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The Testimony of Believers
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Lesson Seventeen: by turtle
The other day I was having a discussion with someone concerning sin. The woman was not
a believer and felt that asking why a believer did the things they did was okay, without
being ready to answer for the things they did. As a Christian we need to learn the tactics of
Jesus in the way He addressed the crowd. Of course heathens will do it too. However not
allowing them to bait you into an argument is half the issue with keeping peace. Some
question it be better just to say I get back to you on it or say right now I do not have
answer but the answer is in the Word of God. Jesus hear will take an honest question
about His followers and read the response of Jesus.
Matthew 15:1-9
(1) Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
(2) Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their
hands when they eat bread.
(3) But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of
God by your tradition?
(4) For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth
father or mother, let him die the death.
(5) But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever
thou mightest be profited by me;
(6) And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the
commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
(7) Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
(8) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;
but their heart is far from me.
(9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Pharisees want to know why Jesus disciples did not wash their hands when they ate bread,
a tradition of the elders. Now I can picture this happening, especially considering some of
Jesus disciples were fishermen. It not that fishermen are not clean, however out on a boat
catching fish all day one might not have opportunity to wash their hands properly. In fact
with bait and other things on their hands it probably not uncommon during lunch to just
rinse their hands in the water without soap, and grab a peace of bread or whatever they
were eating. If you go to lunch at school do you wash your hands before you eat. You be
surprised how many kids probably do not. Yet it is not about sanitary it is about
convenience of hand washing. Yet Jesus takes their words and say how many
commandments have you broken. Have you always honor your parents. No kid perfectly
obeys their parents, though it be right in the sight of God. No one is perfect. Not one
person, except Jesus. And He was found missing from the group he was traveling with from
Jerusalem and His parents had to go in search of Him. Was Jesus disobedient to His
earthly parents. Not in the least, because it always better to obey God. Yet with obedience
one must remember the laws the rules and conduct. Is the disrespect done to disgrace them
or for another purpose. Considering God sees all and all, He is not going to ask you to
disrespect your parents. However if your parents are evil it could be effect of their sin. Let
take for example your parents told you to take something that was yours from someone
else, yet the person that stole it stole even more then just what he took from you. Then you
could not take what is stole because what would repay you was stolen too.
This next portion of scripture explains what Jesus point is bring up the sin of those around
Him. Those things that are entering the body does not cause uncleanness, it the things that
effect spiritual growth that does. Sin separates us from God.
Matthew 15:10-14
(10) And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
(11) Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the
mouth, this defileth a man.
(12) Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were
offended, after they heard this saying?
(13) But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted,
shall be rooted up.
(14) Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind,
both shall fall into the ditch.
Israel had become so corrupt they were exiled from the Holy Land of Israel for a time.
However they would return. Sin separates us from God and His homeland. Cain was
separated from God. Our bridge is salvation through belief in Jesus. Salvation coming in
the form of flesh so we might understand. Living in obedience and submission to God. Yet
God does understand when we make mistakes that why Christ died, for our continual
mistakes as well as mistakes we will make. We have to continue in our walk with Jesus. We
can not just say I am a Christian today and not one tomorrow. Faith does not work that
way. Faith is continual through out life, despite what tomorrow brings. We must
remember we can not take a log out of someone else eye until sin is out of our own eye.
One can not preach without being cleansed. To stand behind a pulpit without being
cleansed. One has to be purified. Understanding the soul cleanse blood of the Lamb of
God. Also understand that if you are preaching on something you have trouble with you
better free yourself from it before you preach it. Reason you fall in that ditch as someone
else.
The next portion of scripture Peter seems to have trouble with what Jesus said. No doubt
he had not thought about proper hand washing before eating bread in sometime. Yet he
ask Jesus to explain what he meant and this is what Jesus said.
Matthew 15:15-20
(15) Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
(16) And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
(17) Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the
belly, and is cast out into the draught?
(18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they
defile the man.
(19) For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, blasphemies:
(20) These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not
a man.
Simply Jesus said what goes into the mouth goes to the belly and out the but and is
garbage. Yet what comes from the heart can defile a man. It is where sin begins. It is the
desire of man that leads to sin. If sin of fornication, adultery, false witness, blasphemies,
come from the heart the man is defiled. His desires is greater then his desires to live for
God. God ask us to obey him. Yes we all are tempted and we all think about our
temptations. Yet it is our actions that speak louder then words. Our heart controls the
output of what we do. If we put out love and mercy then our output is of God and if we put
out the desires of our heart of cheating on a spouse, we will.
Now let us continue.
Matthew 15:21-28
(21) Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
(22) And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him,
saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed
with a devil.
(23) But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying,
Send her away; for she crieth after us.
(24) But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
(25) Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
(26) But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to
dogs.
(27) And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their
masters' table.
(28) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee
even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Woman from not Israel but from northern region who country did not necessarily serve
God of Israel. She however recognized Jesus as Lord. She was not afraid to say Lord help
me, because she adored Jesus. He had the ability to help her. Yet He refused. And she said
even you give your scrapes to dogs. She believed that there was room for her to have a
miracle. And so Jesus said you have faith. Miracle being the scrapes left over. She being
the dog. And Jesus saying yes and her daughter was made whole. She was a descendant
probably of Canaan linage, who was cursed to serve his brothers or just from that land.
This region is the land Ham offspring lived in, they were known to be merchants and
sailors and travel into Europe. Land known as Sidon and Tyre.
Genesis 9:24-26
(24) And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
(25) And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
(26) And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God is no respecter persons.
Acts 10:34-36
(34) Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons:
(35) But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with
him.
(36) The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
The dialogue Jesus had with the woman was demonstrating how the world viewed her. And
yet Jesus came to heal all, both spiritually and physically.
Let us continue.
Matthew 15:29-31
(29) And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up
into a mountain, and sat down there.
(30) And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind,
dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:
(31) Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the
maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of
Israel.
Note in verse thirty one these people praised the God of Israel for the miracles Jesus done.
Jesus was no respecter of person so why are we. We can not be in the spiritual world. For
God desires all to come to know Him. All to be healed. I once asked a minister why were
only certain people healed, he had no answer. When Jesus walked the earth all were
healed as they came to Him or someone came on their behalf. However all can still be
healed. Healing is not just for one person, it is for all, but when one is healed it is God’s
timing. Example is John 9 the man born blind and the man by the pool of Bethesda in John
5. Both not being able to be healed, until Jesus came by.
Matthew 15:32-39
(32) Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the
multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I
will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
(33) And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the
wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
(34) And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a
few little fishes.
(35) And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
(36) And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and
gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
(37) And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was
left seven baskets full.
(38) And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
(39) And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.
Jesus would not send anyone away hungry either. He took what he had and feed the
crowd. The crowd was hungry. Needed food to travel to the next town. Jesus feed them. He
sent them away full with meat in their belly and food for their soul. Are you satisfied
knowing Jesus loves you no matter who you are. I might send you away physically hungry,
but I hope the scripture has satisfied your soul.
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