BIBLE STUDY CHAPTER SUMMARY.
1.)That Which Defiles – Verse 1-20
2.)The Faith of a Canaanite Woman – Verse 21-28
3.)Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand – Verse 29-39
LESSONS FROM THE CHAPTER.
The disciples ask for a deeper explanation of what Jesus is saying in verse 15. Jesus restates that defilement is not what enters the mouth. Those food laws and ceremonial laws were teaching something important about the need to be holy before the Lord. But true spiritual defilement does not come by eating something. True spiritual defilement comes from what comes out of the mouth. The reason is because what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. What comes from the heart defiles the person.
I want us to think about the importance of this teaching. What comes out of your heart is what is defiling. Notice that Jesus says that sins come from the heart. Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, that, false testimony, and slander all come from the heart. Jesus keeps bringing the teaching to the heart. We have seen this on many occasions in our study of this gospel. Jesus said that the pure in heart are blessed (Matthew 5:8). Jesus said that where your treasure is, that is where your heart will be also (Matthew 6:31). Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). Jesus said that the problem with the people is that they have dull hearts (Matthew 13:15). Now Jesus says that the people’s hearts are far from God and what comes out of the heart defiles a person.
Why is this a constant teaching of Jesus? Here is the message. It is easier to look righteous than be right in heart. It is easier to look pure to others than be pure before God. It is easier to create a set of rules we want to keep than to keep the commands that God said. The problem is that we have a heart to do what we want and act like we are serving God. The problem is we allow ourselves to maintain defiled hearts while keeping the outside looking good. I just want to give fair warning that Jesus is going to keep talking about this problem so we will also. Clearly this is a critical obstacle to faith. Clearly this is an obstacle to having hearts that are near God.
Here is how we can know that we are not planted by God: we nullify the word of God so that we can keep the defilements in our hearts. We look to get around God’s laws rather than changing our lives to match God’s laws. We make excuses for our sins and self-centeredness rather than repenting and changing for the glory of God. God wants our lives to match our words. If our lives do not match our words, then our worship is vain. If we nullify the commands of God to follow our own life rules, then our worship is useless. Do not put your life rules above God. If we do, then we are not planted by the Father and we will be uprooted. Do not have a heart to avoid what God says. Have a heart to be convicted by what God says and start the process of changing today! Saying the right words is not enough. Looking the part is not enough. Faking righteousness is not enough. A heart that is near God is what God wants. Our greatest need is purified hearts. Our goal is not superficial changes but deep internal changes. We want to help you make those changes today.
So what is the message today? Jesus wants everyone to come to the table. No one is excluded from his offer to come to the table. You can come to the table and find compassion. You can come to the table and find provision. You can come to the table and find satisfaction. You can come to the table and find abundantly more than you need for life.
But Jesus will challenge our faith and challenge our cry to see if we understand who he is and what he has come to do. Sometimes we will cry out and it will seem like Jesus says nothing back. Do not stop crying out to him. We need to be like these people who keep crying out to him, “Have mercy on me!” We need to keep crying out to him, “Lord, help me!” Do not cry out and stop. Do not walk away because you do not immediately get the answer you want.
Jesus often wants us to check ourselves as we come to him. Do we understand our need? Persistence comes from desperation. It is so easy to become comfortable in this life that we do not see our real needs. This was the problem with the church in Laodicea. They did not see their need. They said that they are rich, have prospered, and do not need anything. They were perfectly content to live life without Jesus. They did not see that they were poor, wretched, blind, naked, and pitiable. They did not see their need because they were looking at their physical treasures. The people who come to the table see their real needs. They see their problems. They see their emptiness. They see their sins. They feel their guilt.
Do we understand who we are? The people who come to the table understand who they are. This woman does not recoil at the idea of being a dog at the master’s table. She accepts it and says that she wants any crumb from the table. We need to see who we are. We cannot come to the table if we are not poor in spirit. Paul called himself the worst of sinners. Paul called himself unworthy to be called an apostle. We should all see ourselves as dogs wanting crumbs from the table.
Please think about that picture. I do not have a dog. I have eaten in many homes where there are dogs. Do you know what every dog wants to do during the meal? They sit either under the table or near the table and they are intently watching for anything to fall. They understand their position and are just hoping for any crumb to fall on the floor. We need to longingly desire the crumbs like that. We are unworthy servants who have done nothing to deserve even the crumbs that would fall.
Do we understand who Jesus is? If we understand who Jesus is, then we are not leaving. If we see him as the Lord and Master of our lives and the Savior of the world, then we are not leaving him. It does not matter if it has been three days without food, we are not leaving. It does not matter how hard life gets, we are not leaving. It does not matter what we lose, we are not leaving. It does not matter how uncomfortable our situation is, we are not leaving. When we understand that only he can provide, satisfy, and give more than we need, then we are not leaving him.
Now here is the good news. When the Canaanite woman understood her need and came to the table, and when she understood who she was and was willing to have some crumbs, did Jesus give her crumbs? No, she did not get the crumbs! She received a seat at the table. Jesus says that it was done for her as she desired. She was not turned away. She pulled up a chair, which is what the rest of the accounts were showing. You can have a seat at the table. If you come to him looking for the crumbs because you know who you are and you know what you need and you know who Jesus is, you are going to find a seat at the table. Jesus has what you need for life if you see your need, understand your position before him, and never leave him because you know he is the Lord and Savior you need. Come for the crumbs and you will find yourself invited to sit at the table.
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