Matthew 15:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

NIV: Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

NASB: Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

CSB: Then Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked,

NLT: Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him,

KJV: Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

NKJV: Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,

Jesus' fame continues to grow in Israel. The previous chapter began with the news that the Jewish ruler of Galilee, Herod the tetrarch, had heard of Jesus' fame and power. Jesus could not escape the crowds; even when He withdrew to a desolate place, they found Him and the disciples (Matthew 14:13–14). When Christ and His followers arrived in another less populated area, Gennesaret, the people recognized Him and brought their sick and afflicted to Him (Matthew 14:34–36).

It's not just that the sizes of the crowds are growing, either. Many people are beginning the believe that Jesus, sent from God and with God's power, has come to save them from Rome. John's report on the feeding of the 5,000 ended with Jesus realizing that people were getting ready to take Him by force and make Him king (John 6:14–15).

This is exactly what the Pharisees, one sect of Israel's religious leaders, have been worried about. The Pharisees are an extremely legalistic group who have clashed with Jesus frequently during His ministry (Matthew 9:11, 34; 12:2). Their religion focuses on following rules, and most of those rules are written by men: they are "traditions" supposedly meant to keep people from breaking the laws of God.

The Pharisees have wholly rejected the idea of Jesus as Messiah, so they see it as their job to stop His alleged heresy. They continue to look for opportunities to bring Jesus down. This group of Pharisees and scribes have come from Jerusalem to Galilee for the purpose of confronting Jesus. This is not a chance meeting, or a trap as was planned at the synagogue (Matthew 12:9–10). These men have decided it is time to challenge Jesus' authority to His face in an area where He is popular.

Matthew 15:1–9 describes Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem challenging Jesus. Their complaint: Christ's disciples have apparently ignored the Pharisees' practice of ritualized washing before eating. In response, Jesus asks them why they allow people to break the actual command of God about honoring one's parents. He says they have made God's Word void for the sake of their tradition. In truth, they criticize those who ignore their commands, but ignore those of God. He applies to them words from the Lord to Isaiah about the Israelites of his day, saying that these Pharisees honor the Lord with their words while their hearts are far away. They worship God in vain, teaching man-made commands as doctrines.

Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. They are offended that His disciples break the religious leaders' tradition about ritual handwashing before meals. Jesus turns that attack upside down, pointing out that His critics honor tradition above God's actual commands! He insists that nobody is defiled by what goes in the mouth—by the literal matter itself—but by the overflow of the spirit, such as the words that come out of the mouth. He and the disciples travel out of the country. Jesus casts a demon out of the daughter of a persistent Canaanite woman. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus feeds thousands of people from a few loaves and fishes. These last two events set up the eventual spread of the gospel beyond the people of Israel.

Matthew 15 begins with a confrontation between some Pharisees and Jesus. They ask why His disciples break the traditional practice of ritual handwashing. Pointedly, Jesus asks why they allow the obvious intent of God's commandments to be broken through their traditions. Jesus and the disciples travel out of Israel, encountering a Canaanite woman. He praises her faith and casts a demon from her daughter. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus heals more people and feeds thousands more from another few loaves and fishes. This sets up another confrontation with religious leaders, warnings about their teachings, and predictions of Jesus' death in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.