•A Sermon by Dr. Bob Griffin, Pastor/Teaching Elder at Sovereign Grace Church
I. SITUATION IN GALILEE
A. COMPASSION OF JESUS
Matthew 14:34-36 And when they had crossed Galilee, they arrived at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent around to all the countryside and brought to Him all who were sick and implored Him that they might only touch the fringe of His garment. All who touched it were cured.
B. CONFRONTATION BY THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Matthew 15:1-2Then Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to find Jesus and asked, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
II. LESSON FOR THE PHARISEES
A. COMMAND FROM GOD OR FROM MAN
Matthew 15:3-6 But He answered them, “Why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you might have gained from me is an offering to God,”he must not honor his parents.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have voided the law of God.
B. CONDEMNATION BY THE PROPHET
Matthew 15:7-9 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied accurately about you when he said: “‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. They give Me empty worship, teaching as [God’s] doctrines the standards of men.’”
III. LESSON FOR THE CROWD
A. CONTRADICTION OF RELIGIOUS THINKING
Matthew 15:10-11 And He called the people to Him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles the person.”
B. CONSTERNATION OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS
Matthew 15:12-14 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this teaching?”
He answered, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Leave them, for they are blind leaders. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
IV. LESSON FOR THE DISCIPLES
A. CONFUSION OF THE BELIEVERS
Matthew 15:15-18 But Peter said to Him, “Expound on this parable for us.”
And He said, “Are you also still without understanding? Can’t you perceive that everything that goes in the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the toilet. What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and these defile the person.
B. COMMON ILLUSTRATIONS OF EVIL HEARTS
Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil reasoning, murders, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander.
C. CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER
Matthew 15:20 These are what defile a person; eating with unwashed hands doesn’t defile a