October 19, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

Matthew 15 - One of the greatest disputes Jesus had with the religious leaders of His day was their making their traditional ways of "worshipping God" equivalent to God's commandments, verse 9.  We get close to doing this same thing ourselves when we make our "set order of worship" a rule that should never be broken.  This chapter also reveals the conversation Jesus had with a "Syro--Phoenician" woman who asked Him to heal her daughter.  When Jesus, at first, denied her request, her response, verses 27,28, was such that Jesus agreed to fulfill her desire.  Another great feeding is mentioned in verses 32-38 where 4,000 people were fed.  Jesus made it very clear that the size of a crowd did not cause Him any concern as to His ability to meet their need.

Mark 7 - In Jesus' exchange with the Pharisees over their traditions equaling the commandments of God, Jesus spoke of their calling a gift to God, "Corban" verse 11.  The religious leaders suggested that a "gift to God" only meant giving the money to the temple but not using it for the practical need of caring for one's family, which was really what a person should do, verse 10.  Jesus often exposed the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders in substituting their own rules in place of God's commandments.