Matthew 15:13-28

Matthew 15:13. But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.

He had not any peculiar tenderness towards them, they were no plants of his Father's planting: they deserved to be rooted up, and their teaching was so utterly false that, if he had offended against it, he was glad to have done so.

Matthew 15:14. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

The bad teacher and he that is badly taught, for they are both responsible, shall both fall into the ditch. No man can lay the sin of his being misdirected entirely upon his priest or his teacher. He had no business to have submitted to him. At the same time, it is a very serious responsibility for a man who knows not God to attempt to teach the things of God. I know a man who, in a certain place of worship was deeply convinced of sin the arrows of God stuck in him, and, being in great distress, he went to the minister and told him how he felt the burden of his guilt. The minister said to him, «My dear friend, I really had no intention of making you uneasy what was it I said? I will get the sermon I am very sorry, but really I do not know anything about it.» The man said, «You told us we must be born again.» «Oh!», said the minister, «that was done for you when a child your parents did it.» «You know sir, we must be converted.» «Well, really I do not understand it. I am afraid I have disturbed you unnecessarily.» Our friend, however, was not to be put off so; he sought and found a Saviour. But how dreadful a thing it is when the blind lead the blind: they shall both fall into the ditch.

Matthew 15:15. Then answered Peter and said unto him Declare unto us this parable.

And Jesus said Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. There is no defilement about that. Cleanliness is to be observed, but not the mere act of washing just for the sake of it, every time you eat bread, which defiles not a man; but oh! what defilement there is in evil thought, In anger which breeds murder, in lust which leads to adultery and fornication, in covetousness which begets theft, and in a false heart which leads to false witness, and in a profane mind which leads to blasphemy. Oh! that God would cleanse our secret thoughts, the very center of our hearts, for until the fountain is made clean, the stream that comes from it cannot be pure.

Matthew 15:21. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

«But he answered her not a word.» How painful that silence must have been! In what suspense she was.

Matthew 15:23. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away: for she crieth after us.

They were under a mistake. She did not cry after them: she knew better then that: she cried after the Lord, after the great Son of David, not after them, but, however, she disturbed them.

Matthew 15:24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Christ's personal ministry was confined to the Jews. He came as a Saviour to redeem all mankind, but as a preacher he was a minister to the circumcision, and he came to speak only to Israel.

Matthew 15:25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

Her prayer got shorter, and she grew more intense, more energetic, more determined to win the blessing. «Lord help me.»

Matthew 15:26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto to her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Oh! can you exercise a like faith in Christ? If so you shall get a like blessing. Only believe in him, only make up your mind, and, however great the mercy, it cannot be too great for him to give, and believe that he will give it, rest on him to bestow it, and you shall have it. God grant that many may receive it at this very hour.

This exposition consisted of readings from Matthew 13:1; Matthew 15:13; 1 Corinthians 3:17.