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Matthew 15

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

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.

But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

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.

And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

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:

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.

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.

And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

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.

And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala,

What does Matthew 15:24 mean?

Explanation

In Matthew 15:24, Jesus articulates the primary focus of His earthly ministry.

The phrase "lost sheep of the house of Israel" refers metaphorically to the people of Israel, highlighting their state of spiritual need and their estrangement from God.

Jesus' mission at this point is expressed as being specifically sent to minister to the Jews, rather than to the Gentiles (non-Jews).

The verse underscores Jesus' initial concentration on Israel, as He fulfills prophecies and God's covenant promises made to the people of Israel.

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Matthew was written to a predominantly Jewish audience and places significant emphasis on Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament scriptures.

During Jesus' ministry, Israel was a Roman province, and the Jewish people were expecting a Messiah to liberate them from Roman rule and restore the kingdom of David.

This verse reflects Jesus’ commitment to first addressing the needs of Israel and shows His role as a Jewish rabbi working within the context of Jewish culture and religious practices.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives can be drawn from this verse:

Dispensationalism: This view holds that God has specific plans for Israel and the Church, interpreting Jesus' ministry as initially only to the Jews, before the message was expanded to the Gentiles after Israel's rejection of Christ.
Covenant Theology: This perspective sees Jesus' ministry to the Jews as part of the unfolding of the one, continuous covenant of grace, and this verse as an affirmation of the fulfillment of promises to Israel before the opening of the covenant to Gentiles.
New Perspective on Paul: While this view is more focused on Paul's writings, it suggests that the early Christian mission, including that of Jesus, was not about converting Jews to a new religion but rather urging them to embrace Jesus as the Messiah within the broader Judaism context.

Practical Applications

This verse can encourage believers to understand the importance of God's timing and the recognition of specific missions or calling.

Just as Jesus focused on the group to which he was initially sent, individuals can discern the particular people or communities they are called to serve at different times in their lives.

Cross-References

Matthew 10:5-6: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Romans 15:8: "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:"

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek language of Matthew 15:24 include:

Apestalmenos (ἀπεσταλμένος): Translated as "sent," this term is the perfect passive participle of apostello, denoting being sent with a special commission or authorized mission.
Probata (πρόβατα): Meaning "sheep," this metaphor is commonly used to represent the people of Israel in their need for guidance.
Oikos (οἶκος): Meaning "house," in this context it refers to the whole family or lineage of Israel.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparatively, in some ancient myths, gods had specific peoples they were patrons of, just as Jesus' mission was initially to the Jews.

For example, Athena was considered the patron goddess of Athens in Greek mythology.

In religious interpretations, this verse can also be compared to figures like Buddha, who initially sought enlightenment for himself before his teachings spread more widely.

Scientific Perspectives

This verse does not directly engage with scientific concepts, as it is a theological statement about the scope of Jesus' mission.

Scientific analysis would be more applicable to the broader study of historical human populations and their belief systems than to the specific claims of this verse.

Commentaries

Commentaries offer diverse insights on Matthew 15:24:

John Calvin emphasizes that Jesus' main mission was to the Jews, as God wanted to fulfill the promise given to Abraham and his seed.
Matthew Henry suggests that God's method is to give His grace to one before another; the Jews had the first offer of the gospel.
William Barclay discusses the necessity of Jesus focusing on Israel to fulfill prophecy, while also acknowledging that His ultimate mission included all of humanity.

Matthew 15

Matthew 15

What does Matthew 15:24 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 15:24 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?