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Matthew 14
The purpose of this part of scripture is to show the Jews their Messiah, and that Jesus also has compassion on Gentiles.
Herod's family tree is worth looking. His name is Herod Antipas. He is the son of Herod the great, the ruler when Jesus was born, the one that had all the boys killed, and the one who killed his owns son, Anitapater, Aristobulus, and Alexander. His mother was Malthace, a Samaritan, so he was not a full blooded Jew. He was a half brother of Philip I, Philip II (son of Cleopatra), Anitpator, Arisobulus, Alexander, and had a full brother, Archelaus. His niece, Herodias, was daughter of Aristobulus. She first married her uncle, Herod Philip I, (had a daughter, Salome), and then married Herod Antipas, another uncle. He died in 39 AD.
In verses 1-12 we see that Herod thought that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead, a ghost, and that is how he explained the miracles.
Men recognized Jesus' wisdom but they didn't understand who he was. Some took offense at him. Up to this time we have seen opposition to the kingdom. It will start out very small, but it will continue to grow.Now it will take a whole new level.
Chapter 14
The Death of John the Baptist
1 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about Jesus,2 he said to his advisers, “This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead! That is why he can do such miracles.”3 For Herod had arrested and imprisoned John as a favor to his wife Herodias (the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip).4 John had been telling Herod, “It is against God’s law for you to marry her.”5 Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.6 But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him,7 so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted.8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!”9 Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.10 So John was beheaded in the prison,11 and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother.12 Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
13 As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns.14 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.15 That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”17 “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.18 “Bring them here,” he said.19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people.20 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers.21 About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!Jesus Walks on Water
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home.23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! ”28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.34 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.35 When the people recognized Jesus, the news of his arrival spread quickly throughout the whole area, and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.36 They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed. Matt 14:1-36 (NLT)
Is your God only God to you when He fits into the mold you want Him to be for you? Just when we think we may have him figured out, He throws us something new, a new concept, a new way of showing us that we are not in charge. We must come humbly before Him, bow down, and accept whatever He has for us. We must learn to submit to Him. It takes alot to bring ourselves into that level of obedience, but that is what God requires. We each have to come to that place where we trust, we know, for ourselves, that Heis God, and we submit our life to his design and plan. When we have made Him lord over our life, and we have denied ourselves, we are able to walk where He leads.
Matthew 15
Jesus once again is challenged by the Pharisees. They don't have good intentions. Traditions are being broken again. But Jesus has a response, they are fighting words. He accuses them of invalidating God's Word for the sake of their tradition. They have prided themselves for upholding the Torah.
Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law.
He is the Word.
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.The Word was with God,and the Word was God.2 He existed in the beginning with God.3 God created everything through him,and nothing was created except through him.4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.5 The light shines in the darkness,and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:1-14 (NLT)
Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
1 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition?” they demanded. “They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God?4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.9 Their worship is a farce,for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ ”10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand.11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted,14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked.17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”
The Faith of a Gentile Woman
21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. Jesus Heals Many People
29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down.30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all.31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”34 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground.36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food.38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.39 Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan. Matt 15:1-39 (NLT)
SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 14:1-16:12
Jesus' Identity: Not a Resurrected John the Baptist 14:1-12
Feeding Number One: 5,000 Satisfied 14:13-21
Jesus' Walk on Water: Worship and Confession 14:22-33
Recognition of Christ: Healed at a Touch 14:34-36
Teaching about What Is Clean or Unclean 15:1-20
A Clean Gentile Woman 15:21-28
Coming to Christ: Healing and Worship 15:29-31
Feeding Number Two: 4,000 Satisfied 15:32-39
Feedings Explained: A Warning of Unclean Teachings 16:1-12
Jesus' rejection at Nazareth (13:53-58) by his relatives and neighbors was a clear example of those who would be "offended" and reject Jesus (cf. 11:6). They were unable to accept Jesus' offer of the new treasures along with the old (13:52). Note the link of 13:55-56 with 12:50. Those who had been closest to Jesus when he was a child rejected him. It was not the closeness of human relationship that proved one's relationship to Jesus, it was obedience to the will of his Father.
Faith and True Cleanness: Controversies concerning Eating Bread with Unwashed Hands (14:1-16:12) Overview: The entire section of 14:1-16:12 is concerned with eating. Two guiding concepts found in this section are (1) the juxtaposition of the physical with the spiritual, and (2) Jesus' elaboration of Deuteronomy 8:3. This important section has been summarized in the accompanying chart.
Jesus taught that when it concerned such items as food, shelter, and safety, the faith of his people should be automatic. He showed that his followers needed to be tuned into the more important concerns of his kingdom. The disciples were hung up on the mundane concern for bread. Though they had two well-known opinions concerning the meaning of leaven (bread and teaching), they chose to understand his teaching on the mundane level of bread and missed what he was really trying to tell them. They failed to receive Jesus' words from a faith perspective and almost missed his warning about the unclean teachings of the Pharisees.
IDENTITY: IS JESUS JOHN THE BAPTIST? (14:1-12)
When Herod Antipas heard of Jesus, he feared that he was John the Baptist come back from the dead. At an earlier time, Herod had ordered that John be beheaded. Herod's confusion about the identity of Jesus showed the people's confusion about what God was doing through his great men. This set the background for the discussion regarding the identity of Jesus in Matthew 16. When his father (King Herod the Great) died, Herod Antipas received the title "tetrarch" ("ruler of a fourth part") and the authority to rule over Galilee and Perea (4 b.c.-a.d. 39). Herod Antipas, who was married to the daughter of a Nabatean king, fell in love with his brother Philip's wife, Herodias, who was also his niece (14:4). Herod Antipas divorced his wife and married Herodias in violation of the Mosaic Laws concerning incestuous marriages (Lev. 18:6-18). John condemned this marriage as "illegal," and as a result was killed in a.d. 31 or 32 (Matt. 14:10).
THE WILDERNESS LESSON OF FAITH IS ELABORATED (14:13-15:39) Five Thousand Are Fed (14:13-21) The feeding of the five thousand took place at a lonely or deserted place on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee near Bethsaida (cf. Luke 9:10). This miracle is the only one of Jesus' thirty-six recorded miracles that appears in all four Gospels. Jesus' withdrawal from the crowds was probably due to Herod's interest in him (cf. Matt. 14:2). The news of his deeds had spread to the king's palace (14:13). Although Jesus had sought solitude, he looked with compassion on the multitude that had followed him. His miracles of healing and feeding would serve as illustrations to teach his disciples (16:5-12), and at that point, comments on the significance of the feeding would be given. Note the progression of events in 14:14, 16, 18, 21.
Walking on Water:
God's Son Worshiped (14:22-33) The disciples responded to this sign of Jesus' power by worshiping him (14:33; cf. 28:17). The night was divided into four periods: 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., 9:00 to 12:00 P.M., 12:00 to 3:00 A.M., and 3:00 to 6:00 A.M. The "fourth watch" ("three o'clock in the morning," 14:25) was between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. If the disciples had started out around sunset (14:22-23), they had been rowing for about nine hours.
Healings from the Cloak:
The Messiah Recognized (14:34-36) Gennesaret (14:34) was a fertile plain on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee was sometimes referred to as the Lake of Gennesaret (cf. Luke 5:1) (see introductory map). The people brought their sick to Jesus, showing their recognition of the promised Messiah.
Confusion about the Clean and Unclean (15:1-20) Jesus sought to make dear to his disciples that true purity and faith began with the heart, not with external rituals. The "age-old traditions" (Matt. 15:2) was a reference to the Halachah or the "law of custom." This tradition was regarded by the Pharisees as equally binding as the written law. The "law of custom" called for ritual hand cleansing before eating. Neglect of this custom brought defilement. The Mishnah states, "Bread eaten with unwashed hands was as if it had been filth." This law is an example of the heavy burdens imposed by the Pharisees. The Pharisees' criticism of Jesus and his disciples was ironic in that the feeding of the multitude came from the absolutely pure hands of God's Son.
The professed commitment of the Pharisees to God and his law was used by them to avoid the parental obligations demanded by the law (15:4-5; cf. Exod. 20:12). Jesus used the sixth commandment (Exod. 20:12), which was the first one that applied to man's relationships with his fellow men, because it exposed one of the Pharisees' sins.
In Matthew 15:7-9 Jesus identified the Pharisees with the hypocrites of Isaiah 29:13. Isaiah himself had contrasted a false religion of the lips with a true religion of the heart. Even in Isaiah's day, most of the Jews had worshiped vainly on the basis of human traditions. The Pharisees vividly exemplified the "what you say and do" (Matt. 15:11) type of impurity. Jesus taught that people were not defiled by ceremonial uncleanness but by moral impurity that issued from the heart (15:11). He sought to drive home the importance of honoring God in heartfelt sincerity. See 15:10, 16 regarding Jesus' desire to bring about true understanding among his hearers (cf. 13:51; 16:6, 9, 12).
In the section of 15:12-20 Jesus made clear the source of true impurity—the heart. The distinction between ethical impurity (purity of heart) and ritual impurity (purity in terms of law and tradition) was also further clarified (15:15-20). Jesus showed that a lack of understanding could indicate a problem with the purity of one's heart (15:19).
The Canaanite Woman:
An Impure Person (15:21-28) Tyre and Sidon (15:21) were located in Phoenicia, a Mediterranean coastal region north of Galilee (see introductory map). Why did Jesus make this woman beg? Was she asking for a Messianic blessing ("Son of David," 15:22)? Jesus' silence raised a response from his disciples: "send her away" (15:23). They responded with the assumption that the benefits brought by Jesus were exclusively for the Jews and thus failed to respond with compassion. Jesus' statement "I was sent only to help the people of Israel" (15:24) seems to support the disciples' request to send her away. Yet Jesus intended to meet her need. In 15:24 he was simply clarifying the scope of his commission; he had been sent only to Israel. Jesus clarified the priorities that exist in any household (15:25-26). Children were always fed as a priority before the pets of the household. Jesus did not intend to insult the woman by calling her a dog; rather, he used a form of the word dog that meant "pet."
After clearly enunciating the priority that the Israelites took in his ministry, Jesus went on to teach the disciples and the woman that the Gentiles would also see benefits from his presence. Her claim to blessing was through the Abrahamic covenant, which promised that all nations would be blessed through Israel (cf. Gen. 12:3). After making his point about priority in the messianic ministry, Jesus healed her. The location, Tyre and Sidon, might have influenced Jesus' actions. Jesus waited until it was crystal clear that the woman would participate by faith in the blessing he would give her. For other examples of Jesus healing Gentiles, see Matthew 4:24; 8:5-13, 28-34.
Healings Glorify God and Four Thousand Are Fed (15:29-39) Matthew was painting a picture of the Lord's compassion by recounting his works of healing and the second feeding of a multitude (15:32; cf. 14:14). Magadan (15:39) was located on the southern end of the plain of GennesaretIt was probably identical with Magdala (modern Migdol). See the comment on Dalmanutha in the notes on Mark 8:10.
—Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary