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Explanation for:
Matthew
15
:
1
Then came to him from Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees, saying:
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"When does this occur? Following His numerous miracles and His healing of the afflicted by merely touching the fringe of His garments. The evangelist highlights this timing to illustrate the profound and overwhelming wickedness of the scribes and Pharisees. What, then, is the significance of the phrase, \\"The scribes and Pharisees who are from Jerusalem\\"? Though the scribes and Pharisees were distributed among all the tribes, divided into twelve sections, those residing in the main city exhibited greater corruption than their counterparts, as they were held in higher regard and often displayed increased arrogance."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The absurdity of the scribes and Pharisees is remarkable; they criticize the Son of God for disregarding human traditions and regulations. Indeed, while the hands, representing actions, should be cleaned, it is not merely the actions of the body that matter, but those of the soul, so that the Word of God may dwell within them."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Jews, adhering to human customs, overlooked the traditions set by God, while the disciples, valuing divine teachings, disregarded human rituals and refrained from washing their hands before consuming bread, for one who is fully cleansed has no further need for such purification, as seen in John 13:9. Jesus purified them, and they required no additional cleansing, for through a single baptism He annulled all others, as stated in Ephesians 4:5. Thus, those whom the Church has cleansed require no further washing. Consequently, the disciples embraced the deeper mystery, prioritizing the purity of their souls over that of their bodies. This drew criticism from the Jews, yet the Lord will rightly respond that they focus on trivial matters while neglecting what is truly essential."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"While every nation had its scribes and Pharisees, Jerusalem held a position of greater distinction. Consequently, they were more envious, driven by greater ambition."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"In all twelve tribes, there existed scribes and Pharisees, yet those in Jerusalem were particularly corrupt due to their prominence in the capital, which fueled their pride. Observing the profound faith of the people, they sought to undermine it. Unable to find fault in Jesus Christ Himself, they charged His disciples with violating not divine commandments, but rather human traditions. It was not the law of God that forbade eating without washing, but the customs established by the elders. As Mark notes, \\"The Pharisees and all Judea, if they do not wash their hands, they do not eat, keeping the traditions of the elders: and from the market, if they do not buy, they do not eat. And there are many other things which they shall keep: immersions by the stklanitsa, and by the chwan, and by the cauldron, and by the bier.\\" (Mark 7:3-4). The term for washing signifies cleansing up to the elbow. They believed that by washing bowls, cups, cauldrons, and pews, they could sanctify these objects. Engaging in additional novelties, they disregarded the law in favor of these absurd rituals. In contrast, the disciples chose not to adhere to these rules and often consumed food with unwashed hands. Why was this the case? Their focus was solely on righteousness, having never practiced such traditions, and they considered physical needs unimportant as these did not affect the soul in any negative way."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"During the Lord's previously mentioned time in the region of Gennesaret, countless miracles were performed, and many were healed simply by touching the fringe of His robes. The evangelist emphasizes this timing to highlight the profound and insurmountable malice exhibited by the scribes and Pharisees. What is signified by the term \\"the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem\\"? These religious leaders were dispersed across all the tribes, divided into twelve factions, but those residing in the principal city of Jerusalem exhibited greater wickedness than their counterparts elsewhere. Their elevated status afforded them more honor, which in turn fueled their arrogance."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After the Lord performed numerous miracles, the Jerusalem scribes and Pharisees approached Jesus, ignoring His displays of divine power. While they were dispersed among the twelve tribes, those residing in the prominent city of Jerusalem were particularly corrupt, having been elevated by honor and thus growing increasingly arrogant. The scribes from Galilee had informed their leaders in Jerusalem of all matters concerning Jesus Christ, prompting these influential figures to travel deliberately to Galilee in search of a reason to condemn the Master, whom they saw as a significant threat. An opportunity soon arose when the Pharisees observed that on a particular day, the disciples of Christ had not washed their hands before partaking in a meal. Although the Law of Moses mandated hand washing in certain circumstances, the scribes had so twisted this directive that they rendered it absurd. They claimed, for instance, that failing to wash one's hands before eating merited death, equating the act to engaging with a harlot; they asserted it better to journey a considerable distance for water than to eat with unclean hands, and they stated that not washing after a meal was akin to being a vile murderer. In preparation for meals, they would cleanse not only their hands but also the tables, benches, vessels, and pots, prompting mockery from their adversaries, the Sadducees, who joked that soon the Pharisees would seek to wash the very sun itself. They magnified these trivial regulations, which they termed the traditions of the elders, to the point of claiming they originated with God, said to have been communicated to Moses at Sinai. The scribes conveniently overlooked Moses’ commandment to neither add to nor subtract from the written Law. Noticing that the disciples of Jesus did not adhere to these traditions and were eating bread with unwashed hands, they eagerly confronted the Divine Teacher, saying:"},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Pharisees, along with certain scribes, approached Jesus. The phrase from the Evangelist in Mark 7:1—\\"they gathered to Him\\"—suggests that a significant number of Pharisees assembled intentionally, indicating that this meeting was premeditated and aimed at trapping Jesus regarding the law and the traditions."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Among those who listened to Jesus Christ, the term 'the Jews' specifically refers to the religious leaders, particularly the scribes and Pharisees, rather than the general populace. Recently, their presence has become increasingly prominent. Many of these leaders, having heard of the Savior’s teachings and miracles performed in the Galilean towns, intentionally traveled from Jerusalem to follow Him and plot against Him, intending to bring formal charges before the supreme council for allegedly subverting the faith and laws of Moses. Their anger was particularly ignited by the Savior's recent discourse on communion, prompting them to signal Jerusalem that arrangements should be made for the destruction of the prophet they despised, timed with the Passover festival. However, perceiving the sinister intentions of these adversaries, Christ chose not to go to Jerusalem this time and instead observed Passover in Galilee, continuing His mission for humanity's salvation. After their scheme failed, the Jewish leaders returned to Galilee once more after the feast, intent on finding reasons to accuse the Savior of transgressing the law.\\n\\nAn opportunity soon arose for them, but it only served to reveal their own hypocrisy. The Jewish legalists did not merely adhere to the law of Moses; over time, they had added numerous arbitrary rules and interpretations, sometimes placing greater emphasis on these modifications than on God’s actual commandments. The scribes and Pharisees were particularly zealous in observing these additions, viewing them as a protective barrier around the law, even though they often contradicted the true law and concealed their own low hypocrisy. They took note when the disciples of Jesus did not wash their hands before meals, interpreting this as a serious infraction—a transgression considered as grave as consuming unclean meat according to rabbinic teachings. The stringent legalists asserted, \\"Whoever does not wash his hands when eating is to be cast out from society, for within the act of washing lies the significance of the Ten Commandments; he is deserving of death, akin to a murderer,\\" as they strictly interpreted these customs."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord Jesus Christ, aware that His hour had not yet arrived (John 7:6), chose to refrain from traveling to Judea, as the evangelist John noted that the Jewish leaders were intent on taking His life (v. 1). In order to avoid their malicious intent temporarily, He began to minister in Galilee (v. 1). However, His adversaries continued to track Him closely; Pharisees and scribes journeyed from Jerusalem to monitor His every action and teaching. A seemingly trivial event eventually provided them with a reason to condemn His disciples for not adhering to the traditions of the elders. \\n\\nAmong the Jewish people, it was widely believed that in addition to the written Law, God had imparted an unwritten law to Moses that was handed down orally—first to Joshua, then to the judges and prophets. This oral tradition, distinct from the written Law, consisted of the teachings and interpretations provided by rabbis across generations. Regrettably, these man-made traditions gained the unshakeable respect of the populace, who, led by the scribes and Pharisees, prioritized the letter of the law over its true intent, often neglecting the divine truths encapsulated in the Torah of Moses. The intricate and at times trivial stipulations of this oral law became known as the “traditions of the elders,” which were meticulously followed, often with greater devotion than the moral imperatives of God’s Law as outlined in the Pentateuch. \\n\\nThe societal life of Judea became ensnared in the traditions of these misguided interpreters of Divine revelation, who imposed burdensome regulations on the people (Matt. 23:4). On this occasion, the Pharisees and scribes reprimanded the disciples of Jesus for failing to observe the ceremonial washings required by the Law of Moses (Lev., ch. 11), which detailed the division of clean and unclean animals and included regulations about becoming unclean from contact with such things. Therefore, items that were rendered unclean had to be purified in certain ways, including immersing them in water or destroying them if they were made of clay (vv. 24-25, 32, 33).\\n\\nThrough their rigorous interpretations, the Jewish legalists mandated that individuals wash their hands prior to meals to prevent any inadvertent transmission of uncleanness to the food, asserting that this precaution was necessary based on the \\"tradition of the elders\\" with its many intricate rules. This tradition, which later found its way into the Talmud, was evidently viewed as obligatory during Jesus’ time, as illustrated by the words of the evangelist Mark: “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received in order to observe: the washing of cups, pitchers, and copper vessels” (7:3-4).\\n\\nWhen the Pharisees and scribes observed some of Jesus’ disciples eating without washing their hands, they first confronted them, and then directed their inquiry to Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” The disciples' actions were not deliberate, as St. John Chrysostom notes, but stemmed from their disdain for what was excessive and their focus on fulfilling essential requirements."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The extraordinary event of feeding the multitude occurred just prior to the Passover. “After this Jesus walked through Galilee, for He would not go through Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him” (John 7:1). During this time, specifically following the third Passover, a group of scribes and Pharisees arrived from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. Their journey from Jerusalem to Galilee likely took place after the conclusion of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It seems they anticipated finding the Lord at the festival in Jerusalem; however, upon not locating Him there, they traveled to Galilee, where they sought and ultimately found Him.\\n\\nIn His exchange with the Pharisees regarding the traditions of the elders, the Evangelists preserve the account with great precision. Mark, writing for a Roman audience unfamiliar with Jewish practices, provides clarifications about what it means to eat bread with unclean hands and elaborates on the Pharisaic regulations regarding ritual washings. Similarly, Matthew presents a distinct account of the Lord's response to news of the Pharisees' indignation over His comments concerning the elders' betrayal before inviting His disciples to elucidate the parable. Both the response and the parable's explanation, as noted by Mark, took place privately among the disciples.\\n\\nVariations among the Evangelists primarily involve the arrangement of particular statements in Christ's address to the Pharisees. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus's disciples for neglecting the tradition of washing their hands before meals, He responded by pointing out that the traditions of the elders are frequently human inventions designed to bypass the commandments of God. For instance, while the law instructs to honor one’s father and mother, promising severe consequences for disobedience (Ex. 20:12; Ex. 21:17), the Pharisees permitted a person to declare their resources as a “korban” (a gift to God), thus excusing them from the obligation to support their parents (Matt. 3-6). Jesus highlighted that this elevation of human traditions over divine commandments and the meticulous adherence to bodily regulations fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed about His contemporaries (Isaiah 29:13, LXX; Matt. 7-8). In Mark's account, these two elements are presented in the reverse sequence (9-13; 6-8)."}]}
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