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Explanation for:
Matthew
15
:
9
And in vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines and commandments of men.
9
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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 aptly foretold of you, stating, \\"These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men\\" (Matthew 15:7-9). Observe that when the Lord seeks to nullify a regulation, He does so through a rebuke, as He did in this instance. He does not directly address the offense committed nor dismiss it as irrelevant, for that would only embolden their arrogance. Instead, He first confronts their pride, highlighting a far graver offense, and placing this burden upon them. He does not claim that those who disregard the commandment act rightly, to avoid providing a basis for their accusations against Him. Nor does He reproach the actions of the disciples, as doing so would validate the very regulation He aims to challenge. He refrains from condemning the elders outright; to do so might drive the Pharisees away, perceiving Him as a harsh critic or insult. Instead, He opts for a different approach, seemingly rebuking those who approach Him while indirectly addressing those who established the rules. He does not bring up the elders explicitly but holds them responsible for their failure to obey God in favor of pleasing men. It’s as if He implies, “The tendency to adhere to the elders has led you astray.” While He does not state this directly, it becomes evident in His subsequent question: \\"Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?\\" God commanded, \\"Honor your father and mother,\\" and \\"Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.\\" Yet, you assert, \\"If anyone tells his father or mother, 'Whatever you would have received from me is a gift,' then he need not honor his father or mother.\\" Thus, you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:3-6). The Lord does not say, “for the tradition of the elders,” but “for your tradition”; He does not assert, \\"the elders say,\\" but \\"you say,\\" thus softening His language. The scribes and Pharisees aimed to demonstrate that His disciples were violating the law; Christ, however, reveals that they themselves are the ones at fault, absolving the disciples from blame. The commands of men are not the law (thus He refers to it as tradition), particularly not the commands from wicked individuals. Following the stern rebuke, He broadens His discourse as He often does, reinforcing His point with Scripture, thereby aligning Himself with divine truth. What does the prophet declare? “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; they worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men” (Isaiah 29:13). Can you see how the prophecy perfectly aligns with the words of Jesus Christ, revealing the wickedness of the Jews even beforehand? What Christ condemns now was previously spoken of by Isaiah, specifically regarding the Jews' disdain for God's commandments. \\"They honor Me in vain,\\" he declares, \\"but they diligently teach as doctrines the commandments of men.\\" Consequently, it is fitting that the disciples do not observe these traditions."},{"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 sought to distort God's careful commandment by introducing sinfulness under the guise of devotion. They taught their misguided followers that if someone wished to dedicate something to God, according to their vow, that offering should take precedence over their obligations to honor their parents. Consequently, parents, witnessing their children's dedication to God, might have endured hardship, fearing divine condemnation for accepting what was meant for God. Meanwhile, this scenario permitted the priests to profit from the children's offerings, which were presented as sacrifices in the temple. Such a debased tradition among the Pharisees arose from various motivations. Many, having borrowed money and unwilling to repay their debts, instead gave what they owed to the priests, claiming it would serve the temple's needs. The notion expressed in the phrase, \\"The gift that is from me shall help you,\\" encompassing the idea that individuals would coax their children to inform their parents: \\"Father, Mother, the gift I plan to offer to God is what I will use to support you,\\" instilled in them the fear of taking what was devoted to God, leading them to choose a life of want rather than partake in what was designated for divine purposes."},{"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":"He once stated, \\"they draw near to Me with their mouths,\\" further explaining, \\"and with their lips they honour Me,\\" recognizing Me as God, the Creator and Sovereign of all. Yet, their hearts remain distant from Me, failing to align with My wishes. Thus, their worship is futile, as they do not observe My commandments but propagate teachings that are merely human doctrines rather than divine guidance. Let us also be cautious, O followers of Christ, that such words are not 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":"However, in vain and to no advantage to themselves, they instruct me, disregarding the commandments of God, and instead create their own teachings, promoting doctrines that are merely the commandments of men (Isaiah 29:13). After exposing the shame of the Pharisees and scribes, the Lord abandoned them as unrepentant."},{"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":"\\"Vainly\\" refers to emptiness, to efforts lacking purpose. While their respect may appear external, God examines the heart, focusing on worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). As for 'teaching doctrines,' only God has the authority to define how He should be worshipped, as revealed in His Word. However, the Jewish leaders created their own teachings and commandments that deviate from divine revelation. In their attempts to honor God through these inventions, such honor proves to be empty and ineffective, failing to achieve its intended purpose."},{"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 concerned with presenting a facade that differed from his true self. He sought to showcase a life of devotion and righteousness; however, since genuine piety can be challenging to achieve, he crafted various methods to evade the rigorous demands of the law, often manipulating its interpretations to suit his interests and even substituting them with traditions upheld by deceivers like himself. Such deceivers! Isaiah rightly spoke 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 taught by men.’ They disregard God’s commands and replace them with human ordinances, believing in vain that they can earn His favor by such means, and they mislead others with the same flawed teachings."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"In addressing the offerings presented at the Temple, the Lord did not issue condemnation (Matthew 5:23-24; Mark 12:44), but rather denounced the tradition fabricated by the Jewish scholars. This tradition allowed them to compromise their own consciences by saying, \\"Neglect the commandment of God in favor of your tradition, which you will betray yourselves. Is it truly beneficial for you to abandon the Commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition?\\" Such disregard for the profound demands of God's Law, coupled with the elevation of trivial or unimportant actions to undue significance, reflected the spirit of hypocrisy and outward piety that characterized the Pharisees. Isaiah aptly foretold of such individuals when he declared, \\"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.\\" The prophet's words, relevant to his own time, also foreshadowed later generations, specifically 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 feeding of the crowd occurred shortly before the Passover festival. \\"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, following the third Passover, a group of scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus, having traveled from Jerusalem. They could only reach Him in Galilee after the days of unleavened bread concluded. It is likely that they anticipated encountering the Lord during the feast in Jerusalem. When they did not find Him there, they journeyed to Galilee, where they searched for and ultimately located Him.\\n\\nIn response to the Pharisees, the dialogue between Christ and the Pharisees regarding the traditions of the elders is accurately recorded by the Evangelists. Mark, writing for a Roman audience unfamiliar with Jewish customs, provides clarifications. He elucidates what it means to eat bread with unclean hands and elaborates on the Pharisaic rules regarding ritual washing. Matthew, before requesting the disciples to explain the parable, delivers a distinct account of the Lord's reaction to the news that the Pharisees were troubled by His remarks about the elders' betrayal. Both this reaction and the exposition of the parable, according to Mark, occurred privately within the company of the disciples. Differences among the Evangelists mainly lie in the arrangement of specific statements in Christ’s address to the Pharisees.\\n\\nIn response to the Pharisees’ criticism of His disciples for violating the traditions of the elders by failing to wash their hands before eating, Christ articulates that such traditions are often human inventions designed to evade the commandments of God. For instance, the law instructs honoring one's father and mother, with a dire warning against disrespect that results in death (Ex. 20:12; Ex. 21:17). However, the Pharisees declared that anyone who tells their father or mother, \\"Let there be a korvan,\\" meaning a gift to God, is released from the sacred duty to honor and assist their parents (Matt. 3-6). Furthermore, in prioritizing the commandments of God over human traditions and adhering rigidly to bodily regulations, the actions of His contemporaries fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah said (Isaiah 29:13 in the LXX, Matt. 7-8). Mark presents these two points in a different sequence (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 gathered crowd. The Lord, choosing to focus on a broader issue rather than the specific case at hand, began to address the significance of traditions, stating, \\"Among your traditions there are some which are contrary to the law of God.\\" He highlighted the elders' regulation regarding the Korban, which allowed the Jewish people, under the guise of religious devotion, to violate the foremost commandment in the Ten Commandments related to their fellow beings—“Honor thy father.” By pointing out this inconsistency with the law, the Lord concluded His response with a general observation regarding the nature of Pharisaical devotion, referencing the words of the prophet Isaiah, which speak of individuals who honor God merely with their lips, without true devotion in their hearts."}]}
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