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Matthew Chapter
Fifteen
I. Content of the Chapter
The Lord Jesus Turned to Show Grace to the
Gentiles
I. Judaists came to query the Lord for their
tradition of the elders and did not submit to His words (v.1-20).
II. The Lord departed to the region of the Gentiles
and healed the daughter of the woman of
III. The Lord had filled four thousand people by seven
loaves and a few little fish and took up seven large baskets full of the
fragments (v.32-39).
II. Verse by Verse commentary
Matt. 15:1 “Then the scribes and
Pharisees who were from
YLT: “Then come unto Jesus do they from
Literal
Meaning: “the scribes and
Pharisees” “Pharisees” were those who emphasized on letters of the Law in
Judaism and they considered themselves that they were separated (the meaning of
Pharisees) from others. “The scribes” were those who specially transcribed the
Law and taught the Law. Usually the Jews called them “rabbi”. Most of the
scribes were the Pharisees. However, not all the Pharisees are scribes.
“Who were from
Spiritual Meaning: “the scribes and
Pharisees” symbolizes all the religious believers all over the world, including
formalist Christians. “
Matt. 15:2 “‘Why
do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash
their hands when they eat bread.’”
YLT: “`Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat
bread.’”
The Background:
“the tradition of the elders” was the annotations
and extensions in meaning towards the Law of Moses by famous Law-teachers
throughout all ages. These had been preserved in an oral manner and kept
strictly by the Pharisees. According to the Law of Moses, priests have to wash their
hands and their feet before they enter into the temple to serve (Exod. 30:19). However,
the supplementary teachings preserved in oral had extent the commandment towards
priests to the details of life of common people, lest men touch unclean things
(such as dead body, dead cattle and unclean animals). Therefore they are asked
to wash their hands when eating bread. Rabbis always said, “The holy people (
Literal
Meaning: “For they do not
wash their hands when they eat bread.” The washing hands that they advocate of
is not for cleaning but a religious ceremony.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today Christianity had accumulated much
tradition in the past two thousand years. However it is not obligatory for
Christians to obey the tradition.
2) If we stress on the outward regulations and
ways, we may become current scribes and Pharisees.
Matt. 15:3 “He answered and said to
them, ‘Why do you also transgress
the commandment of God because of your tradition?”
YLT: “And he answering said to them, `Wherefore also do
ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition?”
Literal
Meaning: because they “taught as doctrines the
commandment of men” (See v.9),
tradition of men was treated higher than commandment of God. Moreover, they
abolished commandment of God by tradition of men. They transgressed the
commandment of God because of tradition of men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today many Christians and Catholics neglect many
words of God because of keeping the tradition of their assembly.
2) If men add men’s words to God’s words, probably
as a result men will transgress the words of God.
3) In the eyes of the Lord, it is not serious to go
against teachings of men who is of spiritual and religionists (the tradition of
the elders). It is indeed serious to transgress the words of God (the
commandment of God).
4) What Christians should obey is God’s words. Any
doctrine or teaching should not replace God’s words.
Matt. 15:4 “For God commanded,
saying, ‘Honor your father and your
mother'; and, ‘He who curses father or
mother, let him be put to death.'”
YLT: “for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and
mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother let him die the death;”
Meaning of Words: “curses”: speak evil
of, insult, revile.
Literal
Meaning: “let him be put to
death.” There are “death” and “die” in original and the “die” means to be
ended. The whole sentence means “by death, let him die”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Honor your father and your mother” is the first
commandment about interpersonal relationship. Father and mother are the origin
of children and this symbolizes that God is the origin of men. God’s intention
is to let us honor God by honoring one’s father and mother.
2) It is shown that anyone who curses father or
mother must have some problem with God and the result is spiritual death (See
Matt. 15:5 “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift
to God’--”
YLT: “but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother,
An offering [is] whatever thou mayest be profited by me;”
The Background:
“a gift” is a dedication with a vow of
treasure and it originates from Jephthah’s vow (See Judg. 11:29-40). This kind
of dedication with a vow was also called “corban”. The father or mother did not
have right to use what had been appointed as “corban” by the owner (See Mark.
7:11).
Literal
Meaning: “is a gift” means “whatever
has been given to God nominally is not allowed to be used by others”.
Matt. 15:6 “then he need not honor
his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect
by your tradition.”
YLT: “and he may not honour his father or his mother,
and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition.”
The Background:
some unworthy Judaic believers usually made
use of lawful quiddity and vowed a vow to dedicate his family property for the
use of the holy temple in order to evade the responsibility to support parents.
They regarded themselves as the supervisors of the property and still used the
property as usual.
Spiritual Meaning: “religion of men’s
willing” is to abolish “the commandment of God”------God’s words, seasonable
words, spirit of truth and everlastingly fresh enlightenments by “tradition of
the elders”------words of great men, traditional concepts, vain ceremonies and
pedantic conservations.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Pay what is God’s to God, and what is men’s to
men. If someone covers his unfilial behaviors by dedication, he makes use of
religion to do evil or to cover his evilness.
2) God’s glory is not established on others’ pain. Loving
God and loving parents are in complete accord. Religion and morality are
inseparable.
3) If one only walks according to regulations,
consequently he may go against the intention of God’s words completely (the
Law).
Matt. 15:7 “Hypocrites! Well did
Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:”
YLT: “`Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you,
saying,”
Meaning of Words: “Hypocrites”:
acting, performance.
The Background:
“hypocrites” originates from actors on stage
who speak under masks to hide their true features so as to play an assumed
character vividly.
Literal
Meaning: “well did Isaiah
prophesy of you, saying,” The words in v.8-9 are quoted from Is. 29:13.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) There have been hypocrites among God’s people
since ancient times. It is especially so today.
2) Hypocrisy is not indeed bad but falsely good.
However the falsely goodness is even worse.
Matt. 15:8 “‘These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But
their heart is far from Me.”
YLT: “This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth,
and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me;”
Literal
Meaning: the feature of
religious believers is that they only have the appearance instead of the
reality of worshiping God. This condition is shown in that he says what he does
not mean: they speak logically and clearly. They only worship God with their
mouth but not honor God in their hearts.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is a spirit, and who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth (See John. 4:24). The most important thing in
worshiping God is one’s heart instead of only lips.
2) The Lord not only sits down on the right hand of
the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3) but also dwells in our hearts (Eph. 3:17). Therefore
what the heavenly people should pay attention to is not the outward ways but
the inner real state (See Rom. 2:28-29).
Matt. 15:9 “And in vain they worship
Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandment of men.’”
YLT: “and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings
commands of men.’”
Literal
Meaning: “Teaching as
doctrines the commandment of men”. In this way, men’s opinions replace God’s
will and men’s views replace God’s revelations. What they pay attention is not
how God speaks but how men speak.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those that say one thing but mean another thing
(See v.8) specially stress that how others think and speak instead of that how
God thinks and speaks. It’s no wonder in vain they worship God.
2) “In vain they worship Me.” It shows that
worshiping is not always effective and in some cases worshiping may be in vain.
3) It could not satisfy the Lord’s hearts if one
holds high spiritual giants and worships and serves according to their
instructions.
Matt. 15:10 “When He had called the
multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:”
YLT: “And having called near the multitude, he said to
them, `Hear and understand:”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What the Lord had said to others is also said to
us ------“the multitude”.
2) It is in vain for us to hear but not understand.
We should pray to the Lord for ears of hearing and hearts of understanding (See
Matt. 13-16).
Matt. 15:11 “Not what goes into the
mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.’”
YLT: “not that which is coming into the mouth doth
defile the man, but that which is coming forth from the mouth, this defileth
the man.’”
Literal
Meaning: “not what goes into
the mouth defiles a man;” “what goes into he mouth”: food (See v.17); “defiles
a man”: making some “common and unclean” (See Acts. 11:8), i.e. not making someone
be “sanctified” (See John. 17:19).
“What comes out of the mouth, this defiles a
man.” “What comes out of the mouth”: thoughts, words and behaviors come out of
men’s hearts (See v.18-19).
The scribes and Pharisees originally talked
about the problem of clean by “washing hands” (See v.2). Now the Lord Jesus
interrogated the problem by “food” to talk about what was indeed clean. The uncleanness
in letters is insignificant. What’s significant is the uncleanness in morality.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Religious believers only have physical concepts
and ideas of letters instead of spiritual sight. Anyone with spiritual sight
knows that the true uncleanness is evil ideas in men’s hearts instead of the
impropriety of food and religious ceremonies.
2) In the life in the heavenly kingdom, the
uncleanness is not outward but inner appearance, not physical but spiritual.
Matt. 15:12 “Then His disciples came
and said to Him, ‘Do You know that the
Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’”
YLT: “Then his disciples having come near, said to him,
`Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?’”
Literal
Meaning: “the Pharisees were
offended when they heard this saying.” “Offended” shows that they thought the
Lord’s words had “offended” them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) One is unable to hear others’ words with
prejudice.
2) Those who live in the visibly material realm are
unable to receive the teachings of spiritual things.
Matt. 15:13 “But He answered and said,
‘Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will
be uprooted.”
YLT: “And he answering said, `Every plant that my Heavenly
Father did not plant shall be rooted up;”
The Background:
the Pharisees considered themselves that they
were planted by God (See Is. 60:21).
Literal
Meaning: “every plant”: every
tree in original.
“Which My Heavenly Father has not
planted”: that has been planted by men. This verse has two meanings: 1) the
Pharisees; 2) teachings and ways of the Pharisees.
“Will be uprooted.” “Tradition of the
elders” (See v.2) and “commandment of men” (See v.9) are all planted by men and
they will be uprooted by God one day.
Spiritual Meaning: which the Heavenly
Father has planted are words of God (See Mark. 4:14) and men of God (See Matt.
13:38, 1Cor. 3:9).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those who are not chosen by God have neither
part nor lot in heavenly kingdom.
2) If our service and work is not of God, it will
be of no value one day.
3) Men’s heretical teachings will be uprooted by
God some day.
Matt. 15:14 “Let them alone. They are
blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall
into a ditch.’”
YLT: “let them alone, guides they are blind of blind;
and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.’”
Literal
Meaning: “they are blind
leaders of the blind.” The blind leaders are the scribes and Pharisees and the
blind are the ignorant common people (See Rom. 2:19). Their thoughts all have
been blinded by the god of this world, so that they cannot see the light of the
glad tidings of the glory of Christ (See 2Cor. 4:3-4).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God’s strategy to those persist in their
opinions and obstinately adhere to error is to “let them alone” (See Rom.
1:28).
2) Christians could only help those “who are
deceived by heretical teachings” and help them wake up to reality. Christians
should not think about helping those “who preach heretical teachings”. To
latter ones, we should “let them alone”.
3) Anyone who is unable to discern who is of men or
of God is spiritually blind.
4) “They are blind leaders of the blind.” Ignorant
ones like to be teachers of others. Those who do not understand the will of God
like to preach God’s will to others.
5) Those who have not received revelations do work
without revelations and consequently the leader and those who are led all fall
into hopeless straits and despair (“fall into a ditch”).
Matt. 15:15 “Then Peter answered and
said to Him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’”
YLT: “And Peter answering said to him, `Explain to us
this simile.’”
Literal
Meaning: “this parable” is
the word of v.11 instead of the word of v.13-14.
Matt. 15:16 “So Jesus said, ‘Are you also still without understanding?”
YLT: “And Jesus said, `Are ye also yet without
understanding?”
Enlightenment in the Word: our hearts are too senseless and slow and therefore
we should ask the Lord to open our understanding to “understand” His words (See
Luke. 24:25, 45).
Matt. 15:17 “Do you not yet understand
that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?”
YLT: “do ye not understand that all that is going into
the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth?”
Literal
Meaning: this verse shows
that “whatever enters the mouth” is food.
Matt. 15:18 “But those things which
proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”
YLT: “but the things coming forth from the mouth from
the heart do come forth, and these defile the man;”
Literal
Meaning: “and they defile a
man” “And” is the tone with emphasis in original.
Enlightenment in the Word: the Lord’s attention is not on material things but
spiritual things. Health counts for little. However, the uncleanness of men’s
hearts counts for much.
Matt. 15:19 “For out of the heart
proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false
witness, blasphemies.”
YLT: “for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings:”
Literal
Meaning: “evil thoughts”:
evil schemes, the beginning of all men’s sins.
“Murders, adulteries, fornications, false
witness” “murders” are against the sixth commandment; “adulteries, fornications”
are against the seventh commandment; “thefts” are against the eighth
commandment; “false witness” are against the ninth commandment (See Exod.
20:13-16).
“Blasphemies”: the behaviors that someone
slanders others’ reputations with words.
Enlightenment in the Word: the heart is deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9) and therefore it need to be cleansed with the
washing of water by the Lord’s word (Eph. 5:26).
Matt. 15:20 “These are the things
which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.’”
YLT: “these are the things defiling the man; but to eat
with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.’”
Enlightenment in the Word: uncleanness of men’s hearts is the root of all evil
and uncleanness.
Matt. 15:21 “Then Jesus went out from
there and departed to the region of
YLT: “And Jesus having come forth thence, withdrew to
the parts of
Literal
Meaning: “there” is the
“Tyre and Sidon” are port cities in the
Mediterranean on the north of the Sea of Galilee and in the region of Phoenicia
(Lebanon right now) which had been cursed by God (See Is. 23, Joel. 3:4).
Spiritual Meaning: “the region of
Enlightenment in the Word: the Lord would rather depart to the places which
had been cursed by God than be with the hypocritical Pharisees. The Lord would
rather show mercy to publicly-known sinners than badger with secret sinners.
Matt. 15:22 “And behold, a woman of
YLT: “and lo, a woman, a Canaanitess, from those borders
having come forth, did call to him, saying, `Deal kindly with me, Sir Son of
David; my daughter is miserably demonized.’”
Literal
Meaning: “a woman of
“The Son of David” is the pronoun of “the
Messiah” who is only related to
Spiritual Meaning: “a woman of
“My daughter is severely
demon-possessed.” She gave birth to her “daughter”, showing that life and
behaviors that are of natural and flesh life are bound and controlled by the
devil (See 1John. 5:19).
Matt. 15:23 “But He answered her not a
word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send
her away, for she cries out after us.’”
YLT: “And he did not answer her a word; and his
disciples having come to him, were asking him, saying ‘Let her away, because
she crieth after us;’”
Literal
Meaning: “But He answered her
not a word” because the woman of
“Send her away, for she cries our after us.”
The disciples thought that the woman of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If we pray wrongly, the Lord would “answer us
not a word”.
2) He has His intention if the Lord has not
answered our prayers. If we are able to learn with hearts, we will learn
spiritual lessons from failing prayers.
Matt. 15:24 “But He answered and said,
‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of
YLT: “and he answering said, `I was not sent except to
the lost sheep of the house of
Literal
Meaning: “the house of
“The lost sheep”:
The Lord here indicated to the woman of
Canaan that the name “the Son of David” is especially for “the lost sheep of
the house of
Spiritual Meaning: “sheep” typifies that
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Words of the Lord imply that the condition to
receive grace is to confess oneself as “the lost sheep”. Anyone who is
confident in himself and considers himself always right is hard to receive the
salvation of the Lord.
2) The Lord shows mercy to men according to men’s
true knowledge towards Him and themselves.
Matt. 15:25 “Then she came and
worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’”
YLT: “And having come, she was bowing to him, saying,
`Sir, help me;’”
Literal
Meaning: note that here she
called the Lord “Lord”, showing that she had understood the words of the Lord
and prayed to “the Savior of all men” (1Tim. 4:10).
Matt. 15:26 “But He answered and said,
‘It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it
to the little dogs.’”
YLT: “and he answering said, `It is not good to take the
children`s bread, and to cast to the little dogs.’”
The Background:
in ancient times the Jews called the
Gentiles “dogs”. It was originally a scornful appellation but later it became a
pet phrase, just like Chinese people call the while race “foreign devils”.
Literal
Meaning: “throw it to the
little dogs.” “Dogs” in original are “young puppies” that are fed in the house
as pets of family members and playmates of children. It shows that: 1) the dogs
are related to the lord of the house; 2) the lord is responsible to feed them;
3) children should take bread first and then the dogs; 4) children eat what is
on the table and dogs eat what falls from the table.
Spiritual Meaning: “the children’s
bread” typifies that the Lord is the bread of life (John. 6:35); “children”
typifies the Jews, especially “the lost sheep of the house of
The Lord Jesus here didn’t despise the
woman of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus came into the world as “bread” that
has come down out of the heaven and made men live by eating Him (See John.
6:51).
2) Believers should do all things decently and in
order (See 1Cor. 14:40). We should not do according with our wishes and things
we like to do.
Matt. 15:27 “And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which
fall from their masters' table.’”
YLT: “And she said, `Yes, sir, for even the little dogs
do eat of the crumbs that are falling from their lords’table;’”
Literal
Meaning: she seized the Lord’s
words------“little dogs” and humbly admitted that she was only a little dog. However
she boldly declared that the “dog in the house” (the meaning of little dogs in
original) belonged to the lord and it had the right to eat crumbs which
children do no need any more.
Please note that the
Lord Jesus departed to the region of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The woman of
2) The condition of a prayer to be answered is to
seize the words that the Lord had said before as a handle and prayed to
Him------it can still be considered a good way to pray with words that the Lord
had spoken in the Bible.
3) When learning to pray, believers should not ask
for great matters in the beginning and we should start by asking for “crumbs”.
Matt. 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.”
YLT: “then answering, Jesus said to her, `O woman, great
[is] thy faith, let it be to thee as thou wilt;`and her daughter was healed
from that hour.”
Literal
Meaning: “O, woman, great is
your faith!” The dialogue between the woman of
Spiritual Meaning: The daughter of the
woman of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The true faith depends on the true knowledge of
the Lord. The more we know Him, the more is our faith towards Him.
2) Believe that you receive them, and you shall
receive them (Mark. 11:24). How much we enjoy the Lord’s power depends on our
faith towards Him.
3) Anyone who is willing to humble himself and
stands in the position where he is supposed to stand will be praised by the
Lord.
4) According to this verse, her daughter was healed
because the Lord’s word “Let it be to you as you desire.” However according to
the context of this story, her daughter was healed because she had eaten the
Lord as the “crumbs” of bread (See v.27) ------it is a good way to have a sound
life by eating, drinking and enjoying the Lord.
Matt. 15:29 “Jesus departed from
there, skirted the
YLT: “And Jesus having passed thence, came nigh unto the
sea of Galilee, and having gone up to the mountain, he was sitting there,”
Literal
Meaning: “skirted the
Spiritual Meaning: “went up on the
mountain and sat down there” symbolizes that the Lord will draw all to Him if
He was lifted up out of the earth (See John. 12:32).
Matt. 15:30 “Then great multitudes
came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others;
and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.”
YLT: “and there came to him great multitudes, having
with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they did cast them at
the feet of Jesus, and he healed them,”
Matt. 15:31 “So the multitude marveled
when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and
the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”
YLT: “so that the multitudes did wonder, seeing dumb
ones speaking, maimed whole, lame walking, and blind seeing; and they glorified
the God of Israel.”
Literal
Meaning: “they glorified the
God of Israel.” “The God of Israel” shows that they were gentiles (See Matt.
9:8). At that time there were many cities inhabited by gentiles all around the
Enlightenment in the Word: they glorified God: God has been manifested. Men
eat the Lord to gain the Lord. On the negative side it would remove our
weakness in our life (the sick were healed) and on the positive side it would
let God be manifested from us (glorying God).
Matt. 15:32 “Now Jesus called His
disciples to Himself and said, ‘I have compassion on the
multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing
to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.’”
YLT: “And Jesus having called near his disciples, said,
`I have compassion upon the multitude, because now three days they continue
with me, and they have not what they may eat; and to let them away fasting I
will not, lest they faint in the way.’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord did not change the rock into bread for
Himself when He had been hungry for forty days (See Matt. 4:1-4). He had
compassion on the multitude when they were hungry for three days. The mind of
Christ is to take care of others instead of Himself (See Pill. 2:4-5).
2) Eating the Lord is not a thing that could be
done once and for all. We must eat, drink and enjoy the Lord day by day.
3) Every time men come to the Lord, they will be
supplied, fed and filled by the Lord.
4) We are now on the way running to heavens. If we
do not always eat the Lord, we will be weary and faint (See Heb. 12:1, 3).
Matt. 15:33 “Then His disciples said
to Him, ‘Where could we get enough
bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?’”
YLT: “And his disciples say to him, `Whence to us, in a
wilderness, so many loaves, as to fill so great a multitude?’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If our eyes are only on circumstances (“the
wilderness”), we will be short to meet the real and great need (“such a great
multitude”).
2) Our eyes of faith should not be on ourselves or
circumstances but on the Lord.
Matt. 15:34 “Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’
And they said, ‘Seven, and a few little
fish.’”
YLT: “And Jesus saith to them, `How many loaves have
ye?`and they said, `Seven, and a few little fishes.’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “How many loaves do you have?” The Lord uses
what we have instead of what we do not have to bless others.
2) No matter how poor or young we are, there must
be something that we could dedicate to the Lord for His use.
Matt. 15:35 “So He commanded the
multitude to sit down on the ground.”
YLT: “And he commanded the multitudes to sit down upon
the ground,”
Enlightenment in the Word: in quietness and confidence shall be our strength
(See Is. 30:15).
Matt. 15:36 “And He took the seven
loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples;
and the disciples gave to the multitude.”
YLT: “and having taken the seven loaves and the fishes,
having given thanks, he did break, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples
to the multitude.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If the loaves and fish have been kept whole,
they cannot be the food of the multitude. If we have not been “broken” by the
Lord, we cannot become others’ blessing.
2) “He gave them to His disciples; and the
disciples gave to the multitude.” We should seek earnestly to be channels to
deliver the Lord’s abundant grace. However, we are able to give something to
others only after we have received something from the Lord.
Matt. 15:37 “So they all ate and were
filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were
left.”
YLT: “And they did all eat, and were filled, and they
took up what was over of the broken pieces seven baskets full,”
Literal
Meaning: “large baskets” are
utensils to keep things. They are weaved by rush and canes and they were larger
than the “baskets” (See Matt. 14:20).
Spiritual Meaning: “they took up seven
large baskets full of fragments that were left.” “Fragments” symbolizes that
grace is surplus and abundant; “seven” is the number of perfectness in this
age; “seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left” symbolizes that
the Lord’s provision is more than sufficient. Things that were left after
enjoyment are still abundant and perfect.
Matt. 15:38 “Now those who ate were
four thousand men, besides women and children.”
YLT: “and those eating were four thousand men, apart
from women and children.”
Spiritual Meaning: “four thousand men” “four”
symbolizes creatures (See Rev. 4:7); here it means that the Lord’s provision is
over all creatures.
Matt. 15:39 “And He sent away the
multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.”
YLT: “And having let away the multitudes, he went into
the boat, and did come to the borders of Magdala.”
Meaning of Words: “Magdala”: tower,
greatness.
Literal
Meaning: “came to the region
of Magdala,” “Magdala” is a district on the west bank of the
III. Outlines of the Spiritual
Lessons
The True Food of People of the King
I. Religious
believers mistook “the tradition of the elders” (words of men) for food:
A. Every word which goes out through God’s mouth is
what men should live by (See Matt. 4:4).
1. The scribes and Pharisees symbolize religious believers (v.1).
2. Religious believers are fervent in outward ways such as “washing
hands”, showing that they live by “men’s words” (v.2).
B. Phenomenon that religious believers eat by
mistake:
1. They stressed on “tradition (men’s words)” more than “commandment of
God (God’s words)” (v.3).
2. They transgressed “commandment of God (words of God)” because of “tradition
(men’s words)” (v.4-6).
3. They taught as doctrines “the commandment of men”; their lips were for God and their hearts were not
for God (v.7-9).
C. The result of religious believers’ eating by
mistake:
1. They do not have spiritual sight------they are unable to discern that
what defiles a man is not the outward visible thing but the inner invisible
thing (v. 10-11, 15-20).
2. They will be uprooted by the Heavenly Father------because they have
not been planted by the Heavenly Father (v.12-13).
3. They fall into hopeless straits because their thoughts have been
blinded------if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch (v.14).
II. True believers
have true food in the Lord’s words:
A. They must have the true knowledge of the Lord:
1. The woman of
2. She asked the Lord for help but called the Lord “the Son of David”
wrongly (v.22b).
3. She knew that “the Son of David” belonged to “the house of
B. The knowledge of the Lord is the true food and
one should know his own position:
1. She knew that the Lord was the “bread” (v.26, John. 6:35).
2. She also knew her own position as “little dogs” instead of “children”
(v.26).
C. She humbly stood in her own position and enjoyed
Christ by faith:
1. She admitted that she was not “children” and though she was “little
dogs”, she had the right to eat “the crumbs which fell from their masters’
tables” (v.27).
2. The Lord praised her that “great is her faith” (v.28a).
D. The result of eating the Lord is to be healed:
1. The daughter of the woman of
2. The great multitudes all around the
III. The Lord
Himself in His words is the true food for men:
A. We should eat, drink and enjoy the Lord day by
day when running on the way to heavens, otherwise we may be weary on the way
(v.32).
B. “Seven loaves and a few little fish” typifies
our life experience of the Lord (v.33-34).
C. The way to eat, drink and enjoy the Lord:
1. Rest on the Lord’s words (v.35).
2. We should dedicate our life experience of the Lord to the Lord for
His use------the Lord took (v.36a).
3. We should receive the Lord’s blessing and breaking------He gave
thanks and broke them (v.36b).
4. The Lord’s servants should be the channels of His provision------ He
gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave to the multitude (v.36c).
5. We should cherish His grace and should not spoil His grace------they
were filled and took up the fragments that were left (v.37a).
D. The result of eating the Lord------bringing in
the true building of the assembly:
1. The assembly is at measure of the statute of the fullness of Christ
(See Eph. 4:12-13) ------they took up seven large baskets full of fragments
(v.37b).
2. The assembly becomes the fullness of Him who fills all in all (See
Eph. 1:23) ------“four thousand” presents all creatures (v.38).
3. The assembly is built for a habitation of God (See Eph. 2:21-22)
------“boat” symbolizes the assembly; “Magdala” means “tall building” (v.39).
They must Be Planted by the Heavenly Father
I. The Pharisees and
their teachings were not planted by the Heavenly Father (v.1-20).
II. The faith of the
woman of
III. The Lord’s
power of healing was planted by the Heavenly Father (v.29-31).
IV. The Lord’s feed
with love was planted by the Heavenly Father (v.32-39).
Four words in the Dialogue between the Lord and the
Woman of
II. I was “not” sent
except… (v.24) ------the Lord does the will of Him and finishes His work (John.
4:34).
III. It is “not”
good to… (v.26) ------the Lord’s ministry has relative importance and order.
IV. “Yes” (v.27)
------we should say “Amen” to the Lord’s words. We should trust and obey Him.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren