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Explanation for:
Matthew
15
:
8
This people honoureth me with their lips: but their heart is far from me.
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":"Hypocrites, Isaiah accurately foretold about you when he proclaimed, “These people come near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; they worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). Observe that when the Lord desires to abolish a regulation, He does so through a reprimand, and this instance is no different. He does not immediately address the wrong that has been done, nor does He dismiss it entirely, for that would only bolster their arrogance; instead, He first confronts their pride, presenting a far greater sin and placing it upon their heads. He does not assert that those who disregard the command are doing right, lest He provide them with ground for accusation against Himself. Nor does He denounce the behavior of His disciples, as that would validate the regulation they are questioned about. He also refrains from directly criticizing the elders, as that would cause the Pharisees to see Him as a rebuker or an insulter. Rather, He opts for a different approach; while seeming to admonish those who approached Him, He points to those who established the decrees. He does not mention the elders specifically, but He directs His condemnation toward certain individuals among them, demonstrating that they are doubly sinful for not following God while pleasing men. It is as if He implies, “The inclination to follow the elders has led to your downfall.” Although He does not state this explicitly, the following response clarifies His point: “Why do you also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded: Honor your father and mother, and anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. But you say, ‘If anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you might have received from me is a gift,’ he does not need to honor his father or mother.’ Thus, you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matthew 15:3-6). The Lord did not refer to “the tradition of the elders,” but rather “your tradition.” He also did not say, “the elders teach,” but “you teach,” thus softening His remarks. The scribes and Pharisees aimed to highlight that His disciples infringed upon the law; however, Christ counters this by revealing that it is they themselves who are at fault, while the disciples remain blameless. The commandments of men are not equivalent to the law (which is why He calls it tradition), especially not the edicts of those without authority. Following His admonishment, He further expands on His message, as He consistently does, by citing Scripture as evidence, thereby affirming His alignment with God. What does the prophet declare? “These people honor Me with their mouths, but their hearts are far from Me; they worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Isaiah 29:13). Can you observe how this prophecy coincides perfectly with the words of Jesus Christ, revealing the wickedness of the Jews beforehand? What Christ denounces now, Isaiah had already addressed, that is, the disdain the Jews hold for God’s commandments. “They honor Me in vain,” he states, “yet they diligently teach by doctrine the commandments of men.” Thus, the disciples are justified in not adhering to these regulations."},{"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 scribes and Pharisees, aiming to twist the careful commandment of God, sought to introduce wickedness disguised as righteousness. They instructed their misguided followers that if someone wished to dedicate to God, the true Father, what should have been offered to their parents according to their vow, then the offering to God should take precedence over the gift to their parents. This led to the unfortunate situation where parents, witnessing what was consecrated to God, and fearing they might be judged for sacrilege, faced hardship. Simultaneously, children’s offerings, presented under the pretense of being a tribute to God’s temple, became a source of profit for the priests. This egregious practice of the Pharisees arose from various motivations. Many, having borrowed funds from others and desiring to avoid repayment, offered these funds to the priests instead, allowing the demanded money to be utilized for temple service and their own needs. In essence, the phrase The gift that is from me shall help you succinctly suggests that children were encouraged to tell their parents: \\"Father, Mother! The offering I plan to present to God is being used for your support, and it will aid you,\\" prompting parents to choose a life of deprivation rather than consume what they knew was intended for God."},{"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":"Through the prophetic words of Isaiah, the Lord reveals that the people's disposition towards Him mirrors their attitude towards His Father. They acted with deception, distancing themselves from God through their treacherous actions, yet they outwardly declared the words of God with their lips."},{"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":"After stating that \\"they draw near to Me with their mouths,\\" He elaborated, \\"and with their lips they honor Me,\\" recognizing Me as God, Creator, and Lord of all creation. However, their hearts are distant from Me, failing to align with My will. Their worship is futile because they do not adhere to My commandments, instead promoting teachings that are merely human traditions rather than divine instructions. Let us, the followers of Christ, be cautious that such criticism may not be directed at us."},{"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":"These individuals approach me using their words and honor me merely with their speech, referring to me as God, the Creator, the Sovereign of all creation. YET THEIR HEARTS ARE DISTANT FROM ME;"},{"author-name":"Philaret of Moscow (Drosdow)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896ffb7a2ebaf99e46539_Philaret%20of%20Moscow%20(Drosdow).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"What does it signify to approach God verbally while remaining distant from Him in one’s heart? It involves articulating prayers or listening to others pray, yet lacking genuine emotional engagement and spiritual fervor; in essence, it means to pray devoid of love. One can easily recognize the futility of such supplication through simple reasoning and the instincts inherent in our nature. Consider a young child who is starting to understand—how do they seek something they desire from their parents? They naturally accompany their requests with expressions of affection and tenderness they can muster. Should we not realize how foolish we are, even more so than children, when we make petitions to our Heavenly Father with coldness, inattentiveness, and devoid of love, while He looks at our hearts rather than merely our outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7)? Can we claim that God is kinder than earthly parents and thus more likely to grant favors to those who petition Him? Indeed; yet He is also more just than they and cannot bestow gifts upon the unworthy. His goodness compels Him not to grant what is harmful, for asking without love toward the Most Good and All-Loving One is, in essence, to request evil. The spiritual principle further clarifies that both the fulfillment of prayer and the essence of pure prayer itself cannot exist without genuine love. The Apostle teaches us that we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us with unvoiced groans; and the One who examines the heart knows the mind of the Spirit, for He intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. To assure us of this profound intercession, the apostle assures us, ‘But we see that to those who love God all things work together for good (Romans 8:26-28).’ Our love for God transforms everything into instruments for our salvation and joy; without it, all efforts fail to reach that end. Just as a lamp requires oil to shine, prayer cannot bring light to the spirit without love. The incense rises only with fire, and prayer devoid of love cannot reach God."},{"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":"“Draw near with the mouth,” etc.: they honor Me only in a superficial manner, lacking genuine engagement of the heart; their prayers are spoken with the lips alone, not arising from the spirit; they perform external rituals without seeking to understand their inner essence and significance; they proclaim one thing with their words while acting in opposition."},{"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 Pharisee was primarily focused on projecting an image that was not reflective of his true self. He sought to appear devout and righteous; however, since genuine piety is difficult to attain, he resorted to various means of evading the legal regulations, interpreting them in ways that favored his interests, and even substituting them with traditions upheld by others who were equally insincere. These pretenders! Isaiah spoke truthfully about you when he declared, ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; they worship Me in vain; their teachings are but rules made by men.’ They dismiss God's commandments, replacing them with their own human traditions. They mistakenly believe that they can find favor with God in this manner, and they mislead others into the same error."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"While not condemning the offerings made at the Temple, the Lord rebuked the traditions established by Jewish scholars that allowed them to compromise their consciences. He questioned, \\"Is it right for you to abandon the commandment of God so that you may uphold your tradition?\\" This disregard for the higher demands of God's Law, coupled with the wrongful elevation of trivial actions, resonated with the hypocrisy and superficial righteousness that characterized the Pharisees. The Prophet Isaiah aptly described them, saying, \\"These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.\\" Isaiah's prophecy, while addressing his contemporaries, also serves as a warning to future generations, especially the Pharisees."},{"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 right before the Passover. “After this Jesus walked in Galilee; for He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him” (John 7:1). Following the third Passover, a day arrived when the scribes and Pharisees, who had come from Jerusalem, approached Jesus. These religious leaders could make their way from Jerusalem to Galilee only after the conclusion of the days of unleavened bread. They likely anticipated meeting Jesus at the feast in Jerusalem. When they did not find Him there, they traveled to Galilee, seeking and eventually locating Him.\\n\\nIn response to the Pharisees, the Evangelists document Christ's discussions regarding the traditions of the elders with precision. Mark, writing for a Roman audience unfamiliar with Jewish customs, provides clarifications. He explains what it means to eat bread with unwashed hands and elaborates on the Pharisaic regulations regarding purification. Matthew, on the other hand, presents a distinct account before soliciting the disciples to clarify the parable, detailing the Lord’s reaction to the report that the Pharisees were offended by His comments about the elders' betrayal. This reaction and the parable's explanation recorded by Mark occurred privately among the disciples.\\n\\nVariations among the Evangelists primarily consist of the sequence of Christ's remarks to the Pharisees. For instance, when the Pharisees condemned Christ's disciples for violating the traditions of the elders by eating without washing their hands, Christ responded in two ways: first, He pointed out that the traditions of the elders were often human inventions designed to evade God's commandments; for example, the law commands honoring one’s father and mother, with a death penalty for disobedience (Ex. 20:12, Ex. 21:17), yet the Pharisees permitted individuals to declare that what they would have provided to their parents instead be offered as a gift to God (korban), thus releasing them from their obligation to honor and assist their parents (Matt. 3-6). Second, in prioritizing God’s commandments over human traditions and adhering stringently to bodily regulations, the prophecy concerning His contemporaries by Isaiah was fulfilled (Isaiah 29:13 in the LXX) (Matt. 7-8). In Mark’s account, these points are presented in the opposite order (Mark 9-13, 6-8)."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"A question was raised before the crowd. The Lord, choosing not to focus on this specific matter, began to address the significance of traditions: “Among your traditions, there are some that conflict with the commandments of God.” He highlighted the elders' teaching regarding the Korban, which allowed the Jewish people to neglect the first commandment in the Decalogue concerning how they treat their neighbors, specifically regarding honoring one’s father. By pointing out this inconsistency with the law, the Lord encapsulated His response with a broader observation about the nature of the Pharisaic devotion, echoing the words of the prophet Isaiah, who spoke about individuals that honor God only with their lips while their hearts remain distant."}]}
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