We get the contrast between these highly privileged ones, the religious leaders of the nations, and the extraordinary case we have towards the end of the chapter. They made void the law by the tradition of the elders. The Lord did not discuss with them the outward washing. He went straight to the law. We are always safe if we have the authority of God's word for all we do; and what is true of the individual is true of the assembly. As far as the assembly is concerned the word of God is so written that whatever case occurs we need to wait on. God for His mind as therein revealed. He has given light for every circumstance, but we are cast on Him for His mind about it. There is no cast-iron rule, but the need of exercise of heart and conscience. Have we the single eye? Then will our body be full of light.
“Honor thy father and thy mother” (ver. 4) is the first commandment with promise. Yet it would be a gross thing indeed to think that when a person is now left here to a great age it is because he honors his father and mother. A Jew was blessed according to his dispensation—dispensation of the Law. A Christian is blessed with every kind of spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, for now is the economy of grace. Yet is there blessing attached to this fifth commandment. The apostle said to depart would be far better, but to “remain” to help the saints was “worth his while.” The tradition of the elders diverted the honor due to the parents from the children, by the acknowledgment of the offerer's “gift.”
What would have been the parents' portion is denied them under the ostensible plea of a “gift” to God, in contravention of His law! Thus were the sons delivered from all responsibility to their parents by this tradition, making the word of God of none effect. It was the best possible case to bring their conduct home to them, for anyone can see the hollowness of such behavior. It makes the word of God utterly void.
The prophecy of Isaiah justifies the Lord in His expression “Ye hypocrites.” The Lord quotes the prophets. They say, “Thus saith Jehovah,” but He never uses these words, for He is Jehovah Himself who speaks. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord on the heart. So the very thing they were doing was exposed and condemned by the prophets, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” The worship God values is not of, form, but worship “in spirit and truth.” it should be a small “s” in John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23), but in Phil. 3:33For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3) the accepted text is “by [the] Spirit of God.” The Son is equally the object of worship with the Father. Rev. 5, makes this very plain “He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father.” “Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.” There is a twofold danger referred to in Col. 2, philosophy and ritualism. The safeguard is, “In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,” and “Ye are complete in him,” to the exclusion of everything else.
In verse 10 He calls to Him the multitude, and speaks to them in such plain words that one would think they would be the ones to be offended but we are told that it was the Pharisees or religious leaders who were offended. Then the Lord speaks still more plainly. These people would compass sea and land to make one proselyte; but what was it all worth if there was no work of grace in the soul?
We have God's grace and God's sovereignty in verse 13: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.” The Father's name is always connected with grace.
Each of us ought to realize that nothing worse can happen to us than to be left alone. If God gives up a soul, it is all up with it. In Rom. 1 we read that “God gave them over to a reprobate mind,” as they did not approve to retain God in their knowledge. And if God leaves us alone for a little while like as he did Hezekiah, it is to teach us a lesson. But oh, is it not far better to learn it in communion!
You would not get expressions like these unless there had been determined and continual rejection of testimony. We must connect this with chapter 12. The Pharisees are the opponents of a living Christ; the Sadducees figure more in the Acts, as against a risen Christ.
“Blind guides,” they knew not whither they were going. John shows us that. So with all their pretension they were blind. They ask, in John 9: “Are we blind?” They were assuming to be guides. The language means that there is an awful end for those under their influence. It is plain enough, though Peter calls it a parable. We are slow to believe that which is against us. It is a mercy to have grace to welcome all the word of God, even that which exposes us and shows us our danger.
Verse 16 is a rebuke. “Are ye also yet without understanding?” There was nothing ambiguous in what the Lord had been saying. It shows here that man has a radically bad nature, and the evil is not from without, but from within—from the heart. But the heart can be purified. Peter puts it beautifully in Acts 15 “And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith... but we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they,” because it is all grace. I don't think we could scripturally say that God has given us a new heart. It will be true for Israel by and by, as says Ezekiel (chap. 36:26). “When it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.” Then shall they say in the language of Isa. 53, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” But we have a pure and holy nature a new birth. It is not cleansing by blood that the Lord spoke of, in John 13, when He said “Ye are clean every whit,” but cleansing by water—the new birth. “Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:33Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. (John 15:3)). I have an old nature as bad as ever it was, but I have a new one which is holy. “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
“Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts” (ver. 19). Evil thoughts condemn everyone. Paul found that out as to himself, He had not known lust he says, save by the law. What Paul writes to Titus would come as near this as anything. A converted Jew writing to a converted Gentile says, “For we also,” —I Paul, and you Titus— “were aforetime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” The man that had been externally right learned that he was the chief of sinners. It means this, that if he is chief—and it is as an inspired writer that he says it—the door is high enough and wide enough to admit anyone that comes up. Our only deliverance is “by death.” “In that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” That is the only way. Then the heart wants something. And, thank God, we have an Object practically to deliver one from one's self.
Verse 22: The Canaanites were devoted to destruction, and if Israel had been faithful, they would have been exterminated; so the very presence of this woman proved their unfaithfulness. This extermination was not allowed to begin until the iniquity of the Amorite was full, for God never judges unripened sin. God's judgment had been poured out on Tire and Sidon; they had been exceedingly guilty. This woman had not an atom of claim on Him. It is being shown here that the time of the formal Jewish worship was to be set aside, and grace would go out to the Gentiles. She was nationally outside the pale of blessing—without Christ, an alien, a stranger, hopeless, and without God (Eph. 2:11, 1211Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:11‑12)). So though the middle wall was not yet broken down she yet obtained mercy. “Son of David” is connected with promises for Israel. As Gentiles there are no promises for us. But we have Christ. The gospel is not promises. It tells of a performance. The Spirit of God clearly shows us, in Rom. 4, the distinction between the way Abraham got the blessing through its promise and his belief of the promise, and the way of our blessing which rests on an accomplished work. As believers we have promises, and they are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus.
The case of this Syrophoenician woman is no doubt an extreme case, taken up in contrast with the religious people in the beginning of the chapter, to show His judgment on them, and His grace to the most unlikely and unworthy. And then to have her daughter demon-possessed! We sing
“Jesus never turned away
When a sinner sought His aid;
Jesus never answered Nay!
When request to Him was made.”
This is the nearest approach to it. I think the disciples wanted the Lord to give her what she asked, for they were annoyed at her importunity, and could not understand the Lord's not granting her request. “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” was not said to her but to the disciples. Take the case of the woman in John 4, where we have great ignorance, and see the Lord's wonderful grace and patience in leading her on. So here, till she did Him homage, and cried, “Lord help me.” It was a real cry. The Lord always responds to need and to faith. She knew Him to be “Son of David,” but she also knew Him to be more than that; she knew Him to be “Lord.” A gracious soul feels himself to be as did Mephibosheth— “a dead dog"; or as the writer of Psa. 73, “a beast before Thee.”
The more spiritually minded one is, the more one realizes one's ignorance in His presence. Grace taught this woman to take that place. It was not the blessing of those in covenant-relationship, but there was a portion for those outside—the little dogs under the table. The Lord never confines Himself to a crumb! It were a miserable testimony to His goodness! He ever gives worthily of Himself. A little further down in the chapter there were seven loaves, a few small fishes, and four thousand men. If the loaves had been broken up among them it would literally have been a crumb for each, “but they did all eat and were filled.” “They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” That is how God gives.
What we have thus had before us, is the Lord dispensationally visiting the Gentiles in His grace flowing beyond the limits of Israel, and meeting this poor outcast, and that too beyond her expectation. This is the day when we Gentiles are being blessed by His most wondrous grace.
But the Lord is going to visit Israel, and Galilee is where the poor of the flock are, so He turns aside there (ver. 29). He is presented in two aspects—the great “Healer” and the great “Teacher."' What is seen here in a very limited sphere will be universal when He reigns, for these healings are the powers of the world to come. Read verses 1-6 of Isa. 35. That is just what is suggested here, looking forward to the time when His gracious power will be used in healing, and verses 30, 31 correspond with Isaiah. It is hardly possible to make a mistake as to its application. These promises do not apply to us; though “all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us.” But there is one promise that has a peculiar place for us. “If I go... I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” “Ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” And the promise is, “I will come again,” for it goes on, “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 11:36, 3736And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Hebrews 11:36‑37)).
It is well to notice the difference between this miracle of feeding the four thousand and that of feeding the five thousand which we have had before. The latter is the only miracle recorded in all the four Gospels. That alone should arrest our attention. There are features common to both miracles, but we should notice more particularly their peculiarities. In the former twelve baskets were taken up; in the latter seven, but these seven are of larger capacity. The former were hand baskets, the latter large ones, such as Pail at Damascus was let down in. Twelve is the administrative number. The Lord in this miracle begins with Himself and His compassion. Seven represents completeness, and is quite distinct from twelve.
I was struck this week with that word, “This man receiveth sinners” — “receives favourably,'' “welcomes.” It also means to “await,” or “expect.” It is used fourteen times, and if you will trace them you will find that they convey also this meaning of “waiting for.” How He awaits the woman at the well!
“I will not send them away fasting.” Is it not touching? It speaks of His own heart, of Him who, as testified in the Psalms, will satisfy her (Zion's) poor with bread fully.
The Lord said to the woman at the well, “If thou knewest the giving of God!” This is that which captivates the heart. What a poor thought some have of Him, that you have almost to drag a blessing out by earnest prayer! He will be enquired of, of course, but it is His delight to give. Are we as delighted to ask in fervent prayer?
Verse 33 shows us the littleness of their faith. We are very much like that. We forget. If we were constantly full of faith we should remember, as David also remembered his victory over the lion and the bear, when called to meet Goliath. If we remembered our past mercies—how our whole life has been a miracle of love, we should not forget so readily. We used to sing
“Each sweet Ebenezer
I have in review
Confirms His good pleasure
To help me quite through.”
What are difficulties to our blessed Saviour?
Is there anything too hard for Him? It was nothing new for Him to provide food for His people, Who had fed them for forty years in the wilderness.
“He gave thanks” (ver. 36). All that He did was perfect. We can eat and drink “to the glory of God.” There was not one in that company but was more than satisfied. So were the servants in the father's house of Luke 15. They had bread enough and to spare. It was hunger that brought the prodigal home. That parable was to show the Father's delight to receive. It was he that ran, not the prodigal. It is well when the Lord can employ His disciples. The Lord can do without us, but He loves to employ us. He has made us for His own glory, saved us for His own glory, and employs us for His own glory. Seven baskets full speak of a completeness that will ever exist.
Nothing is diminished by God's giving. There will always be completeness. He is no poorer by giving.
“My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.” And there is a word left out there in our version, it should read “abundantly supply.” He knows what to give, and what to withhold; but “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
They took up much more than they started with.
As the hymn says, “None could have multiplied thus sevenfold But He Who provided the manna of old.”