Matthew 15:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said, “Are you also still without understanding?

NIV: Are you still so dull?' Jesus asked them.

NASB: Jesus said, 'Are you also still lacking in understanding?

CSB: "Do you still lack understanding? " he asked.

NLT: Don’t you understand yet?' Jesus asked.

KJV: And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

NKJV: So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?

This must have been hard for the disciples to hear. Jesus sounds upset that they do not understand His comment that what goes into the mouth does not defile, only what comes out of the mouth does (Matthew 15:11). It's not shocking that the rest of the disciples wait for Peter to ask questions like this (Matthew 18:21; Mark 13:3–4; Luke 12:41). Peter seems willing to receive Jesus' pointed questions when their comprehension does not meet His expectations.

It's important to notice what follows. Jesus has just dismissed the Pharisees, Israel's religious leaders, as blind guides for their lack of understanding about the law (Matthew 15:14). Their hard-headedness means there is no point in Christ's disciples attempting to reason with them. Jesus does not dismiss His disciples, however. He takes the time to explain truth to them clearly, giving all of us a better chance to understand His meaning. This causes us, too, to be thankful for Peter's bold questions.

Matthew 15:10–20 describes Jesus' expanded answer to a challenge from the Pharisees. Their concern is not about washing hands for health, but to follow religious rituals. He says these Pharisees will be uprooted and that they are blind guides. When asked, Jesus tells the disciples it's not what goes into a person's mouth that defiles him; it's the words that come out that reveal the sin in his heart. The defilement is already there, including all kinds of sin. He tells them flatly that eating with unwashed hands does not spiritually defile anyone.

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.

Accessed 4/28/2024 2:54:10 AM