Day 43, Matthew 15
Notice that we just read chapter six in John’s gospel (which has 21 chapters) and now we return to Matthew’s gospel in the 15th of 28 chapters. John devotes a great deal more of his gospel to the final weeks of Jesus’ life, while Matthew is building five blocks of historical records about the Son of David and Son of Abraham.
Thus Matthew now gives us further conflicts with the traditions of the Jewish faith as held by the Pharisees and scribes. Jesus is clear that tradition can become an obstacle to obedience. If our interpretations and long-held habits become more powerful than the truths of God’s Word, then we find ourselves surprisingly far from God!
By contrast, Jesus invites the crowd to “come, listen and open your hearts to understand.” He’s not impressed or intimidated by the religiously powerful.
One person who took Jesus at His word, came, listened and opened her heart, was a woman from nearby pagan Canaan. She asks Jesus for a miracle to set her daughter free. It is a reasonable assumption that the observant Jews in the area would have seen the girl’s demonization as justice for rejection of God’s laws and standards. Hadn’t the Canaanites had been among the pagan nations driven out at the foundation of the nation of Israel?
But Jesus, testing her gently, tells her she belongs to the wrong ‘team’. Then He is impressed by her response: even the little dogs get the crumbs dropped by the family! Her daughter is set free in response to such faith.
And finally, Jesus’ compassion for another hungry crowd leads to a second fast-food miracle: four thousand men, plus women and children, fed from seven loaves and a few fish, with seven baskets left over.
While the numbers alone make this a lesser miracle than the feeding of the five thousand, nonetheless the compassion of Jesus for those in need again swings the day. Just as it does for any need you and I face today.
Have a great day!
Mark.