BIBLE IN TEN

Matthew 15:25

Saturday, 3 January 2026
 
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” Matthew 15:25
 
 “And having come, she worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, You rush-relieve me!’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus said to His disciples that He was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. However, the woman who had been crying out after Jesus was unrelenting. Matthew next records, “And having come, she worshipped Him.”
 
It is a word already seen several times, proskuneó. The idea of worship here does not have to mean as to a deity. Rather, it is a type of reverence where she would have bowed down before Him, acknowledging His abilities and petitioning Him to favor her with them. That is seen in her words, “saying, ‘Lord.’”
 
The wording of the previous verse implies Jesus’ response about only being sent to the lost house of Israel was directed to the disciples. However, it appears she heard His words because she has stopped using the term Son of David from verse 21.
 
This is unlike the blind men in Matthew 20, who continued to call Him Son of David after the people rebuked them. As such, the woman, understanding that His ministry is only to Israel, drops the reference to David. She has no claim on His Jewish heritage.
 
Despite this, she still refers to Him as Lord, acknowledging His position and authority. With this understood, her words continue with, “You rush-relieve me!”
 
She introduces a word to Scripture, boétheó, to help, aid, or relieve. It is derived from boé, intense exclamation, and theō, to run. Therefore, it signifies “to run and meet an urgent distress-call (cry for help); to deliver help, quickly responding to an urgent need (intense distress)” HELPS Word Studies. Lacking any suitable single word to describe the intent, rush-relieve is a suitable substitute.
 
With her in Jesus’ presence, the tension of her needs, His set mission, and His human desire to assist her reaches its highest moment.
 
Life application: The humanity of Jesus went through all of the struggles that man is familiar with. The love of God for His creation, despite the sin that has infected it, means that God desires reconciliation with the people of the world.
 
However, a tension exists between God and man. This tension is the result of sin. God cannot arbitrarily overlook sin because He is just and righteous. Because of this, reconciliation without removal of sin is not possible. Thus, this tension between the different attributes of God exists.
 
These things are resolved through the human body of Jesus. For example, sin must be dealt with. Jesus received the penalty and punishment for our sin. Therefore, God can now fellowship with us through the work of Jesus.
 
This process of restoration leaves nothing undone. Everything necessary to restore man to God is complete through the work of Christ. The law is satisfied, sin is removed, and felicity is restored. However, despite everything being done, restoration is not automatic. God will not force His offer on anyone.
 
Rather, each person must come to Him voluntarily through His offering of restoration. This truth is clearly taught in Scripture. The Calvinistic notion that God selects those whom He chooses to save and then saves them apart from their free will choice is not found in Scripture.
 
Likewise, one can see how offensive the doctrine of law observance is to God. If He has done everything necessary to secure our salvation, and yet we attempt to add to that, we mar the grace that He has offered. It is a heretical doctrine that excludes salvation for those who hold to this aberrant view.
 
The tension between Jesus’ mission to Israel and His desire to assist this woman actually existed. God is teaching us through such things. In understanding them, we can then understand our own relationship with Him as well.
 
Pay attention to the carefully constructed stories found in Scripture. God is giving us information on how things work in the process of redemption. Consider the nature of God. In doing so, we can resolve the difficult questions that arise in the world that cause people to question His goodness.
 
God is good. But that is not the end of the story. Rather, it is the beginning. His goodness is revealed in His ongoing redemptive plan. Consider it and know that He is working out all things through Christ to bring those who will receive Him back to Himself.
 
Lord God, when we see suffering, death, and disaster, we wonder where Your hand is in such things. But as we learn about You and what You are doing through Christ Jesus, we find that You are intimately involved in bringing us back to Yourself. You not only care, but You are also doing something about it. How great it is to know Jesus and receive Your offer through Him. Amen.

Matthew 15:24

Friday, 2 January 2026
 
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24
 
“And answering, He said, ‘Not, I was sent, if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost’ – House Israel” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, the disciples came to Jesus, urging Him to send the Canaanite woman away because of all her croaking after them. Matthew next records words concerning Jesus, “And answering, He said, ‘Not, I was sent, if not to the sheep, the ‘having been lost’ – House Israel.”
 
The KJV and several other versions did a terrible job, saying, “I am not sent...” The verb is aorist, not present. Rendering it this way leaves the reader thinking that this was His only reason for being sent. Rather, He was sent on a mission. When that mission is fulfilled, the aorist leaves the narrative open for the change that will come, something a present verb fails to convey.
 
Jesus was sent to those of Israel who were lost, meaning all of Israel. Nobody is saved until Christ saves them. The exclusivity of the thought rests in the words “House Israel.” Jesus was only sent to the people of Israel. This was proper because only Israel had been given the Mosaic Covenant.
 
No other people received it, and it applied to no other people. Jesus came to fulfill this law, bring Israel out from under it through His fulfillment of it, and introduce a New Covenant with them, which would also include the Gentile people of the world. Charles Ellicott rightly says –
 
“Those wandering sheep, without a shepherd, were the appointed objects of His care. Were He to go beyond that limit in a single case, it might be followed by a thousand, and then, becoming, as it were, before the time, the Apostle of the Gentiles, He would cease to draw to Himself the hearts of Israel as their Redeemer.”
 
There is an order in which God’s redemptive plans take place. For Jesus to include Gentiles, who were never under the law, would thoroughly disaffect Israel from considering His Messiahship. Even without tending to the Gentiles, the nation as a whole still rejected Him. As for the metaphor, it would be understood from several passages in the Old Testament, such as –
 
“My people have been lost sheep.Their shepherds have led them astray;They have turned them away on the mountains.They have gone from mountain to hill;They have forgotten their resting place.” Jeremiah 50:6
 
As noted in the previous verse, there is a tension that has arisen in the narrative. Jesus ignored the woman while the disciples specifically asked Him to tell her to leave. Instead of doing that, His response to them was that He was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. All He had to do was tell her to go away, but He didn’t.
 
One can see that Jesus, in fact, wanted to help her. However, His mission was not to minister to the Gentiles. Should He voluntarily help every Gentile that came His way, it would be a violation of His principal ministry. And so, the tension existed. “There is something I do not want to do, which is to send this person away. However, I have been charged with doing this thing for Israel, which does not include helping this Gentile. Therefore, I will ignore the issue and see how it plays out.”
 
The case of the centurion having his request fulfilled by Jesus was resolved by the very people He came to minister to –
 
“And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 ‘for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.’” Luke 7:2-5
 
There was no tension in the issue of tending to the centurion’s request. The people of Israel, in fact, the elders of the people, petitioned Him to heal the person. As they saw it advantageous to their cause, Jesus could respond favorably without it affecting His principal mission.
 
Life application: Jesus was, in fact, sent to redeem all people. That is seen from Israel’s own writings –
 
“Indeed He says,‘It is too small a thing that You should be My ServantTo raise up the tribes of Jacob,And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6
 
In fact, because Israel wasn’t a people at the fall in Genesis 3, and the fall is when a Redeemer was promised, the truth that the Redeemer would save the whole world stands as an evident truth. However, because God selected Israel to carry the spiritual banner and preserve proper worship of the Lord until the coming of the Messiah, Jesus’ mission was first directed to the task of fulfilling the law associated with that covenant.
 
Only after it was fulfilled could a New Covenant, inclusive of all people, be enacted. As unfortunate as it is, the main recipients of that New Covenant are the very people it was given to. In rejecting Him, they remain under the Old Covenant, while only individual Jews, along with the rest of the world, are offered the New.
 
Lord God, we see Your love for the people of the world on full display in the pages of the Bible. Thank You for each story and instruction it provides. We are being shown Your very heart as the pages of Scripture unfold before us. Thank You, O God, Amen.

Matthew 15:23

Thursday, 1 January 2026
 
But He answered her not a word.And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” Matthew 15:23
 
“And He answered not a word. And having approached, His disciples, they entreated Him, saying, ‘You dismiss her! For she cries after us’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, the woman of Canaan came to Jesus while He was in the region of Tyre and Sidon, begging Him to have mercy on her, seeking help for her demon-possessed daughter. Matthew continues the narrative, saying, “And He answered not a word.”
 
There are various thoughts on the cold shoulder, which is presented here. Some think that Jesus knew all along what would occur, and He was testing her, allowing the situation to unfold before doing what He knew He would do all along. Ellicott thinks that “the prevailing power of prayer working on the sympathy of Christ” is what eventually will motivate Him.
 
But at this point, He is candid about why He does not respond to her. That will be seen in the next verse. Jesus was on a mission. It was purposeful, targeted, and required His full attention. Hence, at this time, He did not answer her as she croaked out for her daughter. Matthew continues, saying, “And having approached, His disciples, they entreated Him.”
 
A new word is seen here, erótaó, to interrogate. HELPS Word Studies says, “make an earnest request, especially by someone on ‘special footing,’ i.e. in ‘preferred position.’” A good word to define this is entreat. The disciples are in such a preferred position, and they want to know why He is allowing this to continue.
 
One can see them, saying to Him (the verb is imperfect), “Why are you allowing her to annoy us. Why don’t you just tell her to leave!” It was an interrogation of sorts as to His motives for doing nothing, one way or another. In their ongoing words, Matthew notes they were “saying, ‘You dismiss her! For she croaks after us.’”
 
Stating the obvious doesn’t help anything here. Jesus knows she is there, and yet He is neither dismissing her nor assisting her. Therefore, their petition must be more for their own benefit than to convince Him. They are trying to figure out why He is not acting.
 
Life application: Put yourself in such a position. If you have been given instructions to do something, and yet an issue arises that does not fit within the parameters of your instructions, but you also don’t want to ignore the issue, what would you do?
 
It is probable that most people would not act. Not acting is not a violation of the mission unless it was made explicit from the outset. To cover every such condition would mean an infinitely long list. Hence, such things are normally not even addressed.
 
Think of any movie or play where such an event arises. A person has to do something. A secondary issue enters the scene that is not a part of the mission, but which has taken hold of the main actor. It introduces a tension into the narrative as both issues are dealt with. The main directive is followed while the secondary issue is allowed to play out, even though nothing is actively done about it by the main character.
 
This type of thing happens in real life all the time. An example might be a missionary who goes to a foreign land. His mission is to evangelize the people, making converts. He is not being paid for other things. While there, he meets a lady whom he is big time interested in. However, she is not a Christian, having not accepted the gospel.
 
What will he do? He cannot act toward her to develop a relationship because that would be contrary to the faith. However, he doesn’t want her to go away either. And so he does nothing. Regardless of the outcome (but for the sake of the love story, we’ll say she eventually accepts Jesus and they get married), the tension has developed.
 
This is as common as bullets in an ammo factory, and it is just why so many stories, plays, and movies are developed with this theme. It is a part of the human condition. In the end, when the rules are adhered to and yet the outcome is positive, we always get the best feeling when the story is over. Why? Because to do wrong, despite often being our default setting, is never the preferred option.
 
Therefore, to allow events to play out to a resolution (hopefully a happy one like our missionary example) is what stirs our human emotions the most. Think about this and consider it as this short story, relayed by Matthew, unfolds before us.
 
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16
 
Lord God, thank You for the humanity of our Messiah, Jesus. In seeing how He responded to the world around us, we have the perfect example of how to conduct our own affairs. May we learn to hold fast to Your word at all times while allowing surrounding events to play out in a way that will be favorable to our hopes and desires. Amen.

Matthew 15:22

Wednesday, 31 December 2025
 
And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” Matthew 15:22
 
“And you behold! A Canaanite woman from those same borders, having come, she croaked to Him, saying, ‘You compassionate me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter, she is demon-possessed badly’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus left the land of the Gennesaret and departed to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon. With Him there, Matthew next records, “And you behold! A Canaanite woman.”
 
This is the only time that the word Chananaios, Canaanite, is seen in the New Testament. That is derived from Chanaan, Canaan, found twice in Acts. This was the early name of the land of Israel, having been named after Canaan, the grandson of Noah through Ham.
 
The meaning of the name Canaan (Hebrew kna’an) is debated. It is variously translated as Land of Purple, Low, Merchant, etc. The likely meaning is Low, Abased, Humble, Humiliated, something along these lines. This is based on the account of Genesis 9, where Canaan is first mentioned.
 
In Mark, it says of this same woman that she “was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth.” There is no contradiction in this. Syro-Phonecia is the area, and the term “Greek” is being applied as we might when we say of a person from Germany, “He is a European.” One is a wider explanation of a more precise designation. Albert Barnes provides the historical understanding –
 
“In ancient times, the whole land, including Tyre and Sidon, was in the possession of the Canaanites, and called Canaan. The Phoenicians were descended from the Canaanites. The country, including Tyre and Sidon, was called Phoenicia, or Syro-Phoenicia. That country was taken by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and those cities, in the time of Christ, were Greek cities. This woman was therefore a Gentile, living under the Greek government, and probably speaking the Greek language. She was by birth a Syro-Phoenician, born in that country, and descended, therefore, from the ancient Canaanites. All these names might, with propriety, be given to her.”
 
Of this woman of Canaan, it next says, “from those same borders.” The meaning is based on the previous verse, that it is the “allotments – Tyre and Sidon.” Understanding this, Matthew continues, saying, “having come, she croaked to Him, saying, ‘You compassionate me, Lord, Son of David!’”
 
Nothing is said about how she knew of Jesus, but it is apparent that His fame had extended far and wide. In both Mark and Luke, by this time in the narrative, it was already acknowledged that people from Tyre and Sidon had come to see Jesus (Mark 3:8 and Luke 6:17). Thus, Jewish residents of that area had already gone to see Jesus, returned, and spoken of the things they saw.
 
Now, knowing He was in the area and understanding that He was the promised Messiah, indicated by the words “Son of David,” this Canaanite woman begs for compassion to be extended even to her, a Gentile.
 
But more, she is of the cursed line of Canaan. This is based on Noah’s cursing of Canaan for what Ham did to him in Genesis 9. The last thing a person of such lineage might expect from the Jewish Messiah would be compassion. And yet, she faithfully came forward in hopeful expectation that He might listen to her plea, which was, “My daughter, she is demon-possessed badly.”
 
This woman, having heard of Jesus’ capabilities, has placed the situation concerning her demon-possessed daughter in the hands of Jesus, hoping He will respond and cure her. Her faith is on prominent display, even if the level of it is not yet revealed.
 
Life application: In commentaries on this verse, both Cambridge and Vincent’s Word Studies say something similar –
 
“...out of the same coasts] Literally, those coasts. Jesus did not himself pass beyond the borders of Galilee, but this instance of mercy extended to a Gentile points to the wide diffusion of the Gospel beyond the Jewish race.” Cambridge
 
“Lit., as Rev., from those borders; i.e., she crossed from Phoenicia into Galilee.”
 
They cannot accept that Jesus traveled outside of Galilee. This, despite two different words having been used to describe His going there. The first was in verse 21, where Jesus is said to have traveled to the “allotments – Tyre and Sidon.” The second, in verse 22, says “from those same borders,” meaning she was born, raised, and lived in the same area where Jesus had traveled to.
 
These scholars got it stuck in their heads that Jesus never left the area of Galilee based on what it says when He charged His disciples not to go in the way of the Gentiles and by His words that will say that He was sent to minister only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Because of this, their faulty deduction is that “Jesus never left the Galilee.”
 
Both of those statements were addressed in the comments of verse 15:21. It explicitly says Jesus traveled to this area. But once we have a presupposition stuck in our head, cognitive dissonance takes over, and we will do anything to justify falling in line with what we want the text to say.
 
What do you believe about the timing of the rapture? Have you got that in your head because of what you were taught? If so, the chances are that you will argue that point regardless of what the Bible actually says. That is unwise. We must be willing to acknowledge that we could be wrong.
 
Be sure to keep all things in their proper context. This is of paramount importance. From there, be willing to accept that what you think is true might be wrong. After that, do your study and don’t violate the “context” issue if you find you might have been wrong. This is what most people do when faced with the reality that things aren’t matching up with what they thought.
 
Context is king. So keep everything in its proper context. From there, stick to it at all times. Your doctrine will improve as long as you stick to what is said, regardless of what you think you know.
 
Lord God, none of us wants to be proven wrong. And none of us wants to betray the teachings that we received from a beloved pastor or teacher by contradicting what they taught us. And so, we put up a defense against change. Help us not to do this. May we be willing to go where Your word teaches, regardless of whether we find we were wrong. Help us to have this attitude at all times. Amen.

Matthew 15:21

Tuesday, 30 December 2025
 
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Matthew 15:21
 
“And having departed thence, Jesus, He withdrew to the allotments – Tyre and Sidon” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus finished His explanation of the things that defile a man. Eating with unwashed hands was not among those things. Next, Matthew records, “And having departed thence.”
 
The last record of where they were was in the land of Gennesaret. That was noted in Matthew 14:34. The account doesn’t say why they left, but some scholars assume it was to avoid the anger of the Pharisees whom He had shamed. Regardless of the reason, it next says, “Jesus, He withdrew to the allotments – Tyre and Sidon.”
 
This is not the first time that these two cities are mentioned, but it is the first time that it notes Jesus having gone to them. The first time, it was in reference to His works, which evidenced His being the Messiah –
 
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21, 22
 
As for the terminology, it says that He went to the allotments of Tyre and Sidon. Thus, He may not have gone to these cities, but to the surrounding area. However, it would be inappropriate to assume that He didn’t go there based on His words to the disciples about not going in the way of the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5) or His words concerning being sent only to the House of Israel, which will be stated in verse 24 of this chapter.
 
The reason for this is that, despite being Gentile cities, there was probably a sizeable Jewish presence there. Going to a Jewish home in a Gentile area would not violate either statement. He would remain in the “way of the Jews,” and He would be ministering to the House of Israel.
 
Of this visit, the Pulpit Commentary says –
 
“If, as Chrysostom suggests, Jesus, by going to these partly Gentile districts, wished to give a practical commentary on the abrogation of the distinction between clean and unclean (breaking down the wall of partition between Jew and Gentile), this lesson was given equally well by the acceptance and commendation of the Gentile woman's faith, even though Christ himself was outside of pagan territory.”
 
This is, as noted in a previous commentary, not an appropriate sentiment. It is true that Jesus fulfilled the law and set aside all dietary laws in its fulfillment. It is also true that the wall of partition is brought down in Christ. However, it is an unacceptable leap to assume that Jesus was there to “give a practical commentary on the abrogation of the distinction between clean and unclean.”
 
That is putting the cart before the horse. Only in the completed work of Christ is that realized. The introduction of the Gentile woman will be the same lesson to Israel as that stated by Him in Luke 4:23-27. God does not favor Jews over Gentiles, and His mercy towards Gentiles was evidenced concerning this in the past.
 
His point is the same there as it was with the centurion already noted in Matthew 8. God is looking for faith in people. He would rather have a faith-filled Gentile than an entire nation of Jews lacking faith. True as this is, it has nothing to do with Jesus hinting that the ceremonial parts of the law had been abrogated by Him.
 
If that was what He intended, and the people of Israel would have known this very well, they would have taken Him out and stoned Him. Even after the resurrection, the Jews still didn’t get this. They insisted on maintaining the dietary laws scrupulously. Peter had to be explicitly told that this was not appropriate in Acts 10 before he was told to go to the house of Cornelius.
 
Life application: It must be trumpeted loudly that the dispensational model is a necessary part of what God is doing in order for us to rightly divide Scripture. Until it was fully laid out and explained, commentaries throughout the centuries were wholly incorrect in explaining what Jesus did and what the effects of His work meant for the people of the world.
 
Even to this day, churches that do not understand or properly teach dispensationalism have all kinds of aberrant doctrines they must contend with. Actual contradictions in their doctrine and theology arise because of mishandling this important precept. 
 
It affects the doctrines of salvation, end times matters, law observance, and so much more. Be sure to study and remember the principal tenets of the dispensational model. In doing so, you will avoid many pitfalls that some of even the greatest teachers of Scripture have failed to get right.
 
Lord God, help us to rightly divide Your word, the word of truth. It is without error or contradiction. But when we misunderstand the context, we will have both creep up in our doctrine. Help us to get things right. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

Matthew 15:20

Monday, 29 December 2025
 
These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” Matthew 15:20
 
“These, they are, the ‘defiling the man,’ but to eat with unwashed hands, not it defiles the man” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus gave a list of things that stem from the heart and which defile a person. He confirms this now with the words, “These, they are, the ‘defiling the man.’”
 
The list from Jesus, as recorded in Matthew, is not all-inclusive. In Mark, rather than seven items, Jesus gives a list of thirteen. It is certain that the list could go on all day as the human heart thinks up new ways of sinning. That is a thought stated by Paul in Romans 1:30, where he notes those who are “inventors of evil things.” In fact, the Lord, through Jeremiah, says –
 
“The heart is deceitful above all things,And desperately wicked;Who can know it?10 I, the Lord, search the heart,I test the mind,Even to give every man according to his ways,According to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9, 10
 
It is the heart where the source of true defilement of a man comes. Jesus continues, saying, “but to eat with unwashed hands, not it defiles the man.”
 
Here is a new word, aniptos. It is derived from the negative particle a, and the word niptó, to wash or cleanse. Therefore, it signifies unwashed. Jesus explicitly says what He was referring to concerning foods entering the mouth. He was not speaking of the foods themselves, but of the fact that they are unwashed.
 
Without considering these words, scholars have run ahead of the dispensation’s completion and said that Jesus was claiming that all foods are acceptable to be eaten. However, that would be a violation of the Law of Moses, something not yet fulfilled by Him. Having said that, the parallel account in Mark says concerning food –
 
“...because not it enters him into the heart, but into the stomach and into the john it ejects, cleansing all the foods.” Mark 7:19
 
Taking this to a wholly unintended extreme, the NIV et al, which is based on the offset of the NU text, thus implying it is the wording of Mark, says, “(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean)”. This is not at all what Jesus is saying. He is saying that the food is purified through the process of going through the body. As in Matthew, the context is that of ceremonial washing of foods, not the types of foods.
 
It is true that during this dispensation, all foods are acceptable –
 
“For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.” 1 Timothy 4:4
 
This sentiment is taught by Paul in several ways in Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8, Colossians 2, etc. But this is not what Jesus is referring to while under the Law of Moses. The distinction must be made and kept separate. Until the law was fulfilled, it had to be obeyed.
 
Life application: Those who have come to Christ “are not under law but under grace” Romans 6:14. If there is no law, then there can be no imputation of sin (Romans 5:13, 2 Corinthians 5:19, etc.). As this is so, believers cannot lose their salvation.
 
However, Jesus states moral truths in the verses we have been looking at. The things that we do, which stem from a wicked heart, are wicked. No, we will not be imputed sin and lose our salvation for doing those things. However, we are not blameless either.
 
In doing such things, we harm our relationship with the Lord, we set a very poor example for the world to see, and we will lose rewards at the Bema seat of Christ. We may also lose our lives, health, savings, etc., in the process of doing such things. These are truths that the Bible proclaims.
 
We are not given license to do wrong, something those who say the doctrine of eternal salvation necessarily must teach. That is a false dichotomy that is unsupportable from Scripture. Scripture teaches eternal salvation, while it also teaches holiness and consequences for wrongdoing.
 
Be sure not to get bullied by those who claim you can lose your salvation. They have poor doctrine and nothing biblical to stand on. At the same time, never take your eternal salvation as a license to sin. That is the surest way of making your life miserable. Actions have consequences. Be holy to the Lord and honor Him with your lives.
 
Lord God, help us to be ready to defend sound doctrine at all times. But may we not be arrogant as we do. Also, Lord, help us to be holy in our thoughts, words, and deeds for the sake of Jesus’ name. We can so easily get distracted from these things. So help us in this, O God. Amen.

Matthew 15:19

Sunday, 28 December 2025
 
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Matthew 15:19
 
“For from the heart, they come: evil meanderings, murders, adulteries, harlotries, thefts, false-witnessings, blasphemies” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples that it is what proceeds out of the mouth that defiles a man. Having said that, He now explains what that means, saying, “For from the heart, they come.”
 
Rather than something entering externally and passing through, this is something that begins internally, in the heart. Therefore, it reveals the nature and characteristics of the one from whom those things issue. In the case of defilement, Jesus begins His list of seven defiling items with “evil meanderings.”
 
It is two words in Greek, dialogismoi ponēroi. The first word is new, dialogismos, a discussion. Internally, it signifies a consideration (by implication, purpose). Thus, it would signify a meandering. The second word is an adjective signifying evil.
 
Taken together, this refers to the general evil thoughts that arise in a person’s head. The thought itself is wicked. To act on such meanderings only compounds the guilt of the person. Next, He says, “murders.”
 
It is another new word, phonos. It is from pheno, to slay. In this case, it is intentional, unjustified homicide. Jesus continues with “adulteries.”
 
Another new word is given, moicheia, the act of adultery. It will only be seen again in Mark 7:21 and John 8:3. Throughout the Bible, the act of adultery is condemned as wrongdoing, but the act begins inside the person. Jesus will later note that the thought alone brings guilt, even without committing the act. Continuing on, Jesus says, “harlotries.”
 
It is a word already seen, porneia. It signifies various harlotries, such as adultery, incest, and fornication in general. Next are “thefts.”
 
It is yet another new word, klopé, meaning stealing or theft. It is derived from the verb kleptó, to steal. One can think of a kleptomaniac. But it includes any stealing, not just the compulsive type. A person taking something that does not belong to him is a thief. The act is known as theft. Jesus continues with, “false-witnessings.”
 
It is another new word, pseudomarturia. One can easily see the breakdown. The first part is pseudo, being derived from pseudés, that which is false or untrue. It defines what a liar speaks. The second half of the word is from martus, a witness. Thus, it speaks of a false witness.
 
The word martus has come to signify a martyr because one’s witness will often lead to his martyrdom. This word, pseudomarturia, only refers to a false witness. Jesus finishes the list with “blasphemies.”
 
It is a word already used in Chapter 12. It refers to vilification, especially against God. As such, it is defined as blasphemy, evil speaking, and railing in general.
 
Life application: Jesus says these things stem from the heart and render a person unclean. The fact is that most of us have had many of these thoughts in our hearts many times. They exist as a part of fallen humanity. It isn’t that we would necessarily act on these thoughts, but we may even have done or still do them.
 
As people, we are responsible for quelling the inner urges that stem from within us, keeping them from overtaking us. When we fail, does the Lord understand? The answer is, Yes. He knows our weaknesses and frailties.
 
David was overtaken by adultery. That started in his heart, and he acted out his desire. This led to his next wicked act, murder. Again, that started in his heart. He acted against one of his own soldiers. The law called for death in such instances. However, the record of the account says –
 
“So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’” 2 Samuel 12:13, 14
 
David’s sin was taken away. He acknowledged his sin, the Lord looked on his heart and knew that he was repentant, and forgiveness was provided. David still had to live with the consequences of what he did, but he remained in the Lord’s favor. If the Lord did this for David, even before sending Jesus to atone for our sins, we can know that God will forgive us when we come to Him, acknowledging our wrongdoing.
 
No person is outside of God’s potential forgiveness, and no person’s sin is too great to be forgiven. Trust that this is so, come to Jesus, and receive forgiveness and eternal life because of what He has done for His people.
 
Lord God, how grateful we are to You for what You have done in sending Jesus. May we stay close to You at all times, but when we stray, we know we have an Advocate who stands with us, ready to defend us for His name’s sake. Hallelujah for Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Matthew 15:18

Saturday, 27 December 2025
 
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. Matthew 15:18
 
“And those proceeding from the mouth, it comes from the heart, and those, it commonizes the man” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus gave the disciples a lesson in basic human physiology, something they should have thought through by themselves. Now, He uses that instruction to provide an example of what defiles a man, something foods do not do. He begins with, “And those proceeding from the mouth.”
 
Jesus turns the thought around. “Proceeding from the mouth” corresponds to “into the john it ejects.” Therefore, the source of what He is referring to will be different than the previous example. That is stated in the next words, “it comes from the heart.”
 
The meaning is that what enters the mouth is something external. It passes through the body and then is ejected. There was nothing defiling in the process. However, that which proceeds from the mouth, meaning that the words of man, come from within the man. Their source is the heart.
 
Remember that the heart in the Bible does not refer to the organ that pumps blood. It is only used figuratively for the place where moral preferences are derived. It is the biblical source of thoughts and feelings, of which Jesus next says, “and those, it commonizes the man.”
 
Here is a new word, koinoó, to make (or consider) profane. Thus, it is that which treats what is sacred as common or ordinary. To get the meaning, the adjective form is used this way in Acts 2 –
 
“Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common [koinos], 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”
 
People are to be sacred, having been made in the image of God. However, man becomes commonized through what comes from his heart and the words that proceed from his mouth. Jesus will explain why this is so in the next two verses.
 
Life application: The heart is the inventor of wickedness in man. This is then turned into action as he is spurred on by what the heart has developed. As noted, Jesus will explain the various ways that this occurs. However, we can already consider how this process is realized in us.
 
The things we think are often not things we would actually act on. Further, we would not normally say the thoughts that well up in us. We have filters and checks that properly suppress such things.
 
At times, however, the filters may be lacking. We blurt out something that is caustic, and it causes damage to a relationship. Even if it was unintentional, what we have said is perceived to be the reality of what is going on inside of us by the recipient of our words.
 
Likewise, the checks on our words and actions are usually in place to keep us from acting in certain ways. However, if we are hungry, that can exacerbate our mood in a negative way. We become hangry, releasing our anger because the normal checks are blocked through our physical degradation. This can be true with a lack of sleep, high-pressure situations, etc.
 
We are still accountable for our words and actions, but there are reasons they occurred. When it happens, we regret what we have done, showing that it wasn’t our intention to act in such ways. In an old Clint Eastwood movie, he said, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
 
When we feel we are reaching a point where we may do wrong, we need to work harder at limiting the inclinations that arise. We may also want to remove ourselves from whatever situation we are in. This will keep us from saying or doing something we will later regret.
 
Everyone responds to internal and external stresses differently. Therefore, it is up to us to carefully monitor ourselves and respond to those things that stress us.
 
Having said that, there are people who have no such limitations. They openly act on their inappropriate impulses. The problem with this is that it can become ordinary as others follow suit. Pretty soon, you are in full San Francisco mode, where the majority of the people openly act out perversions, illegalities, and harmful conduct towards self and others.
 
Once this happens, the society is set in a doom loop that is very hard to rectify. This is why the whole world had to be destroyed by the flood. It is also why the whole world will once again be destroyed by fire. Be sure not to follow the world. Rather, be like Noah, who remained righteous in a world full of iniquity.
 
Lord God, give us wisdom in how we should deal with our weaknesses and limitations. We all have them, and we all need to carefully monitor ourselves when faced with pressures and stresses that weaken us. Be with us and help us to always be fixed on You and what You would want us to do. Amen.

Matthew 15:17

Friday, 26 December 2025
 
Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? Matthew 15:17
 
“Not yet you grasp that all, the ‘entering into the mouth,’ into the stomach it contains, and into the john it ejects?” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus chided the disciples, noting their still being unintelligent. He now explains their question with basic information that any child could understand, beginning with, “Not yet you grasp.”
 
Two new words are seen here. The first is oupó, yet. It is not found in all manuscripts. Instead, some say, “Not you grasp.” Either way, the word will be found in all manuscripts starting in Matthew 16:9.
 
The second new word is noeó, to exercise the mind. Thus, it means to understand, comprehend, etc. To keep it distinct from other similar words in a translation, saying “grasp” satisfies the need.
 
HELPS Word Studies says that this word “underlines the moral culpability we all have before God – for every decision (value-judgment) we make. This follows from each of us being created in the divine image – hence, possessing the inherent capacity by the Lord to exercise moral reasoning.”
 
What Jesus wonders if they yet grasp is “that all, the ‘entering into the mouth,’ into the stomach it contains.”
 
Jesus gives them a lesson in basic human physiology. In fact, it is characteristic of life everywhere. In these words are two more new words. The first is eisporeuomai, to enter. When a person feeds himself, food enters his mouth. From the very first moments of a baby’s existence, this is understood. They know exactly what to do to obtain nourishment.
 
The next new word is chóreó, to be in space or to give space. Thus, it gives a sense of holding. When a person eats, the food doesn’t just stay in his mouth. Rather, it takes a journey down the alimentary canal. As it heads down, it stops in the stomach. While there, the stomach contains it and processes it.
 
Anyone who has had a meal knows this. The feeling is sensational each time we eat as the stomach whirls and churns, breaking down the food. If there was something upsetting in the food, the feeling may still be sensational, but in a bad way. Maybe we would call the sensation miserable. Whatever way it affects us, it eventually leads to Jesus’ next words, which finish His question, “and into the john it ejects?”
 
Here is yet another new word, aphedrón, a place of sitting. Eventually, the food is processed in the stomach, continues on a long meandering journey through the bowels, and eventually it is ejected in the place of sitting.
 
In English, we have innumerable words to describe the location. There are locative descriptions, such as outhouse. There are accommodating descriptions, such as privy. We have coyly deceptive descriptions, such as powder room. And then there are colorful descriptions that every schoolboy knows, and many build upon.
 
And there is, of course, the memorial word john. That is most likely named after Sir John Harington. He was a 6th-century godson of Queen Elizabeth I. Being Mr. Inventive, he designed an early type of flushing toilet. Even though he wasn’t the first to invent a flushing toilet, his invention, along with a satirical pamphlet he wrote about it, popularized the word john. Thus, his name became slang for his device.
 
Jesus’ basic physiology course ends. He will next teach a truth about this process, making a contrast with it to something else.
 
Life application: Imagine your name is associated with such an invention, being repeated millions of times every day. There are lots of ways to be remembered that are far more tasteful. However, the best way of all is to be remembered on the day the Lord comes for His church.
 
Paul describes the event –
 
“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53
 
You may not be famous now, but you are important to God if you have trusted the gospel. So get ready for transformation day when Jesus calls us out of this corruptible body. We are talking about a name with eternal fame, simply by believing. So be ready by trusting Jesus! 
 
Lord God Almighty, You designed us according to Your wisdom, and we are wonderfully made. But what will we be like when we have our change? The thought captures our attention. How we long for that day. May it be soon. Amen.

Matthew 15:16

Thursday, 25 December 2025
 
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Matthew 15:16
 
“And Jesus, He said, ‘And yet, you, you are unintelligent!’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Peter came to Jesus and said, “You expound to us this parable.” With that, Matthew records, “And Jesus, He said.”
 
Jesus’ response is not a question. Rather, it will be a statement. He has been instructing them on matters, and they have been unable to put His words into intelligent meaning in their minds. Therefore, what He says is an emphatic declaration. It is also in the plural. He is speaking to all of the disciples, “And yet, you, you are unintelligent!”
 
There are two new words. The first one, akmén, means “a point.” The idea is that it refers to a point in time. If one were to coin a new word to suit the literal meaning while conveying the intent, the word “pointly” would get the point across. Someone should consider coining it in this context.
 
For now, the adverb “yet” is sufficient. The point in time is reached, and yet, there is something that is awry. That leads to the next new word, the adjective asunetos, unintelligent. It comes from a, the particle of negation, and sunetos, to mentally put together, and thus sagacious.
 
HELPS Word Studies says, “foolish because incoherent (failing to ‘put facts together’).” Also, “a person failing to structure information in a meaningful way, and therefore unable to reach necessary conclusions.” The word is often translated as “without understanding.” A single word that exactingly describes the person is “unintelligent.”
 
Jesus isn’t asking them if they are yet without understanding. He is affirming that they are, as yet, unintelligent. They have heard His words, and they have not learned to come to proper conclusions concerning what He is saying. This will continue even till the time of His crucifixion.
 
Life application: It may seem harsh for Jesus to say to His disciples so directly that they are foolish or unintelligent, but it is not at all uncommon in Scripture. Such words are used throughout the Old Testament when referring to the people of Israel –
 
“When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off;The women come and set them on fire.For it is a people of no understanding;Therefore He who made them will not have mercy on them,And He who formed them will show them no favor.” Isaiah 27:11
 
Such examples are common. The Lord rebukes the people for their lack of heeding Him, attending to His words, etc. In our modern society, it is considered offensive to say directly to people that they are foolish, unwise, unintelligent, and so forth. But to coddle people unwilling to engage their brains will lead to a generation of people who truly are unintelligent.
 
If we remain in a slumber, without rebuke for our unwillingness to learn, there is no incentive to strive for better. When everyone on a team gets the same award, there is no reason for anyone to strive to be the best. The Bible unashamedly says otherwise –
 
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24
 
In fact, striving for what is right is so important that Jesus instructs those of Israel to do so with the thought of eternal consequences for not doing so –
 
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Matthew 13:24
 
When we approach matters of life, we should take time, demonstrating patient perseverance and wholehearted dedication to the task at hand. Marble will not tolerate an impatient and impulsive sculptor. Rather, the one who is wise with the hammer and chisel will slowly and methodically pay attention to the task set before him, mentally shutting out what will distract him.
 
If this is so for worldly things, how much more dedicated and patient should we be in our pursuit of God and of obtaining right understanding in His word? Are we so foolish as to strive for the best in polishing our car but neglect the eternal rewards there are for seeking God as He intends for us?
 
Jesus pointedly said to His disciples, “And yet, you, you are unintelligent!” Is He speaking the same to us today? Or is He pleased with our pursuit of who He is, as we attend carefully to His words? Let us receive a word of commendation from Him as we rise each day to consider Him and reflect on His majesty.
 
Lord God, thank You for the rebukes of life that spur us on to greater achievements. Yes, words of chastisement can be painful at the time, but we know that they are normally working for something better in us if we just pay heed. May we learn the lessons from them and strive to excel as we seek You in Your superior word. Amen.

Jesus came from Heaven to Earth - A song by the children for the glory of God!

Because I believe
Jesus came from Heaven to Earth 
to show the way
From the Earth to the Cross 
my Sin Debt to pay
From the Cross to the Grave
From the Grave to the  Sky
His love for me will never die

Matthew 15:15

Wednesday, 24 December 2025
 
Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” Matthew 15:15
 
“And Peter, having answered, he said to Him, ‘You expound to us this parable’” (CG).
 
In the previous verse, Jesus noted that if the blind-conductors are also blind, they will both fall into a pit. Having finished His words, Matthew notes, “And Peter, having answered, he said to Him.”
 
Peter heard something that needed clarification from Jesus’ words. Therefore, he continues, “You expound to us this parable.”
 
Here is a new word, phrazó. It is found only here in the New Testament. It means to indicate by word or act. Thus, it is rightly defined as “expound,” which signifies to explain the meaning in a detailed manner. Peter goes back to Jesus’ words of verse 15:11, not knowing the meaning of the parable –
 
“Not the ‘entering into the mouth’ it profanes the man, but the ‘proceeding from the mouth,’ this, it profanes the man.”
 
The problem with Peter’s words is that Jesus wasn’t speaking in a parable at that time. Hence, he misunderstood the intent of Jesus’ words. For this, he will receive a rather stern rebuke, followed by a more detailed explanation of Jesus’ intent.
 
Life application: It is not always easy to know when something in the Bible is being spoken literally, metaphorically, in parable, or in some other way. It is also difficult to determine if what is being spoken of is one thing rather than another.
 
A good example of this is found in Joshua –
 
Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel:
“Sun, stand still over Gibeon;And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”13 So the sun stood still,And the moon stopped,Till the people had revengeUpon their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.
 
Translations generally assume that Joshua’s words indicate that the sun and moon literally stood still in the heavens. This is then bolstered by the words of verses 13 and 14. However, the words are poetic, having been included in the Book of Jasher. The way it properly reads and what is happening is as follows –
 
“Then, he will speak, Joshua to Yehovah, in day gave Yehovah the Amorite to faces sons Israel, and he said to eyes Israel:
 
‘Sun, in Gibeon, you must be silent.
And moon in depth Aijalon.’
And is muted, the sun.
And moon stood.
Until he will avenge nation – his hatings.
 
Not it written upon scroll the Upright (One)? And it stood, the sun, in the half the heavens and not it hastened to go, according to day complete. And not it was according to day, the it, to its faces and after it, to hearken, Yehovah, in voice man, for Yehovah being fought to Israel.” (CG)
 
Notice the structure:
 
V.12 – [Then, he will speak, Joshua to Yehovah, in day gave Yehovah the Amorite to faces sons Israel, and he said to eyes Israel].
 
V.13 Until he will avenge nation [Israel] – his hatings.
 
V.15 - And not it was according to day, the it, to its faces and after it, [to hearken, Yehovah, in voice man, for Yehovah being fought to Israel].
 
The bracketing thoughts explain what the exceptional thing was. It wasn’t that the sun and moon stood still in the skies. Rather, it was that the Lord listened to the voice of a man and fought for Israel.
 
As you read the Bible, understand that what you are reading has been translated by man. A translator comes to the text with biases and presuppositions. If he is only a translator, he is also trying to make sense out of very difficult language. Therefore, it is natural to make assumptions based on a lack of study.
 
Even scholars will start with presuppositions, reading a translation first and then working with that picture in their minds. Because of this, be careful to stop and contemplate what you are reading from other perspectives. You may find that what you thought was correct was not.
 
In the end, you will get out of the word as much as you put in.
 
O God, may we be willing to carefully consider all things Your word tells us. Help us not to get caught up in sensationalism or “going with the pack” mentality. May we first and foremost consider what You are telling us and why. Help us in this so that our time of study will be methodical and filled with proper insights concerning Your word. Amen.