Matthew – Chapter 15

And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:26 – When read in context, this verse is a shocking one to hear come from Jesus’ mouth. A gentile woman came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter that was oppressed by a demon. She asked for Jesus’ help, and the above verse was His response to her. That He was sent to do His work within the house of Israel, and what she was asking of Him was beyond that. The bread was meant for Israel, not Gentiles. While this passage is difficult to read, we must see the bigger picture hear. Jesus purposely traveled about 50 miles to the district of Trye and Sidon for this one encounter with this woman, much like the trip across the sea to heal the one demon possessed man in Mark 5. We also see later in the chapter another massive, miraculous feeding and healing, and this time it was a gentile crowd getting to experience it. What then does this mean? It means that Jesus was willing to offer salvation and His blessing to the Gentiles, but like with the Jews He wanted to see if they would pursue Him of not. With the mother who came to Jesus in the verse above, I believe Jesus was saying what He did to see if she would still seek His mercy. The religious leaders and many Jews, the children who were supposed to get the bread, refused to eat what Jesus offered them. So now it was the dogs, the Gentile’s, turn for the bread if they wanted it. And because she continued to pursue Jesus she found the healing she was asking for. Certainly a passage difficult to fully understand without being there and hearing Jesus’ tone (much like talking in person vs reading a text), but the heart of Jesus for the Gentiles was clearly displayed in the chapter. He healed, fed, blessed, and gave one of His greatest compliments and is was given to a gentile woman. I’m just grateful today I was blessed enough to get one of those crumbs! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3337

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Matthew 15:8 – This was Jesus’ struggle with the religious people He encountered. What they said and taught others to do was on point, but inside, the way they thought and the lack of compassion for people, was far from where God wanted it to be. Thankfully this isn’t a problem at all in the Christian life today. We never see people who are one way with their words and yet their heart and mind aren’t in the same place. I hope you gathered I was joking there because it still is a problem in our lives today. Let’s make sure that the compassion and love for others that Jesus showed is growing deep on the inside as well as being expressed with our words. Don’t let their be a difference between what comes out and what’s growing within. If though you know what’s inside wouldn’t be good on the outside, then begin the work needed to change that inside (remember, that’s the sort of work God is amazing at). I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 869

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. Matthew 15:18-20 – I’ll direct you often in these devotions to do a heart check, to check to see if the attitude and bent of your heart is after Jesus. This passage enlightens us to how to do a proper heart check. Examine what came out of your mouth yesterday. See yesterday you didn’t know about this whole examination so you weren’t abnormally careful of what you might say. So thinking back to yesterday, what would the things that came out of your mouth say about your heart? Was rudeness, gossip, anger, impurity, and/or dishonesty coming out? Was compassion, truth, kindness, purity, and/or love coming out? If you’re like it was a mix of both sides, which side do you think your kids remember the most today? Or your spouse? Or your friends? It’s of the utmost importance that we prioritize the healthiness of our heart. For out of a defiled heart comes the things that will scar people and push people away from Jesus. Out of a pure heart comes the things that will heal and push people towards Jesus. Ask God to change your change to one that is clean and after Him and be wise about what you are consuming. If the state of your heart matters this much, let’s not treat it as something that doesn’t matter. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1965