Matthew Chapter 15

Posted on January 18, 2016 by dkoop

Gospel of MatthewWelcome to day 15.  It’s rewarding to read God’s word each day with you.  Today we read about a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees about what makes a person clean or unclean, the faith of a Canaanite woman and Jesus feeding the 4000.

 

matthew-24-35JESUS TEACHES ABOUT INNER PURITY / 15:1-20

Another delegation came from Jerusalem to investigate this new rabbi who was causing such a stir throughout the country. Again the Pharisees and teachers of the law (also called “scribes”), Jesus’ main opponents, brought the complaint. In 9:14, the Pharisees had attacked Jesus through John’s disciples by claiming that Jesus and his disciples had been wrong not to fast (breaking the religious leaders’ additions to God’s law). In 12:1-2, they had claimed that the disciples were wrong to pluck heads of grain and eat them on the Sabbath (again, only breaking one of their additions to God’s law). In 12:24, such a delegation had incorrectly concluded that Jesus was casting out demons because he himself was demon-possessed. In this section, another delegation arrived, ready to debate Jesus about his disciples’ disregard of the oral traditions and rituals.

15:1-2 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”NIV A delegation came from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish authority, and was made up of Pharisees (who advocated detailed obedience to the Jewish law and traditions) and teachers of the law (professional interpreters of the law who especially emphasized the traditions). Over the centuries since the Jews’ return from Babylonian captivity, hundreds of religious traditions had been added to God’s laws. The Pharisees and teachers of the law considered them all equally important. They believed that these oral traditions (commentaries and exhortation that were memorized and passed on from generation to generation) went all the way back to Moses. As these religious leaders scrutinized Jesus and his disciples, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating without first washing their hands. This referred not to washing for cleanliness, but to a particular kind of washing that made a person “ceremonially clean” before eating. This ceremonial washing cleansed a person from any defilement he or she may have contacted without knowing it.

The origin of this ceremonial washing is seen in the laver of the tabernacle, where the priests washed their hands and feet prior to performing their sacred duties (Exodus 30:17-21). That was part of God’s law. Oral tradition extended this law to all Jews to be performed before formal prayers and then before eating. Thus, before each meal, devout Jews would perform a short ceremony, washing their hands and arms in a specific way. This ceremonial washing was not part of God’s law; instead, it was part of the rules and regulations added later. “The tradition of the elders” refers to the oral interpretation of God’s laws, interpretations that affected every aspect of Jewish daily life. The elders of earlier generations (members chosen from the older people to be part of the Sanhedrin, the most powerful religious and political body of the Jewish nation) passed along this oral tradition until, in the third century b.c., it was collected and written down, eventually forming the foundation of the Jewish Talmud. As such, the tradition of the elders consisted of oral laws given by Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees and teachers of the law considered these religious traditions to be as binding and as unbreakable as God’s law itself. Their assumption was wrong, as Jesus would point out.

LIFE APPLICATION – TRADITION

The Pharisees were very concerned about traditions. Traditions have great significance for us also. In your next meeting with friends from church, ask the group for help in understanding the role of tradition in the life of your church. Here are some specific questions:

l What rules have developed over time (and are no longer questioned) concerning proper behavior with respect to the use of alcoholic beverages, playing cards, motion pictures, and dancing?

l Who originated those rules? Who enforces them today?

l How do such rules help spiritual growth or hinder it?

l Why are such “secondary rules” important to your church? How do you keep them from assuming the same importance as biblical rules?

Having noticed that Jesus’ disciples were eating with defiled hands, the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus why they hadn’t washed their hands. Notice that the Pharisees realized that this was a “tradition of the elders,” but they believed that this tradition had the same authority as God’s law. Their underlying statement was, “If you are really a rabbi, as holy, righteous, and versed in the law as we are, then you should know that we don’t eat without first ceremonially washing our hands. We won’t attack you personally, but since your disciples aren’t washing, you obviously haven’t taught them about what is important. Maybe you don’t even know this law. That makes you no better than a common sinner, certainly not a rabbi whom all these people should be following!” Many religious traditions are good and can add richness and meaning to life. But just because our traditions have been practiced for years, we must not elevate them to a sacred standing. God’s principles never change, and his law doesn’t need additions. Traditions should help us understand God’s laws better, not become laws themselves.

15:3-4 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.'”NRSV Jesus didn’t answer their question until 15:10-11. Instead, he dealt with the issue of authority—your tradition versus what God said. The disciples may have transgressed the tradition of the elders, but Jesus would show that the religious leaders, who had supposedly devoted their lives to protecting the law, had broken God’s law for the sake of their tradition. They had become so zealous for the traditions that they had lost their perspective and had missed the point of God’s law entirely. Jesus did not reject all the traditions (the position of the Sadducees), but he would explain that traditions should never take the place of God’s law.

Jesus first quoted Moses, an especially relevant choice because the teachers of the law traced the oral law back to him (see Deuteronomy 4:14). He chose an example about people’s duty toward their parents. One of the Ten Commandments, Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16), states that people are to respect their parents, honoring them for who they are and what they have done. The commandment did not apply just to young children but to anyone whose parents were living. “Honor” includes speaking respectfully and showing care and consideration.

The same law is written negatively in Exodus 21:17, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die (see also Leviticus 20:9). “Speaking evil” (also translated “cursing”) of one’s parents is the opposite of honoring them. It means to criticize, to ridicule, to abuse verbally. The natural result of such behavior is that the person will not honor his parents for who they are, will not speak respectfully, and will certainly show no care or consideration to them. Such action carried a severe penalty—a person who cursed his parents could be put to death.

The religious leaders knew Moses’ words backward and forward, but Jesus pointed out how they were actually breaking them (see 15:5-6).

15:5-6 “But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God.'”NRSV Jesus then went on to explain how some of the Pharisees had found a way to completely sidestep God’s command to honor parents. This may seem like an example unrelated to the previous discussion, but Jesus was explaining that to break the oral tradition in one place is to invalidate it completely. The words “but you say” demonstrated how their behavior opposed what Moses had written. In their devotion to the law and tradition, their procedural regulations obscured the true intent of God’s Word. As Christians today we must beware of the same error. Are we so devoted to our ministries, methods, and programs that we neglect the true intent of the gospel? We must take this challenge to heart and constantly evaluate our own traditions.

The practice of the tradition of “Corban” (literally, “offering”) meant that a person could dedicate money or property for God’s exclusive use. When this happened, the money would be reserved for sacred use and withdrawn from use by anyone else. But the benefits could be used by the donor, much like an irrevocable trust works today. This vow was grossly misused. A man could use an article vowed to God indefinitely but could not transfer it to anyone else. Unscrupulous people would even use this vow to keep from paying debts. Others, as Jesus noted, used it to circumvent their responsibility to their parents. Their devotion to God had stripped them of their compassion for people.

The Pharisees had allowed men to dedicate money to God’s temple that otherwise would have gone to support their parents (based on Deuteronomy 23:21-23 and Numbers 30:1-16). The legal code of the day was strict, and the family was highly honored. People were expected to care for aging parents. Some found a way to keep from doing so and still use their money or property as they chose. Thus, a man could simply take the vow of Corban, saying that all his money was dedicated to God. Although the action— dedicating money to God—seemed worthy and no doubt conferred prestige on the giver, these religious leaders were ignoring God’s clear command to honor parents. Even worse, this was an irrevocable vow. If a son were to later decide that he needed to help his parents, the Pharisees would not permit it. Jesus rightly described the Pharisees as going to great pains to make void the word of God by directly violating the fifth commandment. They had elevated their tradition above God’s revealed law through Moses and thus had nullified it. They had obeyed what they thought was God’s will so scrupulously that they had actually violated what God really intended.

LIFE APPLICATION – PHONIES

Jesus blasted the Pharisees for being hypocrites. The trouble with religious phonies is that God is never fooled, though lots of people are. If in your heart you are greedy, sensual, power-hungry, and happy with it, then you are a phony. For your own sake and for the rest of us, please do one of the following: (1) Give up the church. Better to be a full-fledged pagan than a pagan in a religious suit. God isn’t fooled anyhow, and fewer people will be discouraged by your hypocrisy. Or, the better decision, (2) give up your hypocrisy and give your life to Jesus. Let his Spirit renew you from the inside out. Be real about faith, starting today.

15:7-9 “You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'”NRSV Jesus blasted these self-righteous leaders with one word; he called them hypocrites. They must have been enraged to be addressed that way by such a person. The Greek word originally meant “actor.” The Pharisees were hiding behind actors’ masks (see 6:2). The Pharisees pretended to be holy and close to God, thus judging all other people as sinners. But what they pretended on the outside was not true on the inside.

Jesus answered not their spoken question but their underlying one, by quoting the Scripture that they claimed to know so well. The Greek word translated “rightly” means “beautifully, excellently.” The great prophet Isaiah had written beautifully correct words describing these religious leaders: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines. The Pharisees and scribes also knew this Scripture by memory, but evidently they never had applied it to themselves. The prophet Isaiah criticized hypocrites (Isaiah 29:13), and Jesus applied Isaiah’s words to these religious leaders. “This people” begins the quotation from Isaiah 29:13, resembling more closely the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. It is not exactly the same as the Hebrew text of Isaiah, though the substance is the same. The religious leaders might say all the right words and give lip service to God, but their hearts were far from God. The problem: The authority for their teaching was human. They taught their human-made rules as though they were given by God. Isaiah explained that their worship was “in vain.” They worshiped for appearances, not out of love for God. When we claim to honor God while our hearts are far from him, our worship means nothing. It is not enough to act religious. Our actions and our attitudes must be sincere. If they are not, Isaiah’s words also describe us. The Pharisees knew a lot about God, but they didn’t know God. It is not enough to study about religion or even to study the Bible. We must respond to God himself.

15:10-11 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”NRSV The crowd had listened to Jesus’ stinging accusation of the religious leaders. Next, they heard him tell them to listen and understand, for he would sum up his teaching. The Pharisees thought that to eat with defiled hands meant to be defiled (15:1-2). Jesus explained that the Pharisees were wrong in thinking they were acceptable to God just because they were “clean” on the outside. Defilement is not an external matter (keeping food laws, washing ceremonially, keeping Sabbath requirements), but an internal one.

The phrase, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,” refers directly to the Pharisees’ question about the disciples eating with “defiled” hands.

A person does not become morally defiled by eating with hands that have not been ceremonially washed. Instead, the opposite is true: It is what comes out of the mouth that defiles. That is, the condition of a person’s heart will be revealed by his or her words and actions. Sin begins in the heart, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said hundreds of years

 True Christian preaching is extremely rare in today’s church. Thoughtful young people in many countries are asking for it, but cannot find it. The major reason is a lack of conviction about its importance.

John R. W. Stott

before: “The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse—who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 nrsv).

As believing Jews and students of Scripture, the Pharisees should have known this. Many times in the Old Testament God had told his people that he valued mercy and obedience based on love above mere observation of rules and rituals (see 1 Samuel 15:22-23; Psalms 40:6-8; 51:16-19; Jeremiah 7:21-23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-24; Micah 6:6-8). Jesus explained his words more fully to his disciples in 15:16-20.

15:12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”NRSV The concept that people were not defiled by “what goes into the mouth” was revolutionary to the Jews—and especially to the Pharisees, who had built a whole set of rules governing such matters. Mark added the parenthesis that by saying this Jesus had declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19). Thus, Jesus radically reinterpreted the dietary laws and made them defunct. By so doing, he was establishing himself as the right interpreter of Scripture. Leviticus 11 contains many of the Jewish dietary laws, including a list of foods considered “clean” and “unclean.” Over the years, however, the laws had become more important than the reasons for them and the meanings behind them. As the Jews interpreted the dietary laws, they believed that they could be clean before God because of what they had refused to eat. But Jesus explained that sin and defilement do not come from eating the forbidden foods. Rather, they come from the disobedience that begins in the heart. No wonder the Pharisees took offense at what Jesus said!

15:13-14 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”NRSV The Pharisees may have been offended (15:12), but Jesus explained that they were being rejected as leaders of God’s people. They claimed to be God’s true people, but like a weed growing in a flowerbed, they would be uprooted. In Isaiah, God describes Israel as his “planting” (Isaiah 60:21; 61:3 nkjv), but these Pharisees did not belong to him and they would be torn out by the roots. Their teaching, which they so piously elevated, would be discarded. “Let them alone” means that Jesus’ followers were not to follow, listen to, or regard the hypocritical Pharisees. In our day, there are religious teachers and preachers who draw large followings. But time may reveal that their hearts were insincere. Once we know that their true intent is not God’s glory, then we should not listen to them.

The Pharisees claimed to be leaders of the people (see Romans 2:19), but Jesus turned this around to show that they themselves were blind guides—blind to the true meaning of God’s law. They were very proud of their wisdom and enlightenment, so Jesus’ indictment would have stung. Their failure to understand God and his desires for people would prove to be disastrous for them and for those who followed them. “Both will fall into a pit” is probably a picture of judgment (see Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 48:44).

15:15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”NRSV Peter often would act as spokesman for the disciples, so he asked Jesus to explain the parable (15:10-11). Later Peter would be faced with the issue of clean and unclean food (see Acts 10:9-15). Then he would learn that nothing should be a barrier to proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Even more, he would learn that everything created by God is good.

LIFE APPLICATION – BLIND RELIGION

Jesus told his disciples to leave the Pharisees alone because the Pharisees were blind to God’s truth. Thus, anyone who listened to their teaching would risk spiritual harm. Not all religious leaders clearly see God’s truth. Religion can lead you into a pit if you follow teachers who are blind to the truth. All teachers who fail to recognize the supreme authority of Jesus, as Savior and chief interpreter of the Scriptures, are heading that way. Follow them, and you’ll fall in too. But if you follow teachers who follow Jesus, the daffy ideas of a thousand crackpot religions won’t confuse or bother you. Choose your mentors carefully! Make sure that those you listen to and learn from are those who teach and follow the principles of Scripture.

15:16-17 Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?”NRSV Jesus knew the crowd didn’t understand, but he may have been saddened again that his disciples had also failed to comprehend. In the miracle stories, the disciples didn’t realize Jesus’ identity; in this situation, they didn’t understand his teaching. The words “still without understanding” emphasize discipleship as a process of growth. Although they knew much about Jesus, they still had more to learn.

Jesus explained that what goes into a person cannot make that person unclean. Thus, to eat food with hands that may have touched a “defiled” person or article did not mean that the person was ingesting defilement. Logically, as Jesus explained, food goes in the mouth, down into the stomach, and then out into the sewer. It has no effect whatever on the moral condition of the heart. Moral defilement has nothing to do with food. Sin in a person’s heart is what defiles that person, not the lack of ceremonial cleansing or the type of food eaten.

15:18-20 “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles.”NRSV Defilement occurs because of sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Sin begins in a person’s heart, and what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. In Jewish culture, parts of the body stood for parts of human personality. The “heart” stood for the center of a person’s affections and desires. In Romans 6-8, Paul explains how the Holy Spirit needs to control our sinful human desires.

“Defile” means to corrupt or contaminate the purity of something. Jews who were defiled were ceremonially unclean, meaning that they were forbidden to participate in certain acts of worship until the uncleanness was dealt with or removed. Sinful words and actions defile the person speaking or acting as well as the object of the act. Jesus’ words contain a certain ambiguity. Our first impulse is to believe that the source of the action is defiled, but the text leaves open the possibility that the target of evil words and actions is also defiled. That is, we genuinely hurt people by words and actions that spring from evil motives or intentions.

“For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”NRSV To emphasize how all evil comes from within, Jesus listed several examples of sin. The first, “evil intentions,” is probably a category under which the others are found. The remaining six follow the order of the sixth through ninth commandments.

Evil intentions begin in the heart. Jesus made it clear why people sin—it’s a matter of the heart. Our hearts have been inclined toward sin from the time we were born. While many people work hard to keep their outward appearance attractive, what is in their heart is even more important. When people become Christians, God makes them different on the inside. He will continue the process of change inside them if they only ask. God wants us to seek healthy thoughts and motives, not just healthy food and exercise.

These actions and attitudes begin in a person’s heart, and these are what defile a person:

  • Murder—Killing a person, taking his or her God-given life
  • Adultery—Having sex with someone other than one’s spouse
  • Fornication—Engaging in various kinds of extramarital sexual activity
  • Theft—Taking something that belongs to someone else
  • False witness—Tricking or misleading by lying
  • Slander—Destroying another’s good reputation through half-truths and lies

JESUS SENDS A DEMON OUT OF A GIRL / 15:21-28

15:21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.NIV Jesus traveled about thirty miles to the region of Tyre and Sidon. These were port cities on the Mediterranean Sea north of Israel. Both cities had flourishing trade and were very wealthy. They were proud, historic Canaanite cities. Jesus withdrew to Gentile territory to evade the opposition of the Pharisees. In David’s day, Tyre had been on friendly terms with Israel (2 Samuel 5:11), but soon afterward the city had become known for its wickedness. Its king even had claimed to be a god (Ezekiel 28:1ff.). Tyre had rejoiced when Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 b.c. because without Israel’s competition, Tyre’s trade and profits would increase.

15:22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”NRSV Apparently, a woman had heard about Jesus’ miracle-working power and how he could cast out demons, so she wasn’t going to miss a chance to see him. Mark records that she “fell at his feet” (Mark 7:25; see below 15:25).

Matthew called her a Canaanite; Mark described her as a Gentile, a Syrophoenician. Both descriptions are correct. Mark’s designation refers to her political background. His Roman audience would easily identify her by the part of the Empire that was her home. Matthew’s description was designed for his Jewish audience; they remembered the Canaanites as bitter enemies when Israel was settling the Promised Land.

Ministry in Phoenicia

After preaching again in Capernaum, Jesus left Galilee for Phoenicia, where he preached in Tyre and Sidon. On his return, he traveled through the region of the Decapolis (Ten Cities), fed the 4,000 beside the sea, and then crossed to Magadan.

Matthew’s Jewish audience would have immediately understood the significance of Jesus helping this woman. Some Bible translations identify her as a Greek. This is also correct because she was a Greek-speaking native of the Phoenician area which had been converted to Greek language and culture after the conquest by Alexander the Great in the fourth century b.c.

The woman called Jesus, Lord, Son of David, showing her acceptance of Jesus’ identity as the Jewish Messiah. She may have been a Greek proselyte. Sometimes Gentiles would convert to Judaism, drawn by the strong moral qualities. This woman came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter, who was tormented by a demon. Obviously this woman was greatly distressed over her daughter’s suffering.

15:23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”NRSV Jesus’ silence seems difficult to understand until we read the lesson of faith that he taught both the woman and his disciples (15:24-28). The woman continued to follow after them, and she continued to shout. Finally, the disciples urged Jesus to send her away. This may have meant to get rid of the woman because she was bothering them with her nagging persistence. Or it may have been a request for Jesus to do as she requested, so she would go away and leave them alone. Jesus, always compassionate, would heal the woman’s daughter, but not just to make her stop following them. He had a lesson about faith that he needed to teach this woman. In so doing, he would teach the disciples a lesson as well.

It is possible to become so occupied with spiritual matters that we miss real needs right around us, especially if we are prejudiced against needy people or if they cause us inconvenience. Instead of being bothered, be aware of the opportunities that surround you. Be open to the beauty of God’s message for all people, and make an effort not to shut out those who are different from you.

15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”NIV Jesus’ words do not contradict the truth that God’s message is for all kinds of people (Psalm 22:27; Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 28:19; Romans 15:9-12). After all, when Jesus said these words, he was in Gentile territory. He ministered to Gentiles on many other occasions also, but always in Jewish territory (4:24-25; 8:5-13). Jesus was simply telling the woman that Jews were to have the first opportunity to accept him as the Messiah because God wanted them to present the message of salvation to the rest of the world (see Genesis 12:3). While on earth, Jesus restricted his mission to Jewish people. In doing so, he was doing his Father’s will (11:27) and fulfilling the promise God made to Jews in the Old Testament. The restricted mission of Jesus and the disciples echoes the principle recorded in 10:5-6. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” does not mean Jesus came to the Jews alone; rather, it means that he would go to them first (Mark 7:27). “Sheep” was an affectionate term used often for God’s people in the Old Testament.

Jesus was not rejecting the Canaanite woman. Instead, he was explaining that his activities were limited (in his humanity); thus, he had to focus on his goal. Jesus had only a short time on earth. His mission focused on (but was not limited to) the Jews. Jesus tested (in the sense of “probed, challenged, encouraged”) this woman’s faith and used the situation to teach that faith is available to all people. Matthew alone recorded this interchange. His Jewish audience would have been very interested in Jesus’ miracle to help this Gentile woman.

15:25-26 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”NIV Undaunted by Jesus’ apparent unwillingness to respond to her request, the woman came and knelt before him, begging for help.

The answer comes in the language of a parable; therefore, we must not press the details too far. Jesus probably spoke Greek to this woman, for she would not have known Aramaic. He used the word kunarion, referring to a little dog, a household pet.

The simple parable meant that the children at the table should be fed before the pets; it would not be right to take the children’s food and give it to the dogs. While it is true that in Jewish tradition Gentiles at times were referred to derogatorily as “dogs,” that probably does not apply here. The Greek word used as a derogatory nickname applied to wild dogs or scavenger dogs, not household pets. By these words, Jesus may have meant that his first priority was to spend time feeding his children (teaching his disciples), not to take food away from them and throw it to the pets.

 He is not a mere teacher of the way, as some vainly imagine—a teacher of a system of morality, by the observance of which we may be saved. But Christ is truly the Way. He is Himself the Way. The soul is saved by Christ Himself.

Charles G. Finney

Jesus was not insulting the woman; instead, he was saying that she must not demand what God had ordained for the Jews. She should wait until God’s appointed time when the Gentiles would receive the Good News of the gospel. The point of Jesus’ parable is “precedence”—who gets fed first? The children do.

15:27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”NRSV Unlike many of the Jewish listeners, this Gentile woman understood Jesus’ parable. Her answer was wise, for she explained to Jesus, by extending his parable, that the children who love the pets often drop morsels of food to them. Not all the Jews accepted Jesus, while some Gentiles chose to follow him. Why couldn’t she have some of those crumbs that the Jews didn’t want? She adroitly pointed out that even the dogs ate with (not after) the children. She did not ask for the entire meal; she was perfectly willing to take second place behind the Jews. All she wanted right then was a few crumbs—or one “crumb” in particular—one miracle of healing for her daughter.

Ironically, many Jews would miss out on God’s spiritual healing because they rejected Jesus, while many Gentiles, whom the Jews rejected, would find salvation because they recognized Jesus.

15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.NKJV Jesus was delighted by the faith of the woman. He granted her request because of her humility and persistence. She had made her request in faith that Jesus could perform the healing. His words had been meant to challenge her to greater faith, and she had responded. She understood Christ’s lordship, and she understood the priorities of his mission. No wonder Jesus exclaimed, Great is your faith! On that basis, Jesus healed the woman’s daughter. With his words, her daughter was healed from that very hour. This miracle showed that Jesus’ power over demons was so great that he didn’t need to be present physically, or even to speak any word to the demon, in order to free someone. His power transcended distance.

LIFE APPLICATION – GETTING PAST “CHURCH PEOPLE”

One of the obstacles the Canaanite woman had to overcome was the dismissive attitude of the disciples. Likewise, seekers today are advised not to judge the gospel on their first impression of most church folk.

If you are seeking help from Jesus, don’t be put off by the airs and attitudes of some people who claim to know him. Christians are not perfect. “Get rid of her,” said the disciples. And so today in many different ways people in need of Jesus are put off by the “righteous.”

If you’re looking for Jesus, don’t stop until you find him. And when you find him, try your best to be as generous and loving to others as he is.

THE CROWD MARVELS AT JESUS’ HEALINGS / 15:29-31 

15:29 After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down.NRSV Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre, and went through Sidon, and came down to the Sea of Galilee. He did not go into Jewish regions, however, but traveled to the northeastern shore of the lake instead, into the region of the Decapolis (Ten Cities, see Mark 7:31), a primarily Gentile area.

15:30-31 Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.NRSV A great crowd surrounded Jesus. They wanted to be healed, and he healed them all:

The lame could walk, the maimed were made whole, the blind were given sight, the mute could speak. This list of healings would have reminded Matthew’s readers of Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for oy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert” (niv). Matthew was showing his Jewish readers that the Gentiles would share with the Jews in the blessings of their Messiah.

 Faith is a disposition of the heart, without which God’s most glorious blessing is offered to us in vain; but by which, on the other hand, all the fullness of God’s grace can be most certainly received and enjoyed.

Andrew Murray

The phrase “and they praised the God of Israel” indicates that this was a Gentile crowd. While Jesus came to the lost sheep of Israel (15:24), he did not restrict his ministry to the Jews alone. Other Gentiles had received Jesus’ healing touch (the centurion who had come on behalf of his servant, 8:13; the demon-possessed men who lived in this same region, 8:33). This scene mirrors the events in Capernaum: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons” (Mark 1:32-34 niv).

LIFE APPLICATION – HEALING TOUCH

Great crowds came to Jesus to be healed. Jesus still heals broken lives, and we can bring suffering people to him. Whom do you know that needs Christ’s healing touch? Bring them to Jesus through prayer or through explaining to them the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15). Then let Christ do the healing.

JESUS FEEDS FOUR THOUSAND / 15:32-39 

Differences in details distinguish this miracle from the feeding of the five thousand described in chapter 14. At that time, those fed were mostly Jews. At this second feeding, Jesus ministered to a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles in the predominantly Gentile region of the Decapolis. Also, Jesus began with different quantities of bread and fish, and he did not require his disciples to admit their own inability to solve the problem.

15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.”NRSVJesus was ministering in the region of the Decapolis where he had healed many people (15:30-31), causing his popularity to spread throughout the area. It should come as no surprise, then, that many people were following him. This story sounds very much like the feeding of the five thousand recorded in 14:13-21, but it is a separate event. Both Matthew and Mark include both miracles. Jesus himself referred back to each incident separately when he asked the disciples, “Do you still not perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand . . . or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?” (16:9-10NRSV).

In the previous episode, Jesus and the disciples had desired rest, but the crowd had interrupted that rest. Out of compassion, Jesus had taught them. Jesus’ compassion means that he was deeply moved by the extreme needs of the people. Jesus exhibited God’s compassion for his sheep (see Ezekiel 34), not merely human pity for hungry people. (For more on Jesus’ compassion, see 9:36; 14:14; 20:34.) The disciples had to come to Jesus, suggesting that the crowd would be getting hungry and that he should send them away to get their own food. In this episode, the crowd had been following Jesus for three days, listening to his teaching and observing his miracles. Jesus took the initiative in his concern for their need for food, and he shared his concern with the disciples. The wording probably does not mean that the people hadn’t eaten for three days. Instead, whatever supplies they had brought along were depleted, so most of them had nothing left to eat. Thus, Jesus was concerned not to send them away hungry. Finally, after the feeding of the five thousand, the people wanted to make him a king. There was no such movement by the people in this episode.

15:33 His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”NIV Although the disciples had seen Jesus feed five thousand people, they had no idea what he would do in this situation. Perhaps they didn’t expect Jesus to perform the same miracle when the crowd was Gentile and not Jewish (thus revealing their spiritual blindness). This miracle again revealed Jesus’ divine power. The crowd was in a remote place, and the disciples asked the obvious question: “Where could we get enough bread . . . to feed such a crowd?”

Jesus had already found the resources in a previous remote place for an even larger crowd, yet the disciples were completely perplexed as to how they should be expected to feed this crowd. People often give up when faced with difficult situations. Like the disciples, we often forget God’s provision for us in the past. When facing a difficult situation, remember what God has done for you and trust him to take care of you again.

15:34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”NKJV In the Bible, the number seven often signifies perfection or completeness, as in the seven days of creation (Genesis 1) and forgiving seven times (Matthew 18:21). Yet the numbers seven and seventy were also associated with Gentiles. In Jewish tradition, Gentile nations numbered seventy (from Genesis 10:1-32), and Gentiles were sometimes said to be bound, not by the Israelite covenant, but by God’s covenant with Noah that was said to have seven commandments (Genesis 9:1-17). In Acts 6:1-7, seven leaders were chosen to minister to the Greek-speaking Christians. Thus, in this passage some have seen the number seven to have symbolic significance. It may hint at the worldwide scope of Jesus’ message. Probably the connection to the Gentiles is coincidental, but the church used that connection to enlarge the Gentile mission.

15:35-36 Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.NRSV In the previous miracle, Jesus had told the disciples to order the people to sit in groups on the ground; here Jesus himself gave the order for everyone to sit down. Perhaps he took over, realizing that the disciples just did not understand. He then took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God for the provision he was about to give. In Greek, the term for “giving thanks” is connected with the Christian Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper) as in 1 Corinthians 11:24. Later, in 14:22-25, Mark used the verb “to bless” (nrsv) to describe Jesus’ prayer over the bread, and the verb “to give thanks” (the same word as used here) to describe his prayer over the cup.

Next Jesus broke apart the loaves; then he allowed the disciples to pass them out as before. The verbs for Jesus giving the bread and the disciples’ distribution could read, “Jesus kept on giving bread to the disciples, and they kept on distributing it” to the crowd.

In addition to bread, the people received fish. In ancient days, that would form a fairly complete meal. Such a meal certainly would provide enough energy for the people’s trip back home. Like the bread, the fish was blessed and distributed until everyone had enough to eat.

LIFE APPLICATION – MEALTIME THANKS

Jews gave thanks before and after a meal. Many people think praying before meals is quaint, out-of-date, or perfunctory. But Jesus never forgot to thank God before a meal. Thanking God before meals reminds us that nourishment, satisfaction, good times—life itself—come from him. If you’ve become lax, start praying again at your next meal. If you’ve grown into a habit, keep it up with renewed gratitude.

15:37-38 They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children.NIV As had happened before, each person in the crowd had eaten and was filled—no one went away hungry from this banquet. The seven loaves and few fish multiplied so that, again, even the leftovers were more than the food Jesus had started with.

In the previous feeding episode, Jesus had asked the disciples to divide the crowd into a specific arrangement; this time, he did not do so. The Greek word for “basketfuls” provides an interesting twist on this story. In the feeding of the five thousand, there were twelve baskets of leftovers, and the “baskets” were kophinos, large baskets. After the feeding of the four thousand, there were seven baskets of leftovers, and the “baskets” were different; these were spuris—baskets that were large enough to hold a person. (Paul was let down over the Damascus wall in a spuris—Acts 9:25). The abundance of leftovers in these seven baskets may have been more than the leftovers from the twelve baskets in the previous incident.

As before, the number of those who ate, four thousand, meant that there were four thousand men in addition to the women and children who were there.

15:39 After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.NIV Once Jesus knew the people had eaten their fill and would not faint from hunger on their journey home (15:32), he sent the crowd away. Jesus and the disciples once again got into the boat and sailed to the vicinity of Magadan (called Dalmanutha in Mark), a town located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This meant a return back to Jewish territory. There Jesus would face further conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:1-4). Magadan was Mary Magdalene’s hometown (Luke 8:2-3).

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Source:  Life Application Bible Commentary – Matthew.

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Matthew Chapter 14

Posted on January 17, 2016 by dkoop

Gospel of MatthewCongratulations on two weeks of reading!  You are appreciated and are being prayed for. In Matthew chapter 14 we read about John the Baptist’s death, Jesus feeding the 5000, and Jesus walking on water.

 

 

matthew-24-35HEROD KILLS JOHN THE BAPTIST / 14:1-12 

Matthew continued to record various responses to Jesus. The Pharisees have accused him of being under Satan’s power (12:22-37). Other religious leaders have revealed their rejection by requesting a “sign” (12:38-45). Jesus’ own family thought he had gone crazy (12:46-50; see also Mark 3:31-35). Jesus had to speak in parables because of many people’s unbelief (13:1-52). Finally, the people of Jesus’ hometown had rejected him (13:53-58). This chapter gives the story of a government leader’s misunderstanding. Herod thought that Jesus was the resurrected John the Baptist.

John the Baptist had been arrested just prior to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Because John had ministered in Perea (“on the other side of the Jordan,” John 1:28), he was under Herod’s jurisdiction. The arrest marked the end of John’s public ministry. He was imprisoned for some time prior to his death (see 11:2-6).

14:1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus.NKJV “At that time” is only a connecting phrase. The events of this chapter do not follow chronologically from the end of chapter 13. Herod ruled over the territories of Galilee and Perea. In 4 b.c., Herod had been named tetrarch—one of four rulers over the four districts of Palestine. He was the son of Herod the Great, who had ordered the killing of the babies in Bethlehem (2:16). Also known as Herod Antipas, he would hear Jesus’ case before the crucifixion (Luke 23:6-12).

The history of the Herod family is filled with lies, murder, treachery, and adultery. Herod Antipas was known for his insensitivity and debauchery. Though he was popular with his Roman superiors, his unbridled political ambitions eventually led to his exile in a.d. 39 by the Roman emperor Caligula, who removed him on the basis of charges by his nephew (Herod Agrippa I), who ruled Galilee after Herod Antipas.

LIFE APPLICATION – HEROD’S TRAGEDY
Most people dislike having their sins pointed out, especially in public. The shame of being exposed is often stronger than the guilt brought on by the wrongdoing. Herod Antipas was a man experiencing both guilt and shame. Herod’s ruthless ambition was public knowledge, as was his illegal (by Jewish law) marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. One man made Herod’s sin a public issue. That man was John the Baptist. Herodias was particularly anxious to have John silenced. But Herod liked John, who was probably one of the few people he met who spoke only the truth to him. But the truth about his sin was a bitter pill to swallow, and Herod wavered at the point of conflict. Eventually Herodias forced his hand, and John was executed.
For each person, God chooses the best possible ways to reveal himself. He uses his Word, various circumstances, our minds, or other people to get our attention. God is persuasive and persistent but never forces himself on us. To miss or resist God’s message, as did Herod, is a tragedy. How aware are you of God’s attempts to enter your life? Have you welcomed him?

14:2 And he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”NIV Herod’s guilt over John’s death led him to think that his worst nightmares had come true: John the Baptist had risen from the dead. Oddly enough, John had done no miracles (John 10:41); he had simply preached and prepared the way for Jesus. Verses 3 and 4 show that this incident occurred after John’s death and are Matthew’s flashback to the prior events.

While Herod had succeeded in silencing John, he had not succeeded in silencing his own guilty conscience (see 14:9). When news of Jesus reached the palace, Herod thought that John had come back to trouble him some more. Thus began Herod’s great interest in Jesus and his long-standing desire to see him perform a miracle (Luke 23:8).

14:3-4 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”NRSV Herod’s personal guilt was well placed, for he had ordered John to be arrested. In ancient days, kings had absolute sway; if the king wanted someone arrested, the arrest was carried out by his guards—no questions asked. Herod, empowered by Rome over the region of Galilee, simply had given the orders and John had been arrested, bound, and put in prison. The Jewish historian Josephus pinpointed this prison as Machaerus, a fortress (combination palace and prison) near the barren northeastern shore of the Dead Sea in the region of Moab.

Ironically, this “powerful” king did this in response to pressure from Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Why did she make a difference? Mark added that Herod had married her (Mark 6:17). Herod’s first wife was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Nabateans, whose land was south of Perea. This marriage was arranged by Augustus to keep peace between Arabs and Jews. Philip was Herod’s half brother and not Philip the tetrarch. According to Josephus, Salome was the one who later married Philip the tetrarch, who was her granduncle. When Herod Antipas met Herodias, his brother’s wife, he divorced his first wife and married Herodias.

Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, another half brother. Thus, Herodias was a half niece to both Philip and Herod (and they, in turn, were her half uncles). Herodias married her half uncle Philip and then divorced him to marry another half uncle, Herod. Thus, in marrying, Herodias and Herod had committed adultery, as well as a type of incest. John the Baptist condemned Herod and Herodias for living immorally. It was not lawful for Herod to be married to his brother’s (that is, half brother’s) wife (not to mention that she was also his half niece). Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21 describe the laws that Herod was breaking. Herod was Jewish, and whether or not he cared about the Jewish law, he did care about a revolt against him by the Jews.

LIFE APPLICATION – JOHN THE BOLD
John was called the Baptist, but he could have equally been called the Bold. An evangelist who preached about the kingdom, he got in trouble over a too-direct assault on the morals of the ruling family.
Christians are smart to choose their battles. Not every sin can or should be the topic of loud public preaching. But some sins need the boldness of John: his forthright truth telling, his disregard of personal consequences, his call to moral living. Anti-slavery preachers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were these types (check out the story of Elijah P. Lovejoy as one good example), as well as civil rights preachers of the twentieth century. Choose your battles, but once engaged, don’t quiver for fear of a tyrant’s power. Jesus is Lord, everywhere and at all times.

14:5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.NIV Rebuking a tyrannical Roman official who could imprison and execute him was extremely dangerous, yet that is what John had done. In addition, there was political tension over Herod’s divorce of his first wife—the daughter of the king of a neighboring country. This king eventually would defeat Herod in battle. This was explosive enough without John bringing up the illegal marriage. John’s public denunciation of the incest and adultery of

Herod and Herodias was too much for them to bear, especially Herodias, whose anger turned to hatred. Mark’s Gospel focuses on Herodias, who was both wicked and ruthless in her attempts to kill John the Baptist. While Matthew’s account seems to focus on Herod (Herod wanted to kill John), we can combine the accounts to see a wicked yet weak ruler who was not in a hurry to kill John because he was afraid of the people. The Never before has the need been more urgent for Christians to bring their faith to the front lines. It takes courage to think and act Christianly in times like these. We must demonstrate Christian love and compassion to even those who oppose us most vehemently.

Charles Colson

 

people considered John to be a prophet, and for Herod to put to death one of the Jews’ prophets could have caused a huge revolt in his territory and certainly would have created great discontent.

Mark writes that Herodias “nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to” (Mark :19 niv). Apparently her influence was very strong over her husband. Herodias likely made her desires known, so Herod solved his dilemma by keeping John locked away in prison. Perhaps Herod hoped that stopping John’s public speaking would end the problem and quiet Herodias.

14:6-7 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and she pleased Herod so much that he promised on oath to grant her whatever she might ask.NRSV That Herod had imprisoned John the Baptist was not enough for the angry Herodias. She continued to nurse her grudge against John for speaking publicly about her sins, biding her time until she would get her way and have John killed. Then on Herod’s birthday, the opportunity arrived. Mark wrote that Herod gave a banquet for many notable men from governmental, military, and civil positions in Galilee (Mark 6:21). Celebrating birthdays was a Hellenistic custom, not a Jewish one.

Herodias’s daughter (by her marriage with Herod Philip) provided the bait Herodias would use to get her way with her husband. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, the daughter was Salome, a young woman in her middle teens.

Herodias sent Salome into the banquet hall to dance before the company of Herod and his roomful of male (and probably drunken) dinner guests. The dance she performed may have been provocative and sensual. Not that it is wrong in itself to give a good party, but such is the propensity of the human mind to wantonness that when the reins are loosed, men easily go astray.

John Calvin

 

Few women of respectable position would perform in such a way, but Herodias knew that Salome’s dance would gain raucous approval from the all-male audience. When Salome ended her dance, the king brought her to his side. He offered her whatever she might ask. Not only that, but he promised on oath—perhaps his word wasn’t good enough without that. Herod probably expected his daughter to request jewels or some other favor. He certainly did not expect the request he received.

LIFE APPLICATION – SENSUAL AND WEAK
What a study in contrasts: John the bold, in prison; and Herod the powerful, subdued by his own sensuality and moral weakness—internal prisons that John never knew. Herod became weak through a lifetime of weak decisions, culminating in this sorry spectacle. His life was tragic and wasted.
Be careful about those small moral compromises that lead to bigger ones. Herod found himself on a slippery slope and could not stop the slide. Examine all your decisions and choices. Does each step you take reflect what God wants for your life? As soon as you exclude his will from your daily decisions, you risk the error of merely pleasing people.

14:8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”NRSV Any young woman might be prepared with a thousand possible suggestions to an offer such as Herod’s, but Salome was still a fairly young girl and had already been prompted. The Matthew account seems to sound as though Salome already knew what she would request; Mark’s Gospel says she returned to her mother to find out what she should ask for. The mother’s dark desires dominated the situation. Salome responded with the gruesome request, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.” Herodias wanted John killed and the proof of his death returned on a platter. Bringing the head to the one who ordered the execution was common; however, beheading, while a Roman custom, was not a normal form of Jewish execution. Neither was it legal to put a person to death without a trial. But Herod, faced by drunk and smirking officials who waited to see what he would do, was too weak to object. Herodias would have her way. Herod caved in under the social pressure and John’s death was sealed.

14:9-10 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison.NIV When Salome grandly gave her request to Herod in the hearing of all the important officials, Herod suddenly realized what he had done—and he probably knew he had been trapped by Herodias. Herod was distressed because he put himself in this position in front of all the people he wanted to impress (14:5), and yet he considered John a holy man whom he both respected and feared (Mark 6:20). Herod had made a promise and had sealed it with an oath. Such words were considered irrevocable. To back out on the promise would show his important guests that Herod was not a man of his word or that he was afraid of this “unimportant” prisoner in a dungeon. So, because of his oaths and for his reputation in front of his dinner guests, Herod decided to show his authority by immediately fulfilling the girl’s request.

LIFE APPLICATION – STUPID PROMISES
It’s a good rule to keep your promises. Like most rules, however, sometimes an exception is necessary. It may require a lot of embarrassing backtracking, but some promises need to be rescinded before they lead to greater trouble. Herod failed to swallow his mistake and, instead, violated local criminal procedures and ordered the summary execution of a man undeserving of that fate.
 Try not to make promises you cannot keep (Christian parents and politicians, take note!). But when you make a stupid promise, swallow your pride and get out of it. Better to feel embarrassed than to commit a grave sin.

14:11 The head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother.NRSV If Herod was at his usual location in his palace in Tiberias, some time had to elapse between saying he would fulfill Salome’s request and the actual return with the gruesome results. Some scholars think that Herod was at the prison fortress of Machaerus by the Dead Sea where John was imprisoned. If so, the event would have taken place almost immediately. An executioner beheaded John and brought the grisly trophy back to the girl. The Greek word translated “girl” (korasion) means a girl of marriageable age. As suggested above, she was in her early to middle teens, yet young enough to still be under her parents’ authority.

Herod fulfilled his oath and saved face before his guests. But he had been manipulated by his wife and was left with great fear over what he had done in killing a holy man. Herod’s guilt could not be assuaged. Thus, when Jesus came upon the scene, Herod thought that John had come back to life (14:2).

LIFE APPLICATION – GRUESOME INSENSITIVITY
What mother would ask her teenage daughter to do this . . . the head of a dead man on a tray? By any human standards, the consciences of both mother and daughter were totally desensitized.
Are children similarly desensitized today by early exposure to violence on television, in motion pictures, and in popular music? Is sex so commonplace and murder so normal that the “unspeakable” begins to bore? Researchers have gathered lots of data, and the best results point in that direction: the more exposure we have to gruesome media, the less sensitive we become to real-life cruelty.
Check out the themes on your Sunday night television schedule if you want a modern menu of what Herodias must have taught Salome. And be forewarned.

14:12 His disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went and told Jesus.NRSV John the Baptist apparently still had disciples, even though many had left him to follow Jesus (which John was content for them to do, see John 1:35-37). When they heard that John had been beheaded, they came, took away his corpse, and gave it a proper burial (instead of leaving it to be disposed of by the guards in the prison). Then, they went and told Jesus. Matthew’s mention of this report to Jesus shows the close link between John’s and Jesus’ ministries. The report could have also been a warning to Jesus about the violence of which Herod was capable, and the danger of public preaching. “Don’t let the same thing happen to you,” may have been the messengers’ warning. John was the first to feel what could follow for Jesus.

JESUS FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND / 14:13-21 

Apart from Jesus’ resurrection, this is the only miracle that appears in all four Gospels, showing its importance to Jesus’ ministry and to the early church. While many people have tried to explain away the incident, it is clear that all the Gospel writers saw this as a wonderful miracle. In Matthew and Mark, this miracle follows the account of Herod’s tragic feast where John the Baptist was killed. The placement of the event creates a stark contrast between Herod’s deadly orgy and the miraculous feast that Jesus provided for the multitude. Like each of Jesus’ miracles, the feeding of the five thousand demonstrated his control over creation and showed that God will provide when we are in need.

14:13-14 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.NIV News of John’s death resulted in Jesus’ desire to pull away and be alone for a while with his disciples. Jesus and the disciples got into a boat (probably the same boat that had transported them already on the Sea of Galilee, see 8:23; 9:1) and withdrew . . . privately to a solitary place. The disciples apparently knew of a good location where they thought they could get away from the crowds. Luke tells us that they “withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida” (Luke 9:10 nrsv), probably landing at a solitary harbor apart from the city, or else they went on foot into the hills to find the “solitary place” where they could rest. This location may have been just outside of Galilee and, therefore, away from Herod Antipas’s jurisdiction.

LIFE APPLICATION  – COMPANION IN PAIN
Jesus performed some miracles as signs of his identity. He used other miracles to teach important truths. But here we read that he healed people because he “had compassion on them.” Jesus was a loving, caring, and feeling person. He put aside his own need for rest and retreat from hostility. When you are suffering, remember that Jesus hurts with you. He has compassion on you. Likewise, we must be available to show compassion to others who need Jesus’ kindly touch.

Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.NIV Popularity and recognition have their own pitfalls. Jesus and the disciples needed rest and quiet time, but the crowds would not let them get away. Instead, they followed him on foot from all the towns between Capernaum and Bethsaida. The news spread as more and more people joined the crowd that made their way to where Jesus and the disciples would land. Either the people had heard where the boat was headed, or perhaps the boat was sailing not quite out of sight along the horizon so that the people could follow it.

As soon as Jesus landed, the rest was over because a large crowd waited on the shore. Far from feeling impatience and frustration toward these needy people, Jesus had compassion on them. While Jesus had hoped to be alone with the disciples for a time of rest, he did not send away this needy crowd. He had compassion for the people and took it upon himself to meet their needs. Jesus knew that his time on earth was short, so he took advantage of every opportunity to teach the Good News of the kingdom to those willing to listen.

14:15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”NRSV Jesus had been teaching the people until evening and the hour was late (after 3:00 p.m.). Sunset was approaching, and the disciples wondered what Jesus planned to do with this crowd that had come far from their homes to be with them. The place where Jesus had been teaching was deserted, far from any town or village. It was near Bethsaida, east of the lake about four miles from Capernaum. Note the frustration in the disciples’ statement: Without the normally respectful “Lord,” they told Jesus where he was, what time it was, and what he should do. The disciples were upset and thought that Jesus would be wise to let the people go before it got dark in order for them to find food and lodging for the night. So they brought their suggestion to Jesus: send the crowds away. No doubt, the disciples also hoped to soon get the rest they had anticipated when they had set out on this journey.

LIFE APPLICATION – YOU FEED THEM
Jesus loved the people in a specific and concrete way. They needed food; they received. We learn two important lessons in this miracle:
1. Jesus provides for our needs. If we trust him, we can find full provision for our basic needs. He has the people and the provision in his church to care for his people. He can multiply meager resources to help us.
2. As Christians, we should be concerned to feed others. This miracle finds a place in all four Gospels and reminds us, “You feed them.” So quickly we spiritualize the truth away. But the reality remains that millions are starving in our world today. In honor of our Lord, we should be intermediaries for those with such desperate needs. Find a relief organization that provides food and give to it.

14:16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”NKJV The disciples were very concerned regarding the people’s needs when they suggested that Jesus send them away. After all, they would need to reach the town before sunset if they were going to obtain food. Jesus’ answer both astounded and exasperated them: They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat. Jesus directly involved his disciples in the miracle so that it would make a lasting impression on them.

14:17-18 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.”NRSV There was nothing in the crowd but five loaves and two fish, common staples for the poor of Jesus’ day. These were not large loaves of bread, but small rye buns, and the fish were small dried fish (see John 6:9-11). Apparently, in their hurry, no one else in the crowd had thought to bring along food to eat. A young boy offered his lunch to the disciples (specifically to Andrew, see John 6:8), but the disciples could see only the impossibility of the situation. Andrew asked the obviously redundant question, “But how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9 niv). The normal answer: They will feed one hungry young boy. But Jesus had an entirely different answer, and he asked the disciples to bring the five loaves and two fish to him.

14:19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.NIV Jesus did not answer the disciples or explain what he would do. Instead, he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Mark recorded that Jesus gave the disciples the job of organizing the people into groups. This may have been to make food distribution more efficient, or it may have been to emulate what Moses did (see Exodus 18:21). The men were probably separated from the women and children for the meal, according to Jewish custom.

Jesus, acting as the host of the soon-to-be banquet, took the loaves and fish, looked up to heaven, thanked God beforehand for the provision he was about to give, and then broke the loaves. As Jesus broke the loaves, the miracle occurred.

The miracle occurred in Jesus’ hands. He broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to then give to the people. He did the same thing with the fish. The disciples acted as waiters to the groups of hungry people seated on the grass, taking bread and fish, distributing it, and then returning to Jesus to get more. They continued to serve the crowd until everyone had had enough to eat.

The God who multiplied the bread was authenticating Jesus as his Son and portraying the munificent blessings of the kingdom. Just as God had provided manna to the Hebrews in the wilderness (Exodus 16) and had multiplied oil and meal for Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:7-16) and for Elisha (2 Kings 4:1-7), he was providing bread for the people on this day. It points to the feast that the Messiah will provide for people in the wilderness (Isaiah 25:6).

LIFE APPLICATION – MORE THAN ENOUGH
Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over five thousand people. What he was originally given seemed insufficient, but in his hands it became more than enough. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meager, but he can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. When we give to Jesus, our resources are multiplied.

14:20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.NIV The five loaves and two fish multiplied so that every person had his or her fill. Even the leftovers were more than they had begun with. The disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number “twelve” could simply indicate that there was one basket for each of the twelve disciples, or it could also signify fullness and completeness. In any event, there would be no waste at this banquet. The disciples may have taken the food to feed themselves later.

14:21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.NIV If the readers weren’t impressed already, now they should be astounded. The Greek word translated “men” is andres, meaning not “people” but “male individuals.” Therefore, there were five thousand men besides the women and children. The total number of people Jesus fed could have been over ten thousand. The number of men is listed separately because in the Jewish culture of the day, men and women usually ate separately when in public. The children ate with the women. We don’t know if this was the case at this particular meal. Jesus did what the disciples thought to be impossible. He multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed over five thousand people.

JESUS WALKS ON WATER / 14:22-33

The miracles of Jesus walking on the water and calming the storm (8:23-27) were a double demonstration of Jesus’ power over nature. Matthew and Mark highlighted the effects of these miracles on those who participated in them.

14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.NRSV As soon as the crowd had been fed and the disciples had picked up the scraps, Jesus immediately got his disciples and the crowd moving. His sudden desire to dismiss the crowd and send the disciples off in their boat is explained in John’s Gospel. Upon seeing (and participating in) the miracle of multiplied loaves and fish, the people “intended to come and make [Jesus] king by force” (John 6:15 niv).

Before the crowd could become an unruly mob, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side. The disciples may have wanted to stay and share the crowd’s excitement. They may have been tempted to think that Jesus was ready to inaugurate his kingdom. Jesus’ kingdom would not be an earthly one, and he didn’t want the enthusiasm of the crowd to deter him or his disciples from fulfilling their true mission. It was getting late in the day, so Jesus dismissed the crowds with a few final words before going up to the mountainside by himself.  

Jesus Walks on the Sea

The miraculous feeding of the 5,000 occurred on the shores of the Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida. Jesus then sent his disciples across the lake. Several hours later, they encountered a storm, and Jesus came to them—walking on the water. The boat then landed at Gennesaret.

 

Exactly where the disciples were going causes some confusion if one compares the Gospel accounts. Mark records that Jesus told the disciples to go “to the other side, to Bethsaida” (6:45 nrsv). According to Luke 9:10, Jesus and the disciples were in Bethsaida for the feeding of the five thousand. According to John 6:17, the disciples “set off across the lake for Capernaum” (niv). One solution is that two communities were named Bethsaida. Luke 9:10 identifies Bethsaida (near Julias) on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. The reference in Mark 6:45 identifies Bethsaida as a village (near Capernaum) on the western shore.

14:23-24 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.NIV Jesus dismissed the crowd and “made the disciples get into the boat” and leave (14:22); then he went alone up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus wanted time to communicate with his Father. During his ministry on earth, Jesus was in constant contact with the Father—he may have gone off alone to pray often, so his desire to do so may not have surprised the disciples, who left in the boat as instructed.

Jesus had just left a crowd that wanted to make him their king. Perhaps the high popularity was a temptation in itself, for it could have threatened to turn Jesus away from his mission—death on the cross to accomplish salvation. Maybe his prayer on the lonely mountainside focused on fulfilling the mission of suffering when it seemed (at least humanly speaking) more credible to accept their offer of kingship. Jesus, in his humanity, may have continued to face the temptation to turn away from the difficult path and take the easier one. He constantly sought strength from God. Going into the wilderness, alone with the Father, helped Jesus focus on his task and gain strength for what he had to do.

When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.NIV The disciples had left sometime before sunset, so by the time evening came, they were a considerable distance from land. The disciples often fished during the night, so sailing out into the night was not unusual. However, the disciples were being blown off course, fighting the sea in their boat, buffeted by the waves. At least the last time this had happened, Jesus had been in the boat with them (although they had to awaken him to get his help, 8:23-27). This time, Jesus was alone on the land, and the disciples were left to fend for themselves (or so they thought) against another raging storm.

The other Gospel writers record various details of this scenario. The disciples took down the sails and tried to keep control of the boat by strenuous rowing. For the entire night they fought the storm, able to row only about three or four miles (John 6:19). As Jesus prayed on the mountainside, he “saw the disciples straining at the oars” (Mark 6:48 niv).

LIFE APPLICATION – PLAYING SOLITAIRE
Seeking solitude was an important priority for Jesus (see also 14:13). He made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father. Spending time with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship and equips us to meet life’s challenges and struggles. Develop the discipline of spending time alone with God; it will help you grow spiritually and become more and more like Christ.

14:25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.NKJV From evening until the fourth watch of the night (between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m.), the disciples had been out on the sea, much of that time fighting a strong headwind and rough seas. Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. While some might try to explain away this miracle by saying Jesus was simply on the shore, the Gospel writers made it clear that Jesus walked “on” the water. Not only that, but he walked a great distance. John recorded that the disciples had gone three or four miles by the time Jesus came to them (John 6:19). So the waves were indeed fierce.

The Old Testament often describes God’s control over the seas. Jesus’ walking on the sea was an unmistakable picture of his identity and power (see Job 9:8; 38:16; Psalm 77:19; Isaiah 43:16).

14:26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.NRSV The disciples were battling exhaustion even before they got into the boat to head back across the lake.

Their anticipated rest in a solitary place had been interrupted by the crowds (14:13-14). They had been battling the buffeting waves for some time. Suddenly, in the predawn mist, Jesus came walking toward them on the sea. They reacted in terror, imagining that they were seeing a ghost. They all cried out in fear. They thought they had left Jesus back on the mountainside. He uses the element we dread as the path for his approach. The waves were endangering the boat, but Jesus walked on them. In our lives are people and circumstances we dread, but it is through these that the greatest blessing of our lives will come, if we look through them to Christ.

F. B. Meyer

 

The Greek word for “ghost” used here is phantasma, meaning an apparition or specter. The word was associated with magic and charms. The word differs from pneuma, also sometimes translated “ghost,” meaning the disembodied spirit of someone who had died (Luke 24:37). Jesus was (as far as they knew) alive and well, so they were terrified by what they saw. Once again, Jesus was doing the unexpected and the impossible. Again the disciples were not ready to grasp what it meant.

14:27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”NRSV Jesus called out to the disciples over the storm, telling them to take heart. He identified himself and told them not to be afraid any longer. The literal reading for “It is I” is “I am” (Greek, ego eimi); it is the same as saying “the I AM is here” or “I, Yahweh, am here” (see Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 41:4; 43:10; 52:6). Jesus, the “I AM,” came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples’ time of desperate need. Their need was real; their fear was real. But in the presence of Jesus, fear can be dismissed.

LIFE APPLICATION – COURAGE!
When Jesus arrived, he made a huge difference! Because of Jesus—all he taught, all he did—your life is different now! You’re not alone, and you’re not lost. You have a heavenly Father, a living Savior, and a present helper, the Holy Spirit. All the problems that beset you are now theirs as well.
Lest we forget, try this. At the end of a phone conversation, instead of “good-bye” say “courage!” Gently, softly, remind one another of what Jesus gives us. In the face of every trouble, every heartbreak, every troubling diagnosis . . . courage!

14:28-29 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.NIV Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to do (4:7). Instead, he was the only one in the boat who reacted in faith. His impulsive request led him to experience a rather unusual demonstration of God’s power. Jesus’ presence in the storm caused Peter to exercise a fearless faith. Peter overcame his fear and attempted the impossible. But notice that he did so only with Jesus’ command to come. Notice also that he asked only to do what Jesus was doing; that is, he wanted to share in Jesus’ power, some of which the disciples had already been experiencing (10:1).

14:30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”NRSV Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered. His faith was strong enough to trust that he could walk on the water. But when he realized that he was in a terrifying storm, his faith did not stand up to the storm. Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith is weak. In Peter’s faltering faith we can see the path of discipleship. We have to exercise faith to have the power, but often we stumble and fail to grasp it fully. When Peter’s faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ’s presence or ability to help, remember that he is the only one who can really help.

14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”NKJV Jesus’ immediate response showed Peter that divine undergirding and power are present in times of testing. Jesus caught Peter, saving him from drowning in the waves. Peter had taken his eyes off Christ and was focusing instead on his situation. Jesus’ question focused on why Peter allowed the wind and waves to overwhelm his faith. He momentarily despaired and so began to sink. His doubt became his downfall.

14:32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.NKJV Jesus and Peter then got into the boat with the rest of the disciples, who must have been speechless. Then, as had occurred once before when the disciples had experienced another storm, the wind ceased and the sea once again became calm (see also 8:26). Jesus had revealed to them his complete mastery over nature. (See Isaiah 51:9-16 for a dramatic description of God’s power over the sea.)

14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”NIV The disciples’ declaration, Truly you are the Son of God, indicates a progression in faith.

In 14:27, Jesus said, “It is I”; in 14:28, Peter said, “If [since] it’s you . . .”; and here the disciples exclaimed, “Truly you are.” Mark’s account focuses on the disciples’ hardness of heart in understanding Jesus’ true identity; Matthew’s account focuses on their astonishment over his encounter with Peter. The first result of walking with God is great joy, abounding joy, and secondly, a great sense of security, of abiding peace.

R. A. Torrey

 

While the disciples worshiped and called Jesus the Son of God, they still had much to learn about who Jesus was and what he had come to do.

JESUS HEALS ALL WHO TOUCH HIM / 14:34-36

14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.NIV The storm had blown the disciples off course, so they did not land at Bethsaida as planned (14:22; see also Mark 6:45). The plan had been to meet Jesus in Bethsaida, but Jesus had come to them on the water. So after the storm ceased, they landed at Gennesaret. Gennesaret was a small fertile plain located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, as well as the name of a small town there. Capernaum sat at the northern edge of this plain.

14:35-36 After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.NRSV Jesus was well-known in the region of Galilee, and his presence always created great excitement. Immediately upon getting out of the boat, people recognized Jesus, and a flurry of activity began. There still would be no rest for him. The news of Jesus’ arrival spread like wildfire through the area. As Jesus moved through the region, people brought all who were sick to him so that he might heal them.

Jesus had gained a widespread reputation as a healer; so a great crowd of people came for healing. In a day when medicines and medical help were few and limited, sickness was rampant and constant. Perhaps the story had spread of the woman in Capernaum who had been healed by touching Jesus’ cloak. For at this time the people begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak. Jewish men wore tassels on the hem of their robes in order to obey God’s command in Deuteronomy 22:12. By Jesus’ day, these tassels were seen as signs of holiness (Matthew 23:5). It was natural that people seeking healing should reach out and touch these. No one missed out on Jesus’ loving compassion, even if they could only touch the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. But as the woman in Capernaum learned, healing came from faith in Jesus, not from his garment (9:20-22).

What a contrast in receptions! In Nazareth, his hometown, Jesus found no honor (13:54-58), but in pagan Gennesaret he was recognized immediately and swamped with believing citizens. Even Jesus’ disciples had not recognized him (14:26) as readily as did these people. At the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, religious leadership felt threatened, but pagan astrologers (the wise men) came to worship. Pedigree and tradition may obscure God’s truth for the religiously inclined, while “outsiders” come to Jesus eagerly, and he to them. Jesus loves faith; he is Lord of all peoples; and his church is truly international.

LIFE APPLICATION – DOES JESUS HEAL TODAY?
Some Christians say no. Healing was part of the work of Jesus and the early church to establish his authority, but today it’s not part of God’s plan, they say. That answer takes away a major source of help for reasons that have nothing to do with Jesus at all.
Some Christians say yes, and there’s no need for help of any other kind. To consult a doctor is to show a lack of faith, they say. That answer suggests that twenty centuries of medical knowledge (since Jesus’ time) somehow violate God’s will.
The best answer is to trust Jesus for concrete help when we’re sick, to pray in faith, and to respect the professionals who administer health to our day and age. Use all the means God has given to promote health and reduce suffering: prayer, science, and healthy habits of eating and exercise.

www.RidgeFellowship.com
Source:  Life Application Bible Commentary – Matthew.

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Matthew Chapter 13

Posted on January 16, 2016 by dkoop

Gospel of MatthewThanks for reading through the gospel of Matthew with us.  Today Jesus tells parables or stories about a farmer sowing seed, an enemy sowing weeds, a mustard seed, yeast, hidden treasure, a pearl of great price and a fishing net.

 

matthew-24-35JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE FOUR SOILS / 13:1-9

Jesus left the synagogue and began to teach outdoors. He left those opposed to him and reached out to the responsive people. Jesus had already made unmistakable claims about his true identity, and there was increasing division between those who accepted and those who rejected. The religious leaders had already decided that Jesus was not the Messiah. The crowds who followed Jesus, listening to his teaching and observing his miracles, wondered if this could be the “Son of David” (12:23), but their leaders told them he was not.

So “that same day” (13:1), Jesus began teaching a series of parables about the kingdom of heaven. Prior to this time he had spoken clearly, but he used the parables to get listeners to think. These “parables” hid the truth from those who had their minds made up, having already chosen to reject Jesus. Those who truly wanted to know Jesus and listened carefully would understand his words.

Chapter 13 includes seven different parables:

  • In 13:1-23 is the parable of the sower and the soils, focusing on receptivity to the gospel message.
  • In 13:24-35 are three “little power” parables about the weeds, seeds, and leaven.
  • In 13:44-50 are three “end time” parables about the treasure in a field, the pearl, and the net.

13:1-2 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.NRSV Earlier that same day, Jesus had been accused of being under Satan’s power (12:22-37), had turned down the religious leaders’ request for a miracle (12:38-45), and had dealt with his family who had come to take him home (12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35). Having had enough of the conflict, he decided to go out of the house in Capernaum and sit beside the sea (that is, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee).

As often happened wherever Jesus went, great crowds gathered. In fact, these were such great crowds that Jesus got into a boat anchored a little way offshore (probably a fishing vessel). Matthew recorded that Jesus sat there, a reference to Jesus’ teaching style. The boat was surrounded by water; it was not moored to a dock. From that position, Jesus sat and taught while the whole crowd stood on the beach.

13:3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.”NIV Jesus used many illustrations, or parables, when teaching the crowds. Parables are short stories that use familiar scenes and everyday objects and relationships to explain spiritual truths. A parable compares something unfamiliar with something familiar. It compels listeners to discover truth, while at the same time concealing the truth from those too lazy or too stubborn to see it. Jesus’ insights were hidden from those who refused to seek the truth and from those who would not come back and inquire. To those who were honestly searching, the truth became clear. We must be careful not to read too much into parables, forcing them to say what they do not mean. All parables have one meaning unless otherwise specified by Jesus. In this parable, the farmer represents Jesus, the soil represents Israel, and the seed represents the proclamation of the kingdom. The parable shows the contrast between the results of acceptance and rejection of the gospel message.

This “kingdom parable” gave a familiar picture to Jesus’ audience—a farmer sowing seed, with the resulting increase dependent on the condition of the soil. In ancient Israel, farmers sowed seed by hand. As the farmer walked across the field, he would sow the seeds by scattering (13:4) handfuls of seed onto the ground from a large bag slung across his shoulders. The plants did not grow in neat rows, as is accomplished by today’s machine planting. No matter how skillful, no farmer could keep some of his seed from falling by the wayside, from being scattered among rocks and thorns, or from being carried off by the wind. So the farmer would throw the seed liberally, and enough would fall on good ground to ensure a good harvest. The yield depended on the condition of the soil where the seed fell. A farmer in Palestine could possibly have all four types of soil Jesus described on his farm.

Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom, explaining through this parable that while their religious leaders might reject the Messiah, that did not change the truth. Jesus himself and the gospel were truth; there was no problem with them as there was no problem with the farmer or his seed. The only variable was the land where the seed fell.

13:4 “As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”NIV Some of the seeds fell along the path (on the road). Paths (the “roads” in Bible times) ran right through the fields. The hard and compacted soil of the road made it impossible for the seed to penetrate. So it sat on top, as tempting morsels for birds that came and ate it up. In 13:19 we learn that the “birds” represent Satan. For more on the path representing “hardness of heart” see 13:19.

13:5-6 “Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.”NRSV Some of that seed fell on rocky ground. Unlike the path, rocky ground had some soil to accept the seed, but not much. The seed sprang up quickly in the shallow soil. Most of the land in Palestine is rocky. The soil is filled with rocks of all sizes. Such soil traps the moisture so that plants can grow quickly, but the sun takes the moisture out so rapidly that a young plant withers. Thus, when the sun rose, they were scorched and withered away. See 13:20-21 for a discussion on rocky soil representing hearers who lack real depth.

13:7 “Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.”NRSV Some of the farmer’s seed fell among thorns. No farmer would intentionally scatter the seed into an area filled with thorns and briers; this probably refers to the seed falling among seeds or roots of thorns that cultivation had not destroyed. Thorns rob the sprouts of nutrition, water, light, and space. Thus, when the thorns grew up, the good seed was choked out and could not grow to maturity and yield a crop.

13:8 “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop— a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”NIV However, some of the seed landed in plowed and readied soil. This seed had the depth of soil, space, and moisture to grow and produce a crop. This seed multiplied and yielded thirty, sixty, or even up to a hundred times the amount of seed sown. A farmer would be happy indeed to see his crop multiply even ten times. Thirty, sixty, or a hundred would be a marvelous (although not unheard of) yield, for it would mean even more seed to plant and harvest in the coming year.

 LIFE APPLICATION- NO FORMULAS
This parable should encourage spiritual “sowers”—those who teach, preach, and lead others. The farmer sowed good seed, but not all the seed sprouted, and even the plants that grew had varying yields. There are so many factors involved with the process of believing in the truth of the gospel that we should be reluctant to use percentages and ratios (of numbers of presentations to numbers of responses) as an application of this parable. Rather, it is a miracle of God’s Holy Spirit as he uses your words to lead others to him. Don’t be discouraged if you do not always see results as you faithfully teach the Word.

13:9 “Let anyone with ears listen!”NRSV Jesus’ audience must have wondered at these strange words. Didn’t they all have ears, and hadn’t they all heard? But Jesus wasn’t talking about the act of simply hearing his words. Human ears hear many sounds, but there is a deeper kind of listening that results in spiritual understanding. Jesus was speaking of the response of the mind and heart necessary to gain spiritual understanding. Some people in the crowd were only curious about Jesus; a few were looking for evidence to use against him; others truly wanted to learn and grow. Jesus’ words were for the honest seekers. Those who honestly seek God will have spiritual hearing. Jesus pointed out that listening makes fertile soil. If we bear fruit, it is proof that we have listened. If others bear fruit, it shows that the seed we have planted has taken root in their heart.

Jesus purposely spoke in parables to weed out the halfhearted and curiosity seekers from the true seekers. His words, like the farmer’s seed, fell on various types of hearts. Those who truly heard and understood would become his followers. Those not ready for Jesus would not understand his words, would lose interest, and finally would either fade away or become his avowed enemies (as did most of the religious leaders).

It is easy for us to hear Jesus’ words on others’ behalf. We hear what Jesus says and may even understand a deeper meaning, but we are quick to apply the message to someone else’s need. When we hear Jesus’ words, we should apply them to our lives, not to someone else. If you honestly seek God, you have spiritual hearing, and these parables will give you new perspectives.

JESUS EXPLAINS THE PARABLE OF THE FOUR SOILS / 13:10-23

13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”NIV When Jesus got away from the crowd and was alone with his true followers (the twelve disciples and the larger group of believers from whom the Twelve had been chosen), a more intimate question-and-answer period followed. Perhaps these close followers did not want to reveal their ignorance about Jesus’ words in front of the entire crowd. More likely, they were noticing that many people in the crowd were not understanding Jesus’ message. So, when they were alone with Jesus, his followers asked him why he spoke to the people in parables, in stories that seemed to confuse his listeners and obscure the message. A parable is an extended metaphor to express a moral or spiritual truth. It can be a proverb, riddle, complex story, or extended comparison. The purpose for using them was to get people to think.

13:11 He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.”NIV Jesus revealed that understanding the truth of the gospel comes as a gift of God to those he has chosen. The you to whom Jesus spoke was the group of his true followers, including the twelve disciples and others who believed in him. God had given them a special gift. That this knowledge is given reveals that both grace and judgment are God’s prerogative. God had given this knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven to these disciples as a permanent possession, a distinguishing mark of discipleship. They understood, though only partially, the “secret” that God’s kingdom had arrived among them in the person of Jesus. Those who have not been given this knowledge (not to them) are those who willfully reject the gospel message.

When speaking in parables, Jesus was not hiding truth from sincere seekers, because those who were receptive to spiritual truth understood the illustrations. To others they were only stories without meaning. This allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it while preventing his enemies from trapping him sooner than they might otherwise have done.

The word translated “secrets” is also translated “mysteries.” The Aramaic word raz was used in the intertestamental writings to refer to the “hidden” revelation of God, unknown to the apostates, but “given” to his true people at the proper time. In this context, they are the “secrets of the kingdom” given to the disciples through Jesus’ teaching.

13:12 “For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”NRSV To those who have the knowledge given by God (13:11), God will give even more knowledge and understanding so that they will have an abundance. In contrast are those who have nothing—no knowledge or understanding from God (as explained in 13:11). From these people, even what they have will be taken away. How can people “have nothing” yet lose what they have? Jesus’ words meant that those who had rejected him and his message had no knowledge and therefore would lose their privileged status. Those who “have nothing” were the religious leaders and the vast majority of the Jews. They thought they were privileged and secure as God’s chosen people, but they would lose that position. They would never understand the secret because they would not come to God for the answer. Choosing not to believe in Jesus as their Messiah, they would not be able to understand the kingdom. This phrase means that we are responsible to use well what we have. When people reject Jesus, their hardness of heart drives away or renders useless even the little understanding they had.

13:13 “The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.'”NRSV The parable of the sower accurately pictured the people’s reaction to all of Jesus’ parables. Jesus would not explain them to the people; rather, he would answer questions about his parables with other parables because seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand. (See the next verse.)

Mark, also writing about this teaching, used the Greek hina (meaning “in order that”) to introduce the statement “seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.” Hina conveys the concept that the parables were being used to blind those refusing to know the truth. Matthew’s rendering uses the Greek hoti, meaning “because.” Hoti conveys the meaning that the people were already blind and spiritually insensitive. Both phrases (“in order that” and “because”) could indicate either: (1) purpose, that is, Jesus’ parables would remain unclear to those refusing to understand in order to keep them from perceiving; or (2) result, that is, the parables resulted in the people being unable to perceive or understand. The second option is best because it seems too harsh of Jesus to use the parables to keep people from believing. While the parables may have been intended to be a means of God’s judgment on unbelievers, they also could not penetrate the hard soil of unbelief already characterizing unbelievers’ hearts. This was originally given as a prophecy for Isaiah’s own day about how his fellow Israelites would receive God’s messages through him. Jesus witnessed the same reaction to his words.

These unbelievers had already rejected Jesus; no amount of explaining or talking would make any difference. The soil of their heart was hard; the seed of the word would not grow; the parables would be nothing more than strange stories to them. Jesus was not hiding truth from sincere seekers because those who were receptive to spiritual truth understood the illustrations. To the “path,” “thorn patch,” or “rocky soil” people, the parables were only stories without meaning. The parables allowed Jesus to give spiritual food to those who hungered for it; but for the others, Isaiah’s prophecy explained their situation.

13:14 “With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ‘You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.'”NRSV God told Isaiah that people would listen without understanding and look without perceiving (Isaiah 6:9); Jesus witnessed the same reaction to his teaching.

By quoting from the prophet Isaiah, Jesus was explaining to this inner group of followers that the crowd resembled the Israelites about whom Isaiah had written. God had told Isaiah that the people would listen but not learn from his message because their hearts had hardened beyond repentance. Yet God still sent Isaiah with the message because even though the nation itself would not repent and would reap judgment, some individuals would listen. One of the moral diseases we communicate to one another in society comes from huddling together in the pale light of an insufficient answer to questions we are afraid to ask.

Thomas Merton

 

Jesus came to the Israelites hundreds of years after Isaiah, but the scenario was the same. Most would not repent because their hearts were hardened; but a few would listen, turn from their sins, and believe. The deafness to the message did not mean that the message was false or that the messenger was somehow at fault.

13:15 “‘For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them.'”NRSV Neither Isaiah’s nor Jesus’ audiences were denied the opportunity to turn and receive healing (forgiveness). Instead, refusing to listen would mean inability to perceive and understand anything Jesus had to say. The Pharisees had already accused Jesus of being in league with Satan (12:24). Such an accusation revealed their stubborn blindness and their refusal to believe. Jesus used these words from Isaiah to refer directly to the Pharisees’ accusation. The verbs are singular, meaning that they would not be forgiven of their sin of blasphemy. No matter how much they saw of Jesus’ miracles or heard of his teaching, they never would be able to understand because they had deliberately chosen to reject. So Jesus was saying that this hardness was, in effect, divine judgment.

13:16 “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.”NKJV The images of “seeing” and “hearing” refer to knowledge of God’s revelation. The contrast with 13:13 is striking—Jesus spoke to “them” (that is, the crowds at large) in parables because they refused to understand. However, the disciples (“you”) were blessed because they wanted to understand (even if they didn’t always completely understand). The same division between the unbelieving and believing was recorded in 11:25-26, “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure'” (niv). The disciples were blessed above the people in the crowd because they were seeing and hearing what the prophets had foretold. God gave them spiritual enlightenment to understand and accept the person and the message of Jesus.

 LIFE APPLICATION – BELIEVERS’ MODESTY
Jesus takes the pride out of believing when he reminds us that faith is a gift. It’s God who saves us and God who opens our eyes to see. Christians inclined to say, “Yea for me—I believe!” need to change their cheer to “Yea God! You’ve opened my heart to Jesus!”
The New Testament calls this gift “grace.” Grace tells us that God is in charge and he keeps us from falling away. We don’t deserve God’s grace. That’s why believers, of all people, should be very modest about their contribution to being a Christian.

13:17 “Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”NRSV The kingdom of God was a mystery to the prophets of the Old Testament because, though they wrote about it, they did not understand it (as Paul explains in Romans 16:25-26). The believers who knew Jesus personally received spiritual insight that illuminated the mystery so that it was no longer a mystery to them. In these words, Jesus was explaining that he was the fulfillment of the prophecies given and heard by the prophets and righteous people of Old Testament days. Peter later wrote

  • Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. (1 Peter 1:10-12 niv)
 LIFE APPLICATION – BELIEVERS’ PRIVILEGE
Old Testament believers saw and heard about a lot of important events pointing to God’s loving care (for example, the Exodus, the Goliath battle, the temple being built and rebuilt), but still God’s greatest news was murky and distant.
Disciples and followers who saw and heard Jesus were highly privileged. They were firsthand, eye-to-eye witnesses. They saw the Lord, heard him, walked with him.
But the real benefit belongs to us. We have Jesus, the rest of the New Testament, and nearly two thousand years of the Holy Spirit working through the church. What a privilege! Be grateful and glad. Make good use of the knowledge available to you.

13:18-19 “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path.”NRSV The sower was Jesus (see also 13:37) and, by extension, anyone after him who would teach and preach the word (represented by the seed). Jesus was telling the parable and exemplifying it; as he spoke of the farmer sowing the seed, he was sowing the word among the crowd of followers. Jesus was revealing his mission while teaching the disciples about theirs. The parable revealed people’s varying responses to the gospel message. The attitude or condition of their hearts would govern their response.

The word makes no impression on some people. For those who hear and do not understand, the seed lands on a hard heart (like the hardened soil of the path). Then Satan (like the birds, 13:4) snatches it away. Perhaps the person feels no need in his or her heart, no desire for anything other than this life, no guilt of sin or need of forgiveness. Satan has no trouble with these people.

 LIFE APPLICATION – EXCUSES
Today people might say, “It’s not my fault if I don’t understand Jesus’ message!” They may have a variety of excuses:
 “It’s too difficult. I can’t grasp these abstract concepts.” Our responsibility is not to become theologians, just willing listeners.
 “I’m not old enough to make life-changing decisions.” But even children understand love, doing right, and spiritual authority.
“I know too many ‘Christian’ phonies, jerks, and nerds.”
The name “Christian” is used today by racist hate groups, political revolutionaries, and fraudulent money-making schemes. It’s sad that the name is detached so far and so often from the reality. But the reality is Jesus’ message, and that comes right from God to you, today, with life-changing power. Don’t fool with excuses. Embrace and receive Jesus’ message as the foundation of your life.

13:20-21 “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.”NRSV The seed sown on rocky ground had some soil to accept the seed, but not much. These people joyfully receive the Good News of the gospel because of the promises offered. They grow a bit initially. These people understand some of the basics but do not allow God’s truth to work its way into their souls and make a difference in their lives. They have no root and thus endure only for a while. When trouble or persecution comes (the scorching heat, 13:5-6), they decide not to believe the gospel or its promises and so fall away. Satan can always use sorrow, trouble, and persecution to draw people away from God. Ironically, those who let the message take root in good soil find that sorrow, trouble, and persecution bring them closer to God.

13:22 “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing.”NRSV This is Satan’s most subversive tactic of all. These people hear and accept the word and allow it to take root in their hearts, giving hope of a harvest. But thorns grow up and choke out the growing seed. Thorns rob nutrition, water, light, and space from newly sprouting seeds. Distractions and conflicts rob new believers of time to reflect on and digest God’s Word to grow from it, as well as robbing them of guidance and support from interaction with other Christians. Jesus described the “thorns”: cares of the world and lure of wealth.

Worldly worries, the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for material things plagued first-century disciples as they do us today. Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract believers, choking out God’s Word so that it yields nothing.

 LIFE APPLICATION – WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
Sometimes Jesus’ message is phrased today like a television commercial, and we “buy into it” on those terms—a product that will make us happier. Then troubles come, and we wonder what went wrong.
Jesus promises to help us through life’s troubles, not to remove us from them all. Stay with his message because it’s true, not because it makes you feel good. When you start to feel discouraged, it’s time to get together with a Christian friend for a good talk, maybe a good cry, and prayer.

13:23 “But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”NRSV But other people are like the good soil—they hear the Word and accept it. These are the true disciples—those who have accepted Jesus, believed his words, and allowed him to make a difference in their lives.

Notice that the seed bears fruit. Those who preach the word yield others who preach the word to others who preach the word and so on. The call to evangelize the world should naturally follow from a life rebuilt around God’s Word.

This parable answered the question of why there were so many opinions about Jesus. Belief ranged from love to hatred and all shades in between. The same is true today. The answer, said Jesus, lies not in the message, for that is always the same. Neither is the problem caused by the preacher or teacher if he or she sows the message appropriately. The answer is that the message falls on hearts that are in varied degrees of readiness. The message will not be accepted in the same way by all who hear it. God had told the prophet Ezekiel, “Whether they hear or refuse to hear . . . they shall know that there has been a prophet among them. . . . You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear” (Ezekiel 2:5, 7 nrsv).

 LIFE APPLICATION – HOW EASY
Jesus said the seed sown among thorns yields nothing. When we don’t obey God, soon our lives become unusable to him. How easy it is to agree with Christ with no intention of obeying. It is easy to denounce the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth, and still do nothing to change our ways. Considering eternal life with God, are your present worries justified? If you had everything you could want but forfeited eternal life with God, would those things be so desirable? Don’t let worldly cares and the illusion of wealth deter you from obeying God.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS / 13:24-30

While the kingdom message is being sown, it faces a variety of different receptions (13:1-8, 18-23). Some may have thought that the inauguration of the Messiah’s kingdom would be accompanied by cataclysmic events. That did not seem to be happening with Jesus. In the Jewish mind, the coming of the Messiah signaled the coming of the kingdom. Jesus stated that the Messiah had arrived with his kingdom, but the fulfillment of the messianic kingdom would be delayed until he comes a second time. What, then, is the kingdom of heaven like? The parables in this chapter answer this question. They show what the kingdom is really like as opposed to people’s expectations of it. The kingdom of heaven is not a geographic location but a spiritual realm where God rules and where believers share in his eternal life. We join that kingdom when we trust in Christ as Savior.

 LIFE APPLICATION – SOILED?
The four types of soil represent different responses to God’s message. People respond differently because they are in different states of readiness. Some are hardened, others are shallow, others are contaminated by distracting worries, and some are receptive. How has God’s Word taken root in your life? What kind of soil are you?

13:24-26 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.”NRSV Jesus explained that the kingdom grows quietly and abundantly, yet evil still exists in the world. Jesus gives the meaning of this parable in 13:36-43, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seeds are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil” (13:37-39 nrsv). Remember that in parables, not every item needs to be interpreted; some details are added to give color. That the enemy came while everybody was asleep does not indicate neglect on anyone’s part; that he went away does not indicate his absence. Instead, these details merely highlight the stealth and malicious intent of Satan (the enemy, “the evil one”).

This was a known practice in ancient warfare and feuds—destroy a nation’s (or person’s) agricultural base and his military might would also be destroyed. The presence of Satan’s children among God’s people would also serve to weaken them. Because no one recognized the weeds, both grew at the same time. The “weed” Jesus referred to may have been darnel, a poisonous plant that looks very much like wheat in the early stages of growth, but becomes distinguishable when the heads of the wheat appear. Jesus’ hearers would have understood how no one would have noticed the weeds until the plants came up and bore grain. Only then would the weeds appear. A heavy infestation of darnel (indicated by it being “sowed” among the grain) would cause the roots of both plants to become entangled. To sow darnel in a person’s wheat field was punishable by Roman law. This real-life situation gave Jesus’ hearers a picture of God’s kingdom growing and thriving alongside evil in this world.

Jesus’ reference is to the kingdom of heaven and is not limited to the church. However, the church is in the world as well as in the kingdom of heaven, so the truth also applies. There are good seeds and bad seeds, children of God and children of Satan, in the church. At first glance, the works of each may be difficult to distinguish. Jesus appealed to us to be appropriately inclusive (we should avoid exclusiveness and arrogant separatism). We should strive for unity with others even when it may present the risk of “weeds.” The work of judgment is God’s. Yet we must not be naive. Satan has a strategy and his children are at work.

13:27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'”NIV After the plants have grown, the owner’s servants report the surprising appearance of the weeds. Jesus did not identify the servants in his explanation of this parable. The servants knew the master had sowed good seed. While the servants would expect a few weeds, this heavy infestation was suspect. How could there be so many weeds? “Where then did the weeds come from?” the servants ask.

Who are these “weeds”? Jesus would soon explain that “the weeds are the children of the evil one” (13:38 nrsv). They may be people in the church who appear to be believers but who never truly believe. The apostles later battled the problem of false teachers who came from within the ranks of the believers (see, for example, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 13-22). To interpret the meaning more broadly—the kingdom of God is present and growing in a world full of sin and unbelief. God will not eliminate all opposition until the end of the age.

13:28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?'”NIV The enemy, Satan (13:39), is always working to obstruct the growth of God’s kingdom. The enemy caused a problem, but the weeds could not stop the growth of the wheat. The wheat just grew alongside the weeds. So the servants dutifully asked if they should go and pull up the weeds.

 LIFE APPLICATION – TOUGH QUESTION
The “servants” in this parable raise one of the toughest questions ever posed: If God is good and all-powerful, where does evil come from, and why is evil permitted?
The answer provided is a simple one. It does not address all the logical difficulties of good and evil coexisting, but it tells us what we need to know: “An enemy did this.”
l God does not generate evil. God is good indeed and ought not be identified with evil at all.
l Let God be concerned about understanding evil deeply and thoroughly. When we seek in-depth understanding of evil (through viewing films or reading novels), we risk real damage to the heart, soul, and mind.
l Spiritual “warfare” is normal, not odd or surprising. Enemies actively oppose one another.
When sin and unbelief seem so strong, don’t try to figure out where they originated. We know Satan is our enemy. Instead, trust God and determine to follow him.

13:29-30 “But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'”NRSV In answer to the servants’ question, the owner replied that no, they should not weed the fields. Instead, the wheat and weeds should grow together until the harvest. At the time of harvest, the workers would reap the field—gathering the wheat into the barn and collecting the weeds to be burned. The “harvest” was a common metaphor for the final judgment (Jeremiah 51:33; Hosea 6:11; see also Revelation 14:14-16). Jesus soon explained that “the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels” (13:39 nrsv).

Again, Jesus was making the point that while his coming signaled the arrival of the kingdom, its consummation would be delayed. The children of God and children of Satan would grow together “until” the harvest; then, God would judge and separate his children from Satan’s children (“the children of the evil one,” 13:38).

 

LIFE APPLICATION – GOD DOES THE WEEDING
The young weeds and the young blades of wheat look the same and can’t be distinguished until they are grown and ready for harvest. Weeds (unbelievers) and wheat (believers) must live side by side in this world. God allows unbelievers to remain for a while, just as a farmer allows weeds to remain in his field so that the surrounding wheat won’t be uprooted with them. At the harvest, however, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away. God’s harvest (judgment) of all people is coming. Make yourself ready by remaining faithful to Christ and obeying him.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED / 13:31-32

13:31-32 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.”NIV No one parable can completely describe God’s kingdom in all its aspects, so Jesus gave several. Through this parable, Jesus explained that his kingdom would have a small beginning. Indeed, it began with Jesus alone and, upon his ascension, was left in the care of twelve apostles and just a few hundred other followers. Jesus compared this beginning to the mustard seed, which was the smallest seed that a farmer used. The mustard seed was so small that it would take almost twenty thousand seeds to make one ounce. Modern critics have pointed out that the mustard seed is not the smallest seed, and they use this to argue against the accuracy of the Bible. Jesus was not making a scientific statement. Though the mustard seed is not the smallest seed in all of creation, it was used in rabbinic proverbs to designate the smallest of things. No other seed so small produced such a large plant.

From this very tiny seed would grow a large shrub—the largest shrub among all the herbs that the farmer would plant in his garden. A mustard shrub could grow ten to twelve feet in just a few weeks. While that is not technically a tree, Jesus used hyperbole to stress both the insignificance (“smallest”) and magnificence (“largest,” “tree”) of the kingdom. His point was that just as a tiny seed will grow into the largest of garden plants, so God’s kingdom will produce many people who truly believe.

From this small start, the kingdom will grow into such greatness that when Christ returns, it will take over the entire earth. Jesus stressed the future greatness of the kingdom, which then seemed insignificant. He also showed that the kingdom had small beginnings but would grow and produce great results. Sects and ideologies almost always seem stronger than the church. Sects and ideologies fly; the church limps. Sects and ideologies die; the church limps on. Stick with the church.

Frederick Dale Bruner

 

Jesus’ mention of birds of the air added color to his parable or described the size of this shrub, but probably did not have any allegorical meaning. Some commentators, however, say that the birds may represent the Gentiles becoming part of God’s kingdom (see prophecies such as Ezekiel 17:22-24; 31:6).

For the disciples, and for us, this parable meant that size or relative power does not indicate final results. The disciples needed to understand that while their mission might at times seem unattainable, God’s kingdom would take root and grow across the world and through the years. This would be no political coup; the kingdom would grow steadily in people’s hearts, making a difference in people’s lives and preparing them for life to come in God’s eternal kingdom.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE YEAST / 13:33-35

13:33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”NIV In other Bible passages, “yeast” is used as a symbol of evil or uncleanness (see 16:6). Here it is a positive symbol of growth. Like the parable of the mustard seed, this parable stresses small beginnings with great growth. While the seed grows, however, the yeast permeates and transforms; thus, we see another aspect of the kingdom. Although yeast looks like a minor ingredient, it permeates the whole loaf. Although the kingdom had small beginnings, it would grow to have a great impact on the world. What the Jews saw as insignificant (the man Jesus and his little band of followers) was actually the start of a great and world-changing event. Like leaven working its way through the dough, the kingdom message would spread across the entire world.

 LIFE APPLICATION – SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
Massive churches are exciting, but small churches are the norm. Huge choirs led by trained conductors are thrilling, but little backwoods quartets are the norm. Stereo sound systems make worship acoustically exhilarating, but simple human voices are the norm. It’s fine for the church to be small, struggling, and simple—it’s normal.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that wealth, prestige, and a huge donor base are typical of God’s church. The movement Jesus started (and his followers today continue) more often has a humble look to it—not very impressive at all, by modern standards. But the church endures while other movements disappear, and it grows while others crest and fall.

13:34-35 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”NIV The first half of the quoted verse follows the first part of Psalm 78:2. The second half (since the creation of the world) seems to be an independent rendition of the end of Psalm 78:2. Psalm 78 reviews Israel’s history from the time of slavery in Egypt to David’s reign. This psalm was told over and over to each generation so they would not forget God and make the same mistakes as their ancestors. The “things hidden” refers to God’s mighty acts in redeeming his people despite their sin and unfaithfulness.

This statement shows that Matthew intended to end a major section here. These verses reiterate 13:10-13, that the Jews would receive the kingdom message only in enigmatic form as judgment upon them. “Jesus spoke” is in the aorist tense, indicating the present situation. The phrase “he did not saying anything to them without using a parable” has a verb in the imperfect tense indicating that this was Jesus’ custom. Parables were an essential part of Jesus’ ministry, imparting truth, fulfilling prophecy, and separating the curiosity seekers from the true followers.

JESUS EXPLAINS THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS / 13:36-43

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”NRSV In 13:1, Jesus had gone “out of the house” to sit beside the sea. There he spoke publicly to the crowds. Jesus’ movement back into the house signifies a movement away from the crowds and to private discussion with his disciples. Jesus’ followers had the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom (13:11) and the ability to “see” and “hear” (13:16), but they still needed his help in understanding all his words.

13:37-39 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”NRSV Jesus described the identity of the important parts of the parable of the weeds recorded in 13:24-30. Jesus explained to his listening disciples that the good seeds are believers, sown by the Son of Man in the field of the world. In this world also existed those who were not children of the kingdom; thus, they were children of the devil, sown by him into this world. At the end of the age, the angels would come and the harvest would begin.

13:40-42 “Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”NRSV At this harvest, God will separate his people from Satan’s people. As the harvesters collect the weeds into bundles to be destroyed, so Satan’s works and Satan’s people will be thrown into the furnace of fire.

“Furnace of fire” is not a name for hell but is a metaphor for final judgment (see Daniel 3:6). Jesus often used the term “weeping and gnashing of teeth” to refer to the coming judgment (see 8:12; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). The “weeping” indicates sorrow or remorse, Toiling will all be ended,

shadows will flee away;

Sorrow will be forgotten,

O what a wonderful day!

John W. Peterson

 

and “gnashing of teeth” shows extreme anxiety or pain. Those who say they don’t care what happens to them after they die don’t realize what they are saying. God will punish them for living in selfishness and indifference to him. Jesus, who has already identified himself as the Son of Man (8:20; 9:6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 32, 40), revealed that he will inaugurate the end of the age and the final judgment.

 LIFE APPLICATION –TRAGEDY OF EVIL
Followers of Jesus do not fear God’s final judgment, but we must respond to it with:
  • tears, for the separation and suffering that will fall upon evildoers. We must never gloat over or feel indifferent to the fate of those facing judgment. God mourns over lost souls, and so should we.
  • sharing the gospel, since many need to hear and all who respond in faith will be saved from judgment. Christians ought to always be witnessing people.
  • lifelong service, because no matter what your job, profession, or education, all you do should be dedicated to God. God uses your work to advance his kingdom and overcome evil.

13:43 “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”NRSV Reflecting words from Daniel 12:3, Jesus described the final glory of the righteous: “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (niv). Those who receive God’s favor stand in bright contrast to those who receive his judgment. The “kingdom of their Father” is another name for the kingdom of God and heaven. Heaven will be a glorious place! The message is vitally important, so anyone with ears should listen! (See also 11:15.)

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF HIDDEN TREASURE / 13:44

The parable of the hidden treasure and the parable of the pearl merchant (13:45-46) form a pair and belong together (as seen in the “again” of verse 45). They note a single event in the past, and teach the inestimable value of the kingdom.

13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”NIV To teach the inestimable value of the kingdom of heaven and of being part of that kingdom, Jesus described it as a treasure hidden in a field. The man who found the treasure would have been a day laborer who could get possession by quitting his job and then returning to recover his find. According to rabbinic law, if a worker came across buried treasure in someone else’s field and lifted it out, the treasure would belong to the owner. In this story, the laborer was careful not to lift out the treasure. To obtain this treasure, which far surpassed the value of all he had, he would have to sell everything he had so he could buy the field. He did this joyfully.

The man who discovered the treasure in the field stumbled upon it by accident but knew its value when he found it. Some have wondered about the morality of a man obtaining a treasure in this way, but Jesus was not teaching a moral lesson. He was merely showing the value of this treasure that is worth every sacrifice and commitment to obtain. The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else we can have, and a person must be willing to give up everything to obtain it.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE PEARL MERCHANT / 13:45-46

This parable and the previous parable of the hidden treasure (13:44) are a pair and should be studied together (as noted by the word “again” in verse 45).

13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”NKJV In the previous parable, Jesus described a man stumbling upon a treasure. In this parable, Jesus pictured a wealthy pearl merchant. Pearls were especially valued in the Near East. A pearl of great price could obviously set up this merchant for life. Knowing pearls, this merchant searched earnestly for one of great value. When he found it, he sold everything he had to buy it. Some may discover the kingdom (13:44); some may seek earnestly and finally obtain it. In both cases, the men recognized the value of what they had found and willingly invested everything to obtain it. The kingdom of heaven is so valuable that it calls for a total investment (radical discipleship) from those who find it.

 LIFE APPLICATION- JOY
The treasure and pearl parables tell of the joy of finding peace with God. There’s no other word to express it. Both stories involve people who very happily find the answer to their life’s hopes and dreams.
That’s what becoming a Christian is about: deepest needs met, deepest longings satisfied, deepest hurts bandaged, and a future and a hope unlike any other. It all adds up to joy!
If your faith is grim and your life bleak, let God put some of this wonderful happiness back where it should be. If you have not yet trusted in Jesus as your Lord, grab this precious pearl today.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE FISHING NET / 13:47-52

13:47-48 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.”NIV The parable of the fishing net deals with the dividing of people much as the parable of the wheat and weeds does. This parable pictures a dragnet perhaps drawn between two boats or a large net with one end attached to shore and the other taken to sea by a boat. The net is dragged in a wide semicircle with the top held up by corks and the bottom slightly weighted. All kinds of fish are caught in the net. The fishermen then draw the net to the beach where they sort the fish. They put good fish into baskets and throw away the bad (inedible or “unclean” as in Leviticus 11:10-11) ones.

13:49-50 “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”NRSV While the parable of the wheat and weeds highlighted the length of time during which good and evil people must coexist before the judgment, this parable focuses on that final judgment. As the net catches all kinds of fish, the gospel message will go out to all kinds of people. At the end of the age, the angels will “sort the fish,” separating evil people from righteous. Like the wheat that will be gathered and burned, the bad fish will be thrown into the furnace of fire (a metaphor for judgment, see 13:40-42). In real practice, bad fish would not have been put in a furnace. However, Jesus’ point in this parable is that the furnace of fire will be the place for the wicked people. Like the wheat that will be gathered into the barns, the good fish will be put into baskets (13:29-30). As in 13:42, “weeping and gnashing of teeth” indicates sorrow, remorse, anxiety, and pain.

13:51-52 “Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked. “Yes,” they replied. He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”NIV After Jesus had given the parable of the weeds in the field, the disciples came asking Jesus to explain what he had told them (13:36). They did not understand. After giving an explanation, Jesus asked if they understood. They answered “Yes.” Understanding is the core of discipleship, for only Jesus’ true followers are given the ability to understand, as Jesus had explained earlier (13:13-15, 19, 23).

Because the disciples understood, therefore, Jesus said, they were the “teachers of the law” in his kingdom. In other words, the current teachers of religious law did not understand, so their teaching was invalid. The disciples had been instructed about the kingdom of heaven. They understood God’s real purpose in the law as revealed in the Old Testament; therefore, they had a real treasure. The disciples would bring this treasure “out of [the] storeroom” in that their responsibility would be to share what they had learned with others. The disciples had gained this treasure through Jesus’ instruction, so they were able to understand and use the best of older wisdom as well as the new insights that Jesus brought to them. True teachers see the value of both old and new.

The Old Testament points the way to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus always upheld the authority and relevance of the Scriptures. Those who understand Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of heaven receive a double benefit. This was a new treasure that Jesus was revealing. Both the old and new teachings give practical guidelines for faith and for living in the world. The religious leaders, however, were trapped in the old and blind to the new. They were looking for a future kingdom preceded by judgment. Jesus, however, taught that the kingdom was now and the judgment was future. The religious leaders were looking for a physical and temporal kingdom (brought on by military strength and physical rule), but they were blind to the spiritual significance of the kingdom that Christ had brought.

 LIFE APPLICATION –LIFE OF LEARNING
Jesus wants us to understand God’s truth, and that is not easily or quickly done. Learning about God’s truth (in all its richness and diversity) is a lifelong process. Did you ever imagine that learning is also a way to serve God? Let your life be full of inquiry, and let each step you take be a means of deepening your faith and love for God.

THE PEOPLE OF NAZARETH REFUSE TO BELIEVE / 13:53-58

13:53-54 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked.NIV After teaching in parables, Jesus left there (probably Capernaum) and went to his hometown; that is, he returned to Nazareth (2:23). Nazareth was about twenty miles southwest of Capernaum.

Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, but he had been reared in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23; Luke 2:39-40; 4:16). This was not the first time he had spoken and taught in Nazareth. Luke 4:14-30 states that Jesus went to Nazareth, “where he had been brought up, [and] he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day” to read and teach (Luke 4:16 nrsv). At that time, the response was less than positive; in fact, the people had tried to kill him, but Jesus had walked away unharmed. This trip to Nazareth, therefore, is significant. The people of Nazareth were about to receive a second chance to believe; unfortunately, they again rejected the Lord.

Jesus’ forums for speaking included the mountainsides (5:1), people’s homes (9:10-13), the seashore (13:1), and the local synagogues (4:23; 9:35; 12:9). Lay people would conduct synagogue services under the leadership of one or more synagogue leaders.

For example, Jairus, the man whose daughter Jesus brought back to life, was a synagogue leader (see 9:18; Mark 5:22). It was common for one of these leaders to ask a visiting rabbi to speak in the local synagogue. Jesus, a well-known and popular speaker, had no trouble gaining an opportunity to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath.

 

  

Nazareth Rejects Jesus

Chronologically, this return to Nazareth occurred after Jesus had been in the Gadarene region where he had healed the demon-possessed men (8:28-34) and after he had recrossed the sea to Capernaum. From there he traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up, only to discover that the people refused to believe he was the Christ.

 

The synagogue was the center of the town, controlling civic and social as well as religious life. The synagogue was not like a church today—it was not an empty building except on Sabbath days when only the devoted would come. Instead, it seemed that everyone would come to the synagogue, for thiswas the focal point of Jewish life. This was really a key place for Jesus to meet the people—much like the city gate in the Old Testament.

The people were amazed at Jesus’ wisdom, teaching ability, and miraculous powers. The Greek verb for “amazed” is ekplesso, which literally means “to strike out of one’s senses.” The people were so amazed that it was as if they had been struck with a blow—stunned. They were flabbergasted. They knew Jesus’ miracles were supernatural, but they wondered about their source (the options were either God or Satan—see 12:24) and how Jesus could do them.

13:55-56 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?”NRSV Jesus was teaching effectively and wisely, but the people of his hometown saw him as only the carpenter’s son (referring to Joseph) whose family they also knew well. “He is no better than we are—he is just a common laborer,” they said. Jesus was almost thirty years old before he began his public teaching ministry, and he had never been formally trained as a rabbi. For the years before that, he had been at home, learning the trade of carpentry from his father. The absence of mention of the father, Joseph, supports the theory that Joseph had probably died before the time of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ carpentry trade probably helped to support him and his family after Joseph’s death. The story of his mother called Mary is recorded in Luke 1:26-38.

The listing of the brothers (see also 12:46-49) indicates that the people knew the family well—the mother, the brothers, the sisters. Apparently they were all ordinary people, and Jesus had experienced an ordinary childhood. The residents of Jesus’ hometown had known Jesus since he was a young child and knew his family. But they could not bring themselves to believe in his message. They were too close to the situation. Jesus had come to them as a prophet, one who challenged them to respond to unpopular spiritual truth. They did not listen to the timeless message because they could not see beyond the man.

Jesus’ brother James later became a believer, a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Galatians 2:9), and the author of the book of James. Judas may have been Jude, author of the book of Jude. Nothing else is known of the other brothers and sisters. (See also 12:46-50 for more on Jesus’ family.)

13:57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”NKJV Jesus’ claims caused the people in his hometown to be offended at Him. They stumbled over his words and could not accept them. They were offended that others could be impressed by Jesus and follow him. He was one of their peers, and their preconceived notions about who he was made it impossible for them to accept his message. They also may have been jealous. Jesus had come to them as a prophet, but they saw only a hometown boy.

Jesus used a common proverb found in rabbinic literature. It is significant that Jesus applied the word “prophet” to himself, thus specifically claiming to be God’s messenger. The word refers not to one who foretells future events (although that may be part of a prophet’s ministry), but to one who speaks God’s message. Jesus was not the first prophet to be rejected in his own country. Jeremiah, for example, experienced rejection in his hometown, even by members of his own family (Jeremiah 12:5-6). Jesus also experienced rejection by members in his own house (John 7:5). Some of Jesus’ family did believe in him after his resurrection (Acts 1:14).

13:58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.NIV That Jesus did not do many miracles in Nazareth does not mean that his power had been restricted. Jesus could have done greater miracles in Nazareth, but he chose not to because of the people’s unbelief. Lack of faith blinds people to the truth and robs them of hope. These people missed the Messiah. Jesus performed mighty works to further the kingdom of God, not to try to convince a group of stubborn people who had already thoroughly rejected him. To do miracles would be of no value because the people did not accept his message or believe that he was from God. Therefore, Jesus looked elsewhere, seeking those who would respond to his miracles and message. We need to proclaim the gospel. At times, however, we need to move on, to other towns and people.

 LIFE APPLICATION – FAITH AND POWER
Jesus is not limited by people’s faith (or lack of it), but there does seem to be a strong connection between faith and God’s power actively at work. Christians who pray discover answers to prayer. Churches who worship Christ find Christ active in their fellowship.
Where skeptics and atheists hold court, God seldom intervenes. God seems to like the role of invited guest over that of party crasher. So, let faith grow, pray all the time, and expect to see God at work in and around you.

www.RidgeFellowship.com
Source:  Life Application Bible Commentary – Matthew.

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Matthew Chapter 12

Posted on January 15, 2016 by dkoop

Gospel of MatthewHello.  It’s so encouraging to read through God’s word together.  I pray you are inspired and lifted up by the life and words of Jesus in Matthew.  Today we read as Jesus teaches about the Sabbath, about Satan and blasphemy against the Holy Spirt and about Jesus prediction of his resurrection.

matthew-24-35THE DISCIPLES PICK WHEAT ON THE SABBATH / 12:1-8

At this point, Matthew returned to an order of events matching Mark’s Gospel. The sections included in 9:18-11:30 are out of order chronologically, but placed thematically according to Matthew’s focus on Jesus’ teachings. Matthew 12:1-14 contrasts with 11:25-30 by comparing the yoke of the Law and the rest Jesus brings. To the Jews, “rest” meant observing the Sabbath.

12:1-2 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”NKJV Jesus and his disciples, still in Galilee (most likely outside of Capernaum, 9:1), went out walking through the grainfields. The fields were not fenced off but separated by stones set at intervals (Deuteronomy 19:14). Roads often went right though the fields, so this scene is not unusual. What made it of special mention was that this stroll and the subsequent actions of the disciples occurred on the Sabbath. The disciples were hungry, so they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. On any other day, this would have been acceptable. They were not stealing grain; God’s law called for this kind of sharing among his people (Deuteronomy 23:25). Reaping grain was forbidden on the Sabbath (Exodus 34:21). The disciples, however, were picking grain because they were hungry, not because they wanted to harvest the grain for a profit. Thus, they were not breaking God’s law. The Pharisees, however, had established thirty-nine categories of actions forbidden on the Sabbath, based on their own interpretations of God’s law and on Jewish customs. According to the religious leaders, the disciples were technically “harvesting,” because they were picking wheat and rubbing it in their hands. The Pharisees were determined to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing. They even followed him around on the Sabbath in order to do so!

12:3-4 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.”NIV Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees (12:3-8) contains four arguments explaining why his disciples’ actions were lawful to do on the Sabbath (12:2): (1) David’s example (12:3-4), (2) the priests’ example (12:5-6), (3) proof from the prophets (12:7), and (4) proof from who he was (12:8).

First, Jesus reminded the Pharisees of an example from the life of David. This story is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. Each week twelve consecrated loaves of bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, were placed on a table in the house of God, here meaning the tabernacle. (This bread was called the bread of the Presence or showbread.) After its use in the temple, it was to be eaten only by priests. On one occasion, when fleeing from Saul, David and his men had been given this consecrated bread to eat by Abiathar, the high priest. The loaves given to David were the old loaves that had just been replaced with fresh ones. Although the priests were the only ones allowed to eat this bread, God did not punish David because his need for food was more important than the priestly regulations. Need alone, however, would not normally supersede the law because only danger of death could override Sabbath regulations. The people involved made the difference: David could break the law because he was David; Jesus could break the law because he was the Messiah, in authority over the law. While the story in 1 Samuel does not relate to the question of the Sabbath, the principle is the same. Jesus was explaining that if the high priest, David, and his followers could break a law, how much more could the Son of David—the Messiah.

The Pharisees knew the Scriptures thoroughly, yet Jesus’ question “Haven’t you read?” reveals their ignorance of the true meaning of the Scriptures. Yes, they had read this story many times, but they had obviously not discerned or applied its meaning. Jesus justified his disciples’ action on the grounds that his authority superseded the requirement of ceremonial law. When Jesus compared himself and his disciples to David and his men, Jesus was saying, in effect, “If you condemn me, you must also condemn David.” Jesus was not condoning disobedience to God’s laws. Instead, he was emphasizing discernment and compassion in enforcing the ceremonial laws, something the self-righteous Pharisees did not comprehend.

12:5 “Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless?”NRSV Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ accusation with a second answer, using an example from the priests who served in the temple. Jesus again repeated the question “Have you not read in the law?” to show these self-righteous Pharisees that while they had the law memorized, they really didn’t understand it. The Ten Commandments prohibit work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). That was the “letter” of the law. But because the purpose of the Sabbath is to rest and to worship God, the priests had to perform sacrifices and conduct worship services—in short, they had to “work.” Their “Sabbath work” was serving and worshiping God, which God allowed. Thus, even though they technically break the sabbath, God holds them guiltless. Jesus always emphasized the intent of the law, the meaning behind the letter. The Pharisees had lost the spirit of the law and were rigidly demanding that the letter (and their interpretation of it) be obeyed.

 LIFE APPLICATION – READING THE BIBLE
A casual reader of the Bible can find evidence for almost any argument there. Just take a verse out of context, just isolate a passage, just make a story into an edict, and you can make the Bible say anything. The Pharisees, for example, were about to use the Bible (Old Testament) to make Jesus an ally of the devil.
The Bible must be read correctly, from the vantage point of faith, with a hunger to find in it the truth of God as revealed in Jesus. To aid your reading, find faithful Christian friends (and a trustworthy church) who can guide your understanding. Read your Bible as if it were a conversation between you and God. Then begin to live what you’re learning.

12:6 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.”NRSV The use of the neuter gender (something greater) indicates that Jesus may have been referring to the kingdom. Yet to refer to the supremacy of the kingdom highlights the supremacy of Jesus. Just as the priestly duties in the temple surpass Sabbath regulations about work, so Jesus’ ministry transcends the temple.

The Pharisees were so concerned about religious rituals that they missed the whole purpose of the temple—to bring people to God. And because Jesus Christ is even greater than the temple, how much better can he bring people to God. Our love and worship of God are far more important than the created instruments of worship. If we become more concerned with the means and methods of worship than with the one we worship, we will miss the true purpose for worship—to glorify God.

12:7 “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”NIV Third, Jesus used proof from the Old Testament prophets to answer the Pharisees. Jesus repeated to the Pharisees words the Jewish people had heard time and again throughout their history (1 Samuel 15:22-23; Psalm 40:6-8; Isaiah 1:11-17; Jeremiah 7:21-23; Hosea 6:6). He had also used this same example in 9:13 when the Pharisees had criticized the people with whom he was spending time (“tax collectors and sinners”). The Old Testament statement “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” means that rituals and obedience to the law are valuable only if carried out with an attitude of love for God. If a person’s heart is far from God, ritual and law keeping are no more than empty mockery. God did not want the Israelites’ rituals; he wanted their hearts. Jesus challenged the Pharisees to apply the prophets’ words to themselves. The Pharisees’ rigid guidelines had caused them to be unable to see beyond the letter of the law. So in condemning Jesus and his disciples, they had condemned the innocent. The disciples were no more guilty of breaking the law than priests who did their duty on the Sabbath. The disciples were doing “priestly work” by spreading the Good News of the kingdom on the Sabbath.

God’s mercy takes precedence over legal restrictions. If only the Pharisees had known and had understood the words of the prophets, they would have understood the love and compassion behind God’s laws. Their condemnation would then have been only to those who deserved it, not to those who were truly innocent of disobedience.

 LIFE APPLICATION – CHOOSING A CHURCH
Jesus amazed his listeners when he told them that he, the carpenter’s son, was supreme over biblical law—in fact, the only sure authority on biblical law. The point is clear: If Jesus is at the center, all is well; but if anything else becomes the focus of worship (even keeping biblical laws with rigor and diligence), then something is wrong.
When you’re choosing a church, be sure that the church keeps Jesus at the center. When you’re reading the Bible (or hearing it taught), be sure of the same. Lots of other authorities compete for our attention, but no other authority will do.

12:8 “For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”NIV Jesus’ fourth answer to the Pharisees’ accusation (12:2) focused on who he was. When Jesus said that he (again, calling himself Son of Man) was Lord of the Sabbath, he was claiming to be greater than the law and above the law. To the Pharisees, this was heresy. They did not realize that Jesus, the divine Son of God, had created the Sabbath. The Creator is always greater than the creation; thus, Jesus had the authority to overrule their traditions and regulations. Jesus claimed the authority to correctly interpret the meaning of the Sabbath and all the laws pertaining to it. Who created the Sabbath? God did. Therefore, because Jesus, the Son of Man, is God’s Son, given authority and power by God himself, then he is also Lord of the Sabbath.

JESUS HEALS A MAN’S HAND ON THE SABBATH / 12:9-14

As if to illustrate that the commandment to love takes precedence over the law, Jesus went to the synagogue where he healed a man with a shriveled hand.

12:9-10 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”NIV It was the Sabbath (12:1), and according to his regular custom, Jesus went to the synagogue. This may have been any synagogue in Galilee although it was most likely in Capernaum. In the synagogue, there was a man with a shriveled hand. He had been born with this defect or had acquired it by an accident or disease. The hand was useless. Luke adds the detail that it was the man’s right hand (Luke 6:6).

Jesus’ reputation for healing (even on the Sabbath, see Mark 1:21-26) had preceded him, but would he dare heal on the Sabbath with Pharisees watching? (Most likely, the Pharisees had followed him from the grainfield; 12:1-2). God’s law prohibited work on the seventh day of the week (Exodus 31:14-17); thus, the religious leaders allowed no healing to be done on the Sabbath unless a person’s life was in danger. Healing, they argued, was practicing medicine, and they had a law that a person could not practice this profession on the Sabbath.

The Pharisees did not regard the man’s need; instead, they seized the opportunity to accuse Jesus as a Sabbath breaker. As they pointed to the man with the shriveled hand, the Pharisees tried to trick Jesus by asking him if it was lawful (legal) to heal on the Sabbath. Their motive, however, was not to gain information; they were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. Their Sabbath rules said that people could be helped on the Sabbath only if their lives were in danger. Jesus healed on the Sabbath several times, and none of those healings were in response to emergencies. If Jesus had waited until another day, he would have been submitting to the Pharisees’ authority, showing that their petty rules were equal to God’s law. If he healed the man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees could claim that because Jesus broke their rules, his power was not from God. But Jesus made it clear how ridiculous and petty their rules were. God is a God of people, not rules. The best time to reach out to someone is when he or she needs help.

 LIFE APPLICATION – RULE KEEPING
The Pharisees placed their laws above human need. They were so concerned about Jesus breaking one of their rules that they did not care about the man’s shriveled hand. What is your attitude toward others? If your convictions don’t allow you to help certain people, those convictions may not be in tune with God’s Word. Don’t allow rule keeping to blind you to human need.

12:11-12 He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.”NRSV Instead of answering the Pharisees’ question, Jesus responded with an illustration and a question of his own. A sheep that had fallen into a pit was in danger. If this occurred on the Sabbath, the sheep’s owner was allowed to lay hold of it and lift it out, even though this constituted work. If it is acceptable to do good to a sheep on the Sabbath, doesn’t it also follow that people can do good for other people on the Sabbath? Because people are more valuable than sheep, they are even more worthy of help.

Mark recorded that Jesus asked a rhetorical question: “‘Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they [the Pharisees] remained silent” (Mark 3:4 niv). The Pharisees knew that giving an answer would have left them without an accusation to pin on Jesus. Their own laws allowed people to do good and to save life on the Sabbath—the farmer who could rescue his only lamb from a pit on the Sabbath knew that. So Jesus made the pronouncement: So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath. Doing good fulfills Sabbath intentions.

12:13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.NRSV Jesus refused to play by the Pharisees’ rules. After pronouncing that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath (12:12), Jesus did exactly that. He told the man to stretch out his hand. In response to Jesus’ command and with all eyes focused on him, the man stretched his hand out in front of him. The moment he did so, it was restored, as sound as the other. “Restored” means that it became like it had been before. As with the leper (8:3) and the paralytic (9:6-7), Jesus gave this man his life back. The man could work again, and he no longer had to face the embarrassment of his deformity.

No particular action of Jesus is recorded; he told the man to move, and with that movement, healing arrived. Jesus did nothing that could be called “work,” but the Pharisees would not be swayed from their purpose. Jesus had embarrassed them. He had overruled their authority (Luke 6:11) and had exposed their evil attitudes in front of the entire crowd in the synagogue, showing that the Pharisees were more loyal to their religious system than to God. That was enough to cause them to get on with their mission of destruction (see 12:14).

 LIFE APPLICATION – CARING FOR PEOPLE
Jesus said that if a lost animal is worth saving, people are worth more. Jesus puts a priority on the care of people. Better to err (against rule keeping) by caring for people than to err by a stringent interpretation of biblical law (while people suffer).
Where are your loyalties? Are you able to use Christian judgment in cases of a conflict between human need and law keeping? Ask your Bible study group to take up some hypothetical situations, and try together to discern how Jesus would respond.

12:14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.NIV The Pharisees were outraged. Jesus had openly confronted their authority and had placed himself above them. Their curiosity about Jesus turned to hatred because he had challenged and exposed their proud attitudes and dishonorable motives. In their fury, the only option they saw was to kill Jesus. Ironically, the Pharisees had accused Jesus of breaking their law about healing on the Sabbath, yet they were planning (on the Sabbath) to kill him. Their hatred, combined with their zeal for the law, drove them to plot murder—an act that was clearly against the law.

Mark records that the Pharisees plotted with the Herodians (Mark 3:6). This was an unlikely alliance. The Herodians were a Jewish political party that hoped to restore Herod the Great’s line to the throne. Thus, their support of Rome’s leadership over Palestine brought them into direct conflict with the Jewish religious leaders. The Pharisees and Herodians had little in common—until Jesus posed a threat to them both. Jesus threatened the Pharisees’ authority over the people; Jesus threatened the Herodians’ political ambitions because his talk of a “kingdom” caused them to think that this popular and powerful man was planning to set himself up as a ruler. This would jeopardize their authority derived from Herod’s power. To get rid of Jesus, the Pharisees needed the support of people with some influence with the secular leaders. Thus, the Pharisees and Herodians, normally enemies, joined forces to discuss how to get rid of Jesus.

The way Jesus kept the Sabbath irritated his critics to the point of fury. To us, their reaction seems overstated. We must remember that the religious leaders, by imposing a bewildering system of Sabbath laws, had in fact made themselves lords of the Sabbath and thus lords over the people. By claiming the title of Lord of the Sabbath (12:8), Jesus was stating his own divinity, and this claim was an affront to the position of the religious leaders. His remaking the Sabbath into a day of refreshment, worship, and healing pried open the tight-fisted control the Pharisees held on the people. No wonder Jesus’ approach to the Sabbath led his enemies to plot his death.

 LIFE APPLICATION – HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Dale Carnegie’s famous book by this title taught a generation of people how to get one’s way and be friendly at the same time. Carnegie, no doubt, would have counseled Jesus to “take it easy” on the Pharisees. Today we might say, “Lighten up!”
But some conflict must be faced head-on. In Jesus’ time and ours, people become angry when told that sin requires a special savior—in fact, the only savior. Don’t placate people by conceding that any savior will do or that decent people are OK before God on their own. Tell the truth with compassion, even when it generates conflict.

LARGE CROWDS FOLLOW JESUS / 12:15-21

12:15-16 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place.NIV Jesus, aware that the religious leaders were plotting to kill him (12:14), withdrew from that place (presumably Capernaum). Jesus was not afraid of the religious leaders. Up to this point, Jesus had been aggressively confronting the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. At this point in time, however, he decided to withdraw from the synagogue before a major confrontation developed. Jesus did this because it was not time for him to die. He still had many lessons to teach his disciples and the people.

Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who he was.NIV Despite his withdrawal, Jesus could not escape the crowds. Many continued to follow him, and Jesus had compassion on those who were sick, and he healed them; however, he also gave them a warning . . . not to tell who he was. Jesus did not want those he healed to tell others about his miracles because he didn’t want people coming to him for the wrong reasons. A popular following of miracle seekers would hinder his teaching ministry and arouse false hopes about an earthly kingdom (see also 8:4; 9:30). But the news of Jesus’ miracles spread, and many came to see for themselves (see Mark 3:7-8).

12:17-21 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah.NRSV In the following verses, Matthew gets to the focus of this chapter—Jesus as the one who fulfilled prophecy. The people expected the Messiah to be a king. This quotation from Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 42:1-4) showed that the Messiah was indeed a king, but it illustrated the kind of king he would be—a quiet, gentle ruler who brings justice to the nations. Like many in Jesus’ day, we may want Christ to rule as a king and bring great and visible victories in our lives. But often his work is quiet, and it happens according to his perfect timing, not ours.

This is the longest Old Testament quotation in Matthew. The words don’t match exactly any existing Old Testament text from the time, indicating that Matthew may have paraphrased the words for emphasis.

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight.NIV The word for “servant” (pais) can also mean “son.” The word “chosen” may have also been picked up from Isaiah 43:10 or 44:1 to focus on this “chosen” one as the Messiah. The phrase “the one I love, in whom I delight” echoes words spoken by God at Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration (3:17; 17:5).

I will put my Spirit on him.NIV The coming of the Spirit was a sign of the messianic age. These words also echo Isaiah 61:1, quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18. After reading the words aloud, Jesus had said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21 niv).

And he will proclaim justice to the nations.NIV “Proclaim justice” refers to restoring justice and order and bringing judgment on sinners. The Messiah would offer justice to all nations, not just to the Jews (some versions use the word “Gentiles”).

He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.NIV The Messiah pictured in these words differs dramatically from the person the Jews expected—a military leader calling the nation to battle against the Roman foe. Instead, this man will not quarrel or cry out. These words follow Matthew’s report of Jesus’ withdrawal from conflict with the Pharisees (12:15). The Messiah will not be silent (he will “proclaim” justice, see above), but neither will he publicize himself and seek attention. These words suggest gentleness and humility (see 11:29; see also Isaiah 53:7).

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.NIV The “bruised reed” refers to the fragile lives of the “little ones” to whom the Servant ministers. He will not break (or destroy) them. The “smoldering wick” pictures a strip of linen cloth with little oil left in the lamp. The wick smolders, on the verge of going out, but the Servant will not snuff out the little wick. These words suggest a Savior who comes to heal, not to destroy. The phrase “till he leads justice to victory” seems to paraphrase parts of Isaiah 42:4 and 44:3-4 (see also Habakkuk 1:4). Justice will finally triumph when the Servant-Messiah comes. He may be gentle and meek, kindly healing the sick and teaching those who want to understand, but one day he will bring complete justice.

In his name the nations will put their hope.NIV In the nrsv, the word ethne (“the nations”) is translated “Gentiles.” People from all nations, not just Jews, will one day put their hope in the name of Jesus. “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 niv). Jesus pointed out his universal mission; he wanted his message to reach all nations. It is a further indication of his messianic role that would culminate in the Great Commission (28:19-20). God would ultimately rescue the oppressed and bring salvation to all who trust him.

 LIFE APPLICATION – THE LITTLE GUYS
Jesus cares a lot about people who don’t have a Ph.D., don’t own golf clubs, and don’t drive a late model car. Jesus cares about the boring people in your town, the sick and the mentally retarded, and the people on welfare. Because he cares about them, they—and not merely the upwardly mobile types—are the truly important people of this world.
Do you ever wonder if you matter? Does your nondescript life make a difference to anyone? Do your modest talents count for anything? If so, you’re exactly the kind of person Jesus wants to know, his favorite kind of friend. Trust him with your life. He deals gently with those who come to him in need.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS ACCUSE JESUS OF BEING UNDER SATAN’S POWER / 12:22-37

Leaving the chronology in these verses, Matthew gives an example of the intensifying conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. (See the Harmony of the Gospels at the back of this commentary; Mark records this incident early, in Mark 3:22.) The religious leaders had already decided that they wanted to kill him (12:14), so they began looking for any opportunity to accuse him.

12:22 Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.NKJV Matthew downplayed this miracle in order to highlight the confrontation that followed. A man who was demon-possessed, blind and mute was brought to Jesus for healing. The Greek wording suggests that the blindness and inability to speak were a direct result of demon possession. Jesus healed the man, casting out the demon and restoring his ability to speak and see.

12:23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”NRSV The crowds were amazed when they saw the man healed. This is the only time that the word existanto (also translated “astonished”) is used in Matthew’s Gospel (although it occurs often in Mark and Luke). The word conveys intense wonder and amazement. The Greek construction of their question expects a negative answer although it allows for the possibility of a positive response: “This couldn’t be the Son of David, could it?” The title “Son of David” is another name for the Messiah. The Jews understood that the promised Messiah would be a son (descendant) of King David (see Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). “Could this man be the one?” they wondered. They were puzzled because, despite all his miracles, Jesus just did not seem to be the Messiah they were expecting.

12:24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”NIV Apparently another delegation of Pharisees had come from Jerusalem. The people were “amazed,” but . . . the Pharisees refused to believe that Jesus’ power was from God. They could not deny the reality of Jesus’ miracles and supernatural power, for he had indeed been driving out demons. So in an attempt to undermine Jesus’ authority and popularity among the people, the Pharisees accused him of having power from Satan.

The name “Beelzebub” occurs only in the New Testament (in 10:25 and Luke 11:15) and not in other Jewish literature. In Greek, the term is beelzeboul. The Vulgate and Syriac versions tried to clarify the term by changing it to beelzebub, the god of Ekron (see 2 Kings 1:2-3, 6, 16). The religious authorities may have invented the term by combining two Hebrew words: baʾal (“lord,” Hosea 2:16-17) which stood for the local Canaanite fertility god; and zebul (“exalted house,” 1 Kings 8:13 nrsv) to call Jesus “the lord of heaven.” Everyone would have understood this term as referring to Satan, the prince (or leader) of demons.

12:25-26 He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?”NRSV Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. In the Incarnation, Jesus gave up the complete and unlimited use of his supernatural abilities, but he still had profound insight into human nature (see 9:4). His discernment stopped the religious leaders’ attempts to trick him.

Jesus responded to them in a parable—a simple example from life that would reveal the absurdity of their charge that he was in league with Satan. Following the obvious conclusion of the accusation—that Satan was driving himself out of people—Jesus indicated that if that were true, it would then mean that there was civil war in the kingdom of evil. No king would throw his own soldiers out of his kingdom; neither would Satan throw his soldiers out because his kingdom would then be divided against itself. Such a kingdom would be laid waste. In the same way, people in a city or house, divided about their goals and working against one another, will not be successful. Jesus implied that it would be impossible for Satan to cast out himself (or his demons).

Obviously Satan is still very powerful and active; thus, his end had not come—not in Jesus’ day, nor in ours. So Satan is not opposing himself, nor is he divided. The teachers’ charge that Jesus was driving out demons by Satan’s power was obviously false. But Jesus wasn’t finished.

 LIFE APPLICATION – DRIVING WEDGES
The worst kind of sin involves driving a wedge between Jesus and the people whom he wants to reach. Pharisees sought to do that by accusing Jesus of partnership with the devil. Today we see it happen when learned professors cynically dismiss religion, when talk-show hosts smirk about religious hypocrites, and when pastors take their sermon cues from psychology instead of the Bible.
Give no encouragement to people who try to undermine Jesus. They are in great danger, and spoiled faith rides in their wake.

12:27 “And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.”NIV Jesus was not the first person in that area to exorcise demons. In the first century, exorcism was a thriving business, both in pagan and Jewish societies (Mark 9:38; Acts 19:13-14). Some were effective and some were frauds. Exorcists would employ complex incantations, magical charms, and even visual effects. (Jewish exorcists came only from the Pharisees because the Sadducees denied the existence of spirit beings.) Jesus, however, needed only his authoritative word. His constant success, the ease with which he cast out demons, and the reactions of the demons made Jesus’ exorcisms notable. Jesus was saying, “If it takes Satan’s power to drive out demons, then those of your own group who claim to drive out demons must also be demon-possessed.” The Pharisees who had cast out demons would “judge” these other Pharisees for implying that being able to exorcise demons meant being in league with Satan.

12:28 “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”NRSV The word “if” means “since.” There is no question that it is by the Spirit of God that Jesus cast out demons. Luke’s version of this account says “finger of God” (Luke 11:20). Both mean the same, focusing on the power of God. That the kingdom of God has come to you shows that Jesus’ exorcisms were specific evidence of the presence of kingdom power.

The kingdom of God came not with a mighty military leader, but with a gentle and compassionate Servant. The real enemy to be conquered was not the Romans but Satan. That Jesus was powerfully casting out demons and plundering Satan’s kingdom revealed that the kingdom of God had begun.

 LIFE APPLICATION – GET REAL
If the kingdom of God has come, take a reality check. If you live your days without much reference to God, with a few passing words of prayer, your mind consumed with earning and buying, your eyes dashing from one advertisement to another, your heart longing for one more nice purchase—then wake up!
There’s a reality you haven’t seen or paid much attention to. It’s the kingdom of God, right here, and it’s very, very important to you. Unless you check in, life will be a dash—and then gone. But people of the kingdom live forever in God’s peace and love. Take time today, right now. Live one day regarding your life as being in God’s kingdom and yourself as his true servant.

12:29 “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.”NRSV This picture reflects a situation in the ancient world where wealthy people’s homes were virtual fortresses, and their servants could form a small army. Jesus called Satan a strong man in this parable. His house is the realm of evil where there is sickness, demon possession, and death (it also refers to a possessed individual in whom Satan’s demons live). Satan’s property are the demons—those beings through whom he carries out his work in the world. The only way his property could be “plundered” would be for someone to first tie up the strong man; the only way for the demons to be cast out is for someone to first overpower Satan. Jesus’ advent into the world did just that (1 John 3:8). Jesus’ actions reveal that Satan can never overcome him.

Although Satan still works in our world, God is in control. Jesus, as God, has “tied up” Satan in one sense; Satan’s ultimate doom is sure, and his power over death was broken at Christ’s resurrection. Jesus and his disciples were able to drive out demons and end their terrible work in people’s lives. As such, every exorcism was a binding of Satan; one day Satan will be bound forever (Revelation 20:10). Jesus was not in league with Satan, as the Pharisees tried to claim; rather, he had overpowered Satan by refusing his temptations and by constantly freeing people held in Satan’s grasp—either through demon possession or through the power of sin.

12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”NRSV It is impossible to know about Christ and remain neutral indefinitely. Anyone who is not actively following him has chosen to be against him. Any person who tries to remain neutral in the struggle of good against evil is choosing to be separated from God, who alone is good. “Gathering” and “scattering” are Old Testament pictures of faithful and apostate people, respectively. To refuse to follow Christ is to choose to follow Satan.

 LIFE APPLICATION – THE NEUTRAL ZONE
Separating North Vietnam from South during more than a decade of battle was the demilitarized zone, a kind of no-man’s-land, burned over and barren. Rivers, mountains, and man-made walls have served the same purpose—neutral, open space where both sides watch and neither stakes out a claim. No such space exists in the spiritual battle waged between God and Satan.
Get over to God’s side if you’re wandering in the middle. Stay on God’s side when you’re curious about life on the edge. Take your part in the struggle on the front lines, where witnessing hurts and few Christians are strong enough to support a church. But don’t be fooled about finding a neutral zone claimed by no side at all.

12:31 “Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy.”NRSV “Therefore I tell you” (also translated, “Wherefore I say unto you” in kjv, “And so I tell you” in niv, and “Therefore I say to you” in nkjv) is a recurring phrase used by Jesus only prior to a solemn warning or pronouncement. It is like the Old Testament statement, “Thus saith the Lord.” The words are divinely self-authenticating and guarantee the truth and importance of what Jesus would say next. Jesus would no longer reason with his accusers; he was giving them a solemn warning. Jesus had just been accused of being in league with Satan and had soundly refuted those charges. Here he had a few words for these so-called teachers of the law, the Jewish leaders.

First, he made the reassuring promise, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy. Too often people miss this promise and worry about the warning that follows. But the fact is, those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of all sins (evil acts, wrong actions, good actions not done, evil thoughts, evil motives, etc.) and of all blasphemies (evil words said against God). When there is confession and repentance, no sin is beyond God’s forgiveness.

“But blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”NRSV There is one sin that cannot be forgiven—blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. “Blasphemy against the Spirit” refers not so much to a single action or word as to an attitude. Those who defiantly deny Jesus’ power and persistently refuse to believe that he is the Messiah are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not talking about rejecting him, but of rejecting the power behind him.

Jesus’ words were addressed directly to the Pharisees. They had blasphemed the Spirit by attributing the power by which Christ did miracles to Satan instead of to the Holy Spirit. This is the unforgivable sin—the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God’s power in Christ. It indicates an irreversible hardness of heart. Deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy because it rejects God himself. The Pharisees’ stubborn refusal to believe demonstrated an impenetrable hardness of heart; thus, forgiveness would not be possible because it never would be sought. The religious leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy (see Luke 5:21; John 10:33-36), but ironically they were the guilty ones because they looked Jesus in the face and accused him of being possessed by Satan.

 LIFE APPLICATION – UNFORGIVABLE?
Jesus said that one sin could not be forgiven. Sometimes believers worry that they have accidentally committed this unforgivable sin. But only those who have turned their back on God and rejected all faith have any need to worry. If you are worried about this sin, realize that your worry is your strongest evidence that you have not made this tragic mistake. Use this prompting from the Spirit to repent and turn to Jesus.

12:32 “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”NRSV These words may mean that speaking against the person of Jesus can be forgiven because the insult may be based in ignorance of who he is (at that time not even Jesus’ disciples completely understood who he was). But speaking against the Holy Spirit—to deny the power behind Jesus’ ministry—is unforgivable. (Some versions use the word “blasphemy,” meaning extreme slander.) The rejection of a messenger (even of the Son himself) can be forgiven, but not the rejection of God himself through the Holy Spirit. The mighty works done by the Spirit were unmistakable announcements that the kingdom had arrived. Those who dared to attribute these works to Satan were not ignorant; instead, they had made up their minds not to believe.

Jesus said that those who slander the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven—not because their sin is worse than any other, but because they will never ask for forgiveness. The only sin that God is unable to forgive is the unwillingness to accept forgiveness.

Robert H. Mounce

 

Whoever rejects the prompting of the Holy Spirit removes himself or herself from the only force that can lead anyone to repentance and restoration with God. Those who have seen the light and yet prefer the darkness are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This sin cannot be forgiven in this age or in the age to come because its consequences are eternal.

12:33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”NIV Just as a good tree bears good fruit and a diseased (or bad) tree bears inedible fruit, so the fruits of a person’s life will show the quality of his or her character. Fruit is a comprehensive word, referring to teaching, character, and action. (See also 7:16-18.) Our character is revealed by our conduct.

12:34-35 “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”NIV Jesus called the Pharisees a brood of vipers (see also 3:7; 23:33), rebuking them for their hypocritical accusation against him (12:24). Jesus called them evil; their nature and character were completely evil as seen by their words (their “fruit,” 12:33). Because they were evil, how could they possibly say anything good (or wise or truthful)? The words “out of the overflow of the heart” indicate that a person’s words reveal his or her character (“heart” referring to the inner person). The Pharisees could not hide their evil behind their status, robes, and position; their words betrayed their true character.

Restating this same principle, Jesus continued: “The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.”NRSV The word “treasure” is another metaphor for the “heart”—that is, the inner person. (See also 6:19-21.)

12:36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter.”NRSV These verses are found only in Matthew. Jesus explained that words matter—each person will have to give an account for every careless word. The word “careless” refers to words that we might consider insignificant or innocuous. “Careless” means inactive, idle, worthless. This refers not to mindless small talk or carefree jokes, but to broken promises, unkept commitments, and unpaid vows. Such words are better indicators of a person’s true character than his or her carefully planned and prepared statements and speeches. No word is insignificant to God, because every spoken word reveals what is in the heart. Because God knows our hearts, our words are vitally important to him. Words will be a basis for judgment because words reveal who a person truly is: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”NIV

RELIGIOUS LEADERS ASK JESUS FOR A MIRACLE / 12:38-45

12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”NRSV Apparently some scribes joined the Pharisees. They asked Jesus for a sign—that is, some miracle proving that he was the Messiah. But they were not sincerely seeking to know Jesus. Jesus knew they had already seen enough miraculous proof to convince them that he was the Messiah if they would just open their hearts. But they had already decided not to believe in him, and more miracles would not change their minds. The Pharisees (here joined by the scribes) wanted Jesus to authenticate by a sign the special relationship he claimed to have with God. In a separate incident recorded in 16:1-4, the Pharisees and Sadducees would ask Jesus for “a sign from heaven.” Jesus responded to both requests in the same way.

 LIFE APPLICATION  –  STUDY THE EVIDENCE
Many people have said, “If I could just see a real miracle, then I could really believe in God.” But Jesus’ response to the Pharisees applies to us. We have plenty of evidence—Jesus’ birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, and centuries of his work in believers around the world. Instead of looking for additional evidence or miracles, accept what God has already given and move forward. He may use your life as evidence to reach another person.

12:39-40 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it . . .”NIV Jesus refused to give the scribes and Pharisees a sign as they requested. Instead, he gave them an answer, explaining that a sign would come in his timing and that the sign would be unmistakable. Jesus had already called the religious leaders “evil” (12:34); the words “wicked” and “adulterous” are synonyms for evil. “Adulterous” applies to the apostasy of Israel. Marriage and adultery are images used in the Old Testament for God’s love and the nation’s unfaithfulness. By these words Jesus was showing that the religious leaders were not alone in their rejection of Jesus. Instead, they were representative of most of the nation who had chosen to reject him, just as the nation had chosen to reject God’s guidance and love in the past.

“. . . except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”NIV No sign would be given to them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was a prophet sent to the Assyrian city of Nineveh (see the book of Jonah). Because Assyria was such a cruel and warlike nation, Jonah tried to run from his assignment and ended up spending three days in the belly of a huge fish. When Jonah got out, he grudgingly went to Nineveh, preached God’s message, and saw the city repent.

There are two possible meanings for this “sign of Jonah”:

  1. This may refer to a sign of judgment. God will not grant the religious leaders the miracle they asked for but will only point to their rejection of the message. In Jonah’s day, Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and it was as powerful as it was evil (Jonah 1:2). The extremely wicked city of Nineveh repented at Jonah’s preaching; by contrast, when Jesus came to his people, they refused to repent.
  2. The “sign” granted to them may refer to the Resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection would prove that he is the Messiah. Three days after his death Jesus would come back to life, just as Jonah had been “brought back” to life after spending three days in the fish. Both had been delivered from death. Jonah’s presence was a sign to the people of Nineveh; they repented at his teaching. Jesus’ return to his people after his death will also be a sign to the people of his generation. Some will repent; many will not. Because of the strong emphasis on the Resurrection as a “sign” in the early church (Acts 2:22-36; 4:10-11), most likely the church took Jesus’ words to mean his resurrection. So this is the preferable meaning.

Some have been troubled with the statement “three days and three nights” because it seems to contradict the fact that Jesus died on Friday and was raised on Sunday. In Jewish reckoning, the inclusive days make the time span from death to resurrection three days, but not three nights. But such questioning is unnecessary. The Jews would have taken “three days and three nights” as an idiom for “three days” and would have seen no contradiction.

12:41 “The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!”NRSV The people of Nineveh will condemn those of Jesus’ generation at the judgment. The pagans repented at the preaching of Jonah, but the Jews and their religious leaders refused to repent at Jesus’ preaching. “Something greater than Jonah is here” refers to Jesus himself and his proclamation of the kingdom’s arrival (compare to 12:6, “something greater than the temple is here”). Jesus was their promised Messiah. The Jews should have recognized him. The religious leaders who knew prophecy should have been the first to proclaim Jesus as God’s Son. Instead, they rejected him; thus, they will face condemnation for their refusal to believe. (See also 11:21-24.)

12:42 “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”NIV The Queen of the South (also called the Queen of Sheba) had traveled from southern Arabia to see Solomon, king of Israel, and to learn about his great wisdom (1 Kings 10:1-10). This unbelieving Gentile recognized the truth about God when it was presented to her, unlike the Jewish religious leaders who refused the truth even though it was staring them in the face. The Queen of the South, along with the people of Nineveh (12:41) will rise at the judgment and condemn those who refused to believe one greater than Solomon—the Messiah himself.

 LIFE APPLICATION – GOD WORKS IN STRANGE WAYS
Who would imagine that a caravan organized by an Arabian queen would become a symbol of God’s powerful Good News to millions of listeners and readers down through the ages? But it was, and the queen is rightly honored for her pursuit of God’s truth.
Don’t box God in. Wonderful things come from his often mysterious plan. Don’t box God’s purposes for your life. Surprises may come, turns in the road, odd moments you could not predict or plan. Take such events as opportunities, not problems. Regard the people in your life as willing listeners; treat each problem as an opportunity for prayer.

12:43-44 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order.”NRSV To further describe how it will be with this evil generation (12:39, 45), Jesus told a parable focusing on the attitude of the nation of Israel and the religious leaders in particular. There is danger in attempting to be neutral about Jesus. Unfilled and complacent people are easy targets for Satan, as Jesus described in this parable. We cannot press the details of the parable as teaching doctrinal truth about demons (for example, the picture that demons liked to live in the desert was based on popular belief, not biblical fact). Jesus may have been only using popular beliefs in this parable to make his point.

The unclean spirit was not “cast out” but for some reason had gone out of a person. The desert (waterless regions) was believed to be the habitation of demons. Because demons need a resting place (that is, someone or something living that they can enter and torment), this demon returned to its former house when it could find nothing suitable in the desert. This sentence is probably conditional: “if” the demon decided to return. Demons do not always repossess people after they leave or are cast out. That would make exorcisms both worthless and an invitation to greater disaster (12:45). Jesus was making a point about the spiritual destiny of his listeners.

In its absence, the demon’s “house” had been cleaned up. But it was still empty. Therein lay the problem and the crux of Jesus’ teaching. The problem is not so much with the demons as it is with the condition of the “house.”

12:45 “Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So will it be also with this evil generation.”NRSV The nation had been “swept clean” by the teaching and preaching of John the Baptist and of Jesus. Many had come to repent. But if the nation did not turn around, truly repenting from sin and turning to Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, they would be no better off than a clean but empty house. Into that house comes worse evil than before. Jesus pictured the demon finding seven others and returning to the clean house. But the “owner,” now filled with eight demons instead of one, is definitely worse off than before. So it will be also with this evil generation. God’s people, privileged with prophecy and promises, would be faced with horrible judgment for rejecting their Messiah.

JESUS DESCRIBES HIS TRUE FAMILY / 12:46-50

12:46-47 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”NIV Jesus’ mother was Mary (Luke 1:30-31), and his brothers were probably the other children Mary and Joseph had after Jesus (see also Mark 6:3-4). Some Christians believe the ancient tradition that Jesus was Mary’s only child. If this is true, the “brothers” were possibly cousins (often called brothers in those days). Some have offered yet another suggestion: When Joseph married Mary, he was a widower, and these were his children by his first marriage. Based on 13:55, these were Jesus’ half brothers, Mary and Joseph’s other children, because Jesus’ father was God, not Joseph.

Apparently Mary had gathered her family, and they had gone to find Jesus. Mark explained that “Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind'” (Mark 3:20-21 niv). Mary hoped to use her personal relationship with Jesus to influence him. She saw her son in a busy ministry that was taking its toll on him. Perhaps she hoped to get him to come home; maybe she brought the brothers along to drag Jesus away from the crowd if necessary.

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, the message from his family was relayed to him. Jesus’ family thought that because of their relationship with him, he would answer their request.

12:48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”NIV Instead of going outside to see what his family members wanted, Jesus looked at the crowd and asked an odd question, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Jesus knew why his family had come, yet he used their visit as a lesson in discipleship. A relationship with Jesus was not limited to those in his immediate family. Jesus opened this relationship to all people. His question could be rendered, “Who are the types of people who can have a family relationship with me?”

12:49-50 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”NIV Jesus point[ed] to his disciples and answered his own question. The types of people who can have a relationship with him are those who do the Father’s will. They listen, learn, believe, and follow. Obedience is the key to discipleship. In these words, Jesus explained that in his spiritual family, the relationships are ultimately more important and longer lasting than those formed in his physical family.

Jesus was not denying his responsibility to his earthly family. On the contrary, he would criticize the religious leaders for not following the Old Testament command to honor their parents (Matthew 15:1-9). He would provide for his mother’s security as he hung on the cross (John 19:25-27). His mother and brothers would be present in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Instead, Jesus was pointing out that spiritual relationships are as binding as physical ones, and he was paving the way for a new community of believers to be formed as Jesus’ spiritual family. This family would be characterized by love; the members should desire to be together, work together, and share one another’s burdens.

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Source:   Life Application Bible Commentary – Matthew.

 

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