The Motley Crew

June 23, 2010

The Questions

Read Matthew 15:10-20

1. What is the argument Jesus is debunking here? Remember John 15:2.

2. Does this mean Mom was wrong all those years and we didn't have to wash our hands before supper?

3. Why were the Pharisees so offended?

4. So what is the most important – building relationships or keeping the rules?

5. Who are the plants?

6. How do we know the difference in the plants?

7. When will the ungodly plants be uprooted?

8. Have you ever had a blind guide? Have you ever been one? What happened?

9. Does it have to come out of the mouth to defile us?

10. Jesus is beating them … and us … up pretty badly. Why?

11. Sin and grace are great equalizers. True or false.

The Motley Crew

June 23, 2010

Some Suggested Answers

We opened with prayer.

Read Matthew 15:10-20 (NIV)

10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "

12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. [a] If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

15Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."

16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts guides of the blind

1. What is the argument Jesus is debunking here? Remember John 15:2.

Matthew 15:2. (NIV):
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

The argument that Jesus is debunking here is that eating with unwashed hands will make us ceremonially unclean.

Jesus replaced the normal Jewish understandings of defilement with the truth that defilement comes from an impure heart, not the violation of external laws. Fellowship with God is not interrupted by unclean hands or food but by sin. The TNIV Study Bible (2006), p. 1684.

One member quoted the commentator Barclay that when a Jew was ceremonially unclean, he could not approach God. This uncleanliness could be transferred just by touching something that was “unclean” (for example, Deut. 14. Clean and Unclean Food). In addition, one could become “unclean” just by brushing against a Gentile in the marketplace, or even brushing against a Jew that did not observe the strict rules concerning ceremonial uncleanliness.

the marketplace. Where Jews would come into contact with Gentiles, or with Jews who did not observe the ceremonial law, and thus become ceremonially unclean. The TNIV Study Bible (2006), p. 1683.

Jesus is preaching a completely opposite teaching concerning our relationship with God. The issue is outward vs inward cleanliness. These issues continue even today; one example is the practice of closed communions. In addition, we sometimes see religious “motions” as evidence of “cleanliness”, as opposed to true, inward spirituality. To paraphrase verses 19-20: “for it is that which comes out of the heart that makes a man unclean.”

Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man: Jesus states a fundamental principle. Washing with "unclean hands" or any other such thing that we "put into us" is not defiling. Rather, what comes out is what defiles, and it reveals that we have unclean (defiled) hearts. David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible

2. Does this mean Mom was wrong all those years and we didn't have to wash our hands before supper?

No. The defilement that is the problem here is spiritual and moral … but it is still good to listen to mom.

… it calls for a little thought, consideration, and understanding to get rid of our untrue ideas and to see the full, lucid truth of what Jesus says. Lenski, p. 589.

3. Why were the Pharisees so offended?

Jesus had taken the leadership from them, and taught the exact opposite of what they had been teaching.

Their entire way of life and belief is being rejected. This is an immense change, and reflects significant “control” issues for the Pharisees. Jesus cut the floor out from under them in declaring that ceremonial uncleanliness is moral, not physical, which is exactly the opposite of the Pharisaical teaching.

In addition, Jesus delivered a stinging rebuke to the Pharisees, publicly humiliating them. This is why these men … who were among the upper level of Pharisees and scribes in Jerusalem … were so angry.

The Greek is eskandalisqhsan, “to cause to stumble, indicating deep religious offense at the preaching of Jesus, which causes and includes denial and rejection of Jesus.” Rogers and Rogers

They took umbrage at the public rebuke and at such a scorpion sting in it all. It cut to the quick because it was true. It showed in the glowering countenances of the Pharisees so plainly that the disciples were uneasy. Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament.

We should note that the the Pharisees and the scribes had taught these lessons to the disciples for their entire lives. These were the teachings of some of the most admired and respected men in their culture. But almost every day, it seemed like Jesus was turning everything upside down! A disciple had to wonder some mornings, “what sacred cow is Jesus going to gore today.” It must have been terribly difficult for the disciples to assimilate all of these fundamental changes in their religious beliefs. We see the disciples struggling throughout the Gospels to keep up with the Lord. When Jesus insisted on washing Peter's feet, his confusion was palpable … since Christ had taught that physical cleanliness was not the key to spiritual cleanliness. Their confusion is surely understandable.

Before God, human guilt or innocence stems from deliberate human decision, not from any (presumed) evil in material creation. How difficult it was to change this mentality of Jesus' contemporaries is evident from Acts 10, 9-16. The New American Bible, p. 15.

Acts 10:9-16 (New International Version). Peter's Vision.

9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

4. So what is the most important – building relationships or keeping the rules?

Relationships.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is always about the people. Jesus defied the rabbinical laws by healing on the Sabbath, allowing a bleeding woman to touch Him, eating with tax collectors and sinners, and healing the child (or servant) of a Gentile Roman Centurion!

Yes, some of the rules are important. However, when these two come into conflict, we should choose … as Jesus always chose … building relationships rather than keep the rules.

Unfortunately, the emphasis of the religious leader's in Jesus' day - and often our own - is purely on these external things, not the internal things that make for true righteousness. David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible

5. In verse 13 we read: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.” Who were the plants?

The Pharisees and all of the doctrines that they taught that did not come from the Father. It is interesting to note that the Greek word here was not merely “pulled” out of the ground, but “ripped” out of the ground (and then “cut down and thrown into the fire”).

There is a debate as to whether the figure deals with the persons (here the Pharisees) or with the false doctrine or both. The analogy of 13:29 (“...while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them”) favors a reference to persons; moreover, doctrine can never be separated from those that teach it.... The uprooting refers to the divine judgment that shall overtake them in due time. Lenski, p. 590.

The Pharisees considered themselves spiritual guides for the common Jews. But since the guides were themselves blind to Jesus' teachings, both they and their followers were doomed. Hus: “A subject, in obeying his prelate [leader] in that which is evil, is not excused from sin … they both fall into the pit of error” (The Church, p 224). The Lutheran Study Bible, p. 1614.

It is also important to note that there were plants that the Father planted, including the nation of Israel itself.

God had planted the law with its doctrine: He had planted the Hebrew religion as given by Moses. He had not planted the tradition of the elders; so it, and the religion founded upon it, was doomed to be rooted up. McGarvey and Pendleton.

6. How do we know the difference in the plants?

By the fruits.

It is important to remember that this reference points to Jesus' instruction recorded in Matthew 7:15-20 concerning false prophets and how to recognize their teachings:

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

It is not a judgment of the person, but is a discernment of the correctness of the prophet's teachings. Our Lord uses the “good tree-good fruit” analogy as a means of recognizing true or false teachings, which should then be either accepted or rejected.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

If there is a suggestion that there is a false prophet among us, we are instructed to “inquire, probe and investigate it thoroughly” (Deut. 13:14). In addition to the warning in Matthew 7, our Lord cautioned his disciples against the false teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:5-12); there are several other warnings against false prophets and false teachers in the New Testament and early Christian writings such as chapters 11 & 12 of the Didache.

7. When will the ungodly plants be uprooted?

At the end of the age. God will judge by a different standard than the world.

John 3:16 (NIV).

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

As we saw in the Parable of the Weeds, both God's plants and satan's plants must be allowed to grow together until the Second Coming, when both will be harvested. It's important for us not to presume to take Jesus' place as the Judge. We cannot know what is in the heart of another. Each person must be allowed to grow and learn and come to God in their own time. As Luther noted, anyone who is burned at the stake is precluded from coming to a fuller understanding of God, and therefore salvation.

While we are prohibited from judging others (Matt. 7:1-5), we have the obligation to discern false teachers and false teachings (Matt. 7:15-23). Likewise in 1 John 4:1-3, we are instructed:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

One person mentioned that she was startled to see in Facebook words to the effect that being in church doesn't make one a Christian, any more than being in a garage makes us a car. But, she pointed out, there is at least the possibility of a good start.

Pastor reminded us that at the time of Judgment, Jesus will not ask what church we attend, but, rather, will judge by a very different criteria:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' ” Matt. 25:34-36.

8. Have you ever had a blind guide? Have you ever been one? What happened?

Yes and Yes. But .. we' re all still growing in the Lord.

Pastor told the story of one of his professors who decreed that the only permissible organ for a church was a pipe organ. Period. No exceptions.

He also told of some young pastors who were extremely fixed in their views to the point that every other denomination, and even some within our own denomination, were either liberal – heterodox – unschooled or just plain wrong. Fortunately, he has seen God intervening by opening their eyes to the fact that they don’t know everything, and neither does any denomination, and that there are wonderful Christians of every tribe. “Heck, even the non-Christians are pretty special in the eyes of Jesus.”

If we're fortunate, as we grow in age, we also grow in our knowledge of the encompassing love of God, and of our own limitations.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV).
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

9. Does it have to come out of the mouth to defile us?

They are what they are before they are even expressed.

Matters stand entirely different with what comes out of the mouth. That as Mark 7:21 states it, is “from within,” έσωθεν, originating inside of the man, namely in his heart, the seat of all thought, emotion, and volition in the Biblical and Greek conceptions. Here is where the defilement is to be sought. This does not, however, imply that the defilement ensues only when the contents of the heart are uttered through the mouth; they are what they are before they ever begin to be expressed. Lenski, p. 592.

Defilement is not physical but moral and spiritual. Lenski, p. 589.

Sins of the heart are what defile a person, not eating with ritually unclean hands. The Lutheran Study Bible (2009), p. 1614.

the heart. Spiritual inner being of a person (Matt. 6:21). The mouth speaks what is in the heart (Matt. 12:34: “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”). The heart is the moving force that leads a person to commit the other sins that Jesus mentioned. The Lutheran Study Bible (2009), p. 1614.

Evil deeds are begotten of evil thoughts; evil words are the expression of these evil thoughts. These indicate a sinful heart and make a man sinful, or defiled. B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

10. Jesus is beating them … and us … up pretty badly. Why?

To show that we are all unclean and most of all to show us the way to Him! who is the true source of holiness, righteousness, faith, hope, and love.

He wants us to grow.

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:39-40.

11. Sin and grace are great equalizers. True or false.

True.

It's important to remember that the enemy is not the Muslims or the Jews, or the Catholics or the Baptists. The enemy is, as Luther remarked, satan.

No, we are not worthy, and satan uses this against us to keep us from spending time with God in prayer. But the way to combat this is to admit it freely: no, I am not worthy. And then to immediately go to prayer, for it is in prayer that God will make us worthy to receive all of his grace and love and forgiveness.

One person mentioned that what Jesus did to the Pharisees was similar to what Luther did to the Pope: turn things upside down.

Today? There seems to be a lot of deterioration. There are many churches that cannot afford a full-time pastor; in some situations, a part-time pastor who also works in the community is the only way that a congregation can afford to have a pastor. Perhaps this will become a new paradigm.

Likewise, Christians – holding onto Scripture and holding onto spiritual cleanliness – may be the path to re-building the Kingdom that has been so badly damaged in recent years.

To an extent, our jobs as Christians is to be a “fruit inspector,” that is, to be checking the message that some Christian leaders are giving out against the message found in the Gospel. We must discern when to speak, and when to keep silence.

Unfortunately, the emphasis of the religious leader's in Jesus' day – and often our own – is purely on these external things, not the internal things that make for true righteousness. David Guzik's Commentaries on the Bible

We closed with prayer.

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart,
and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:45 (NIV)

The originality of Christ's moral teaching lies not so much in the novelty of His precepts as in the new relation in which He sets them, the deepening which He gives them, the motives on which He bases them, and the power which He communicates to keep them.
– Alexander Maclaren

Parallel Accounts

For Additional Study

Online Resources

Book of Concord in PDF Format, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod <http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/TrigBOC.pdf> (2MB file)

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

A number of important Lutheran texts can be found in the Belief and Practice section of the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112

John S. C. Abbott and Jacob Abbott, Illustrated New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/ain/

Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/

Harold F. Buls
http://www.pericope.org/buls-notes/index.html and
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-bul.html
Adapted from Exegetical Notes, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, Gospel Texts, by Harold H. Buls, Concordia Theological Seminary Press: Ft Wayne IN, 1980

The Adam Clarke Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/

Burton Coffman, Commentary on the Whole Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/

John Darby, Synopsis of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/darby/matthew1.htm

The Greek Interlinear Bible,
http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Based on NA26/27. A word-by-word translation of the Greek New Testament.

David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/

The Geneva Study Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/geneva/matthew1.htm

John Gill, Exposition of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/gill/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mhc/matthew1.htm

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/jfb/matthew1.htm

B.W. Johnson, People's New Testament
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/johnson/matthew1.htm

John Lightfoot, Bible Commentary
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/light/matthew1.htm

Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/

J. W. McGarvey, Original Commentary on Acts
http://www.studylight.org/com/oca/

J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The Fourfold Gospel (also known as a "Harmony Of the Four Gospels")
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/four/matthew1.htm

Alexander Maclaren's commentaries on the Books of the Bible
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a2330

The NET Bible. <http://bible.org/netbible/> A completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes. It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Excellent notes, citing both the Greek and Hebrew, as needed. Greek and Hebrew fonts available without cost.

W. Robertson Nicoll, The Greek Expositor's Testament. Vol. 1. Five Volumes. (New York: George H. Doran Co., ca. 1910). Excellent notes on the Greek text and summaries of commentators. Available at Google Books (www.books.google.com) and the Internet Archive (www.archive.org; easier to find here than at Google Books).

A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/

C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/

R.A. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/wesley/matthew1.htm

Other Additional Resources:
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/SPLC/Motley%20Crew%20Research%20Resources.html

Other Resources

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. Readers Edition. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)

Davies, Benjamin, ed., Baker's Pocket Harmony of the Gospels (Baker Book House, 1975). Formerly printed as Harmony of the Four Gospels.

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger III, eds., The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). This is the second edition, originally published as the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It was originally published as The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It should be distinguished from The NIV Complete Concordance by the same authors.

Green, Jay P., ed., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Vol. IV. Second Edition. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1985)

Halley, Henry H., Halley's Bible Handbook. New Revised Edition (24^th Edition). (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965)

Hickie, W.J., Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977). This is a reprint of an older edition, originally published by Macmillan, August. 1893. A contemporary review described this as "A handy little volume, compiled on sound principles from trustworthy authorities." The 1911 edition is available online and for download at http://openlibrary.org/b/OL17866849M/Greek-English_lexicon_to_the_New_Testament

Hoerber, Robert G., ed., Concordia Self-Study Bible. NIV (Great Rapids, Zondervan: 1973, 1984).

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943, reprinted 1964)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (Text from Project Gutenberg)

Nave, Orville J., ed., Nave's Topical Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979)

New Bible Dictionary. Second Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962)

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Robertson, A. T., Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2000). This “Concise Edition” is derived from the six-volume work by Robertson published in 1933. Robertson was also the author of 45 books, including numerous commentaries, a Harmony of the Gospels, etc. Also available online (see above).

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III, eds., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998). This is the second edition of the excellent work by Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, translated and edited by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.

Strong, James, ed., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)