our Saviour instances in, as vi... [ Continue Reading ]
Our Saviour reproves the hypocritical Pharisees for the same things: 1. That they preferred human traditions before the divine precepts. 2. That by their human traditions they made void the worship of God. It is God's undoubted prerogative to prescribe all the parts of his own worship; and whoever... [ Continue Reading ]
Our blessed Saviour leaving the Pharisees with some dislike, applies himself to the multitude, and shews them the true spring and original fountain of all spiritual pollution and uncleanness; namely, the filthiness and impurity of man's heart and nature, which boiling in the heart, the scum runs out... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. How the disciples wonder that our Saviour did so little regard the displeasure of the Pharisees: KNOWEST THOU NOT THAT THE PHARISEES WERE OFFENDED? Although nothing vexed the Pharisees more than the discovery of their false doctrine before the multitude, yet our Saviour did not stic... [ Continue Reading ]
The disciples desiring the interpretation of the foregoing parable, our Saviour gives it them; but with all expostulates with them, that they did not understand. thing so obvious and plain: ARE YE YET WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING? As if he had said, "Have ye sat thus long under my ministerial teaching, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, the constant employment of our Saviour, HE WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD, from place to place. In the borders of Tyre and Sidon he finds. faithful woman of the race of the Canaanites, who becomes an humble supplicant to Christ, while the Jews neglected so great. salvation. Yea, she not only sp... [ Continue Reading ]
Strange! That. miserable supplicant should cry and sue, whilst the God of mercy is speechless. What! is the fountain of mercy dried up?. Saviour! we have oft found cause to wonder at thy words, but never till now at thy silence. Learn hence, that Christ doth sometimes delay to return an answer to.... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe, when our Saviour doth answer, he gives not one word of comfort, but rather. repulse. Christ has often-times love in his heart to his people, when they can read none in his countenance, nor gather it from his discourse. Observe, the answer itself, Christ says not, I AM TO SENT UNTO THE LOST... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet hath not this poor woman done: Christ's former silence, and his present denial, cannot silence her. She comes, she worships, she cries, LORD HELP ME.. what an undaunted grace is the grace of faith! It has. strong heart, and. bold forehead, peremptory denials cannot dismay it. This woman will not... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, the seeming severity of Christ to this poor woman; he calls her not. woman but. dog: and as it were spurns her from his feet with an harsh repulse. Did ever so severe. word drop from those mild lips? What shall we say? Is the lamb of God turned. lion? That. woman in distress, imploring... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe, how her humility grants all, her patience overcomes all, she meekly desires to possess the dog's place; not to crowd to the table, but to creep under it, and to partake of the crumbs of mercy that fall from thence. Indeed she shewed one of the best qualities of. dog, in keeping her hold whe... [ Continue Reading ]
The disciples observing her behaviour, might have been ready to say,. woman, great is thy patience, great is thy humility: but says Christ, GREAT IS THY FAITH: he sees the root, we the branches. Nothing but faith could thus temper the heart, thus strengthen the soul, thus charm the tongue.. powerful... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe here, 1. The charity, 2. The faith of the multitude, in bringing the blind, the deaf, and the dumb to Christ their charity in lending eyes to the blind, and. tongue to the dumb; who could neither come to Christ themselves, nor speak for themselves. Every man has. tongue to speak for himself... [ Continue Reading ]
Here we have the second miracle of Christ's compassionate feeding the hungry multitude. In Matthew 14:15-21 we read of five thousand fed WITH FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES; here Christ feeds four thousand WITH SEVEN LOAVES AND. FEW SMALL FISHES. Where observe, That Christ had fewest, when he had most... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY DID ALL EAT, not. crumb or. bit, but to fulness and satisfaction; yet SEVEN baskets remain; answering the number of the LOAVES, as the TWELVE baskets in the former miracle answered to the TWELVE apostles: in both, more is left than was at first set on: it is hard to say, which was the greater m... [ Continue Reading ]