Matthew 15; Verses 1-9; Relationship/Reality vs. Religion/Disconnect

Picking it up in Matthew 15. This is one amazing chapter. Much to learn for all of us. Thank you for taking a look †


An amazing analogy here as we are to clean the inside of the cup. Christ wants dishwashers and servers. I don't know anyone that eats or drinks and is not more concerned about dirt on the inside rather than the outside. Therefore, we need to put in proper perspective spiritually first. What is most relevant and what is not. Traditions of men always make God's Word null and void to that person and whoever else they want to dish it out to (man's control mechanism through religion, not the right Gospel here). In this study you will also see all the woes covered in Matthew 23. Please do take a look at that. Here is one of them,

(Matthew 23:25-26) "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.


26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."With that being said,

(Matthew 15:1-9) "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

The "make up" artists at it once again. Key one, this is not the law of God. They make it up which makes them legalists. The tradition of what elders? Not Moses and Aaron also. Hygiene is a good thing. It is not a good thing when it's made up to be a matter guilt and then shame, and/or then people are looked down upon. This is cruel as can be!

Beside that, (Genesis 3:19) "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

(We're made up from the same organic make up. I don't recommend eating dirt a an adult but most of been there as a kid. Okay, in all seriousness when we learn God's laws and standards He wants us to follow we end this nonsense of making it up. Putting things in order in relevancy, proper perspective. Proper worldview, proper view of God first, then inherently other people). 

To Matthew 15:3,

3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

(Why do you make things up and break God's law? Then tell people they are in sin. This is evil and man's imposed guilt, shame and bondage. Know any religions like this)?

4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

THE LORD SAITH,

Honor, give respect to them they were part of bringing you into this world. Amazing Christ is using this commandment in that way. Because, with pots and pans we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out. But the LORD abides forever. Cursing, the opposite, like the day you were born. Like asking why was I born?

Let's take a look at how God feels about that question,

Woe = grief, misery upon their heads:

(Isaiah 45:10) "Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

(As a Christian why would you anyway? All we have is the future, and we live in the now. Without worrying about the future. As Christians we don't curse anyone. Cursing is the direct opposite of the want for salvation for someone. Good will towards them for salvation then growing in the LORD).

Check out this prior verse, going right along with:

(Isaiah 45:9) "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

(Overall, what you make from your hands does it talk back to you? Get arrogant, snobby, stuck up, snarky? The point here is exactly that to put man/people in their place with the correct perspective through faith and then feeling correctly). 

(The point also here, just like not talking back to parents (of course, the commandment there is for them not make their kids bitter, not teaching them contrary to God's laws, enabling their sin. But teaching them in love, not condemning. Matthew 18:1-4; Ephesians 6:1-4).

Let's further look where Christ is pulling this from,

(Isaiah 45:11) "Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me."

(Ask Him first. Until then we will always be backwards. In other words here, You are going to question me about what I've done? The question should not be what He has done, but what do you with what He done, yourself, your place in this world by first putting you in your place. Attitude adjustment in tall order here. I'm pointing this out big time, why? Because God despises these questions with very good reason. But some man or woman may come along and feed into this self-pity causing more harm. Not really there to help, whether they know it or not. We see they would be adding to this persons hopelessness of course. A feeling of dead and non-existence. As we see it is because of view of one's self. People/counselors will take you down self-pity lane as the root cause here. We see the root cause. PERIOD. I do not put up with vain counsel. I want root cause questions answered. I don't like disorders created by man. These are the root things in life that set the path for someone's life). 

To Matthew 15:5,

5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

Pharisees don't teach that. See if where your sitting in church is because what they can get out of you. See what happens if you have nothing to offer physically at the time. Are you any good to them then?

Christ is also using this commandment because they brought up elders. Parents are our elders, and the overall point is the frauds here are not looking to Fathers. Such as the real law that came through Moses. Amazing!

What they can get physically. Then things are well! If their is gift here it is what has been gotten out of them. Sound a little like Christmas?

6And 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.

(Freedom from guilt, shame, burden. But as we see NO. This has actually increased the burden from the control junkies. No matter what law man wants to add in the name of God imposing these things is irrelevant. Customs and hygiene are fine, we all have cultural preferences as well. DO NOT JUDGE people by what is not God's law! What else would you be saying? You want them to repent? From what you made up! Seriously? You would need to repent and be humbled then).

7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

It's automatic vain worship. Hypocrites, no sincerity, in vain. Play-acting stage shows. So far away from God and His laws they want Christ dead!

What's the first commandment? No other God before YHVH it is.

Because of this disconnect from reality we see, If God "feels" distant to a person, could this be why? Not because of Him, but you. We cannot blame God is the point.

At this point forget about hand-washing the pharisees should of been washing their hands, of the blood on them, spiritually speaking of course.

Isaiah prophesied many times and concluded this many time. A great place is Isaiah 33:14 here. Showing that the relationship of getting out of people through lusts of the flesh and impure motives is nothing but a bribe. That is no relationship at all. No love in it. One wants love? Begins with you then. TRUE LOVE FROM THE CROSS, and then learning how to view things properly.

8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

(Caught in their own game, and they hate it. Should of been repenting here not getting mad and increasing the foaming of the mouth. Christ would right after this predict His death again. Does the word of God separate? Then your the problem. God's true Word should always bring peace with and for a purpose).

Veering so far in the disconnect from lip to heart and their own actions they cannot see it. That ends when you're done being right in your own eyes. Instead of serving junk time for some humble pie.

9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

(All for nothing. Right here is discernment. Who is worshiping what by what they follow and comes out of their very own lips. The mouth the "spokesperson" of the heart. What they believe).

(Proverbs 27:6) "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Mature Christians do not enable sin. Mature Christians also allow for growth after correction. It is about building up there forth (Matthew 18:1-4). That should be love received from the cross. The very foundation.

We'll leave it there. This may have hurt a bit. But we need to consider, reflect, and repent in truth to the LORD and what HE says, trust in that. We all been guilty here, now let the truth set you free.

AMEN †