Those who have lost the king, and those who have asked for him The scribes and the Pharisees who were entrusted with the word of God, so as to keep it and interpret it, these rejected ‘the incarnate word’, whereas those deprived of the word, the Gentiles, pursued the incarnate word, and asked for their salvation. The former ones were busy criticizing, and arguing about the personality of the Lord, whereas the others followed him and asked for his work in them. This does not mean that all the Jews rejected the Lord, but only those who thought themselves to be wise. But as for the simple hearted people, these came to him to find the mystery for their healing and satisfaction 1. The Overruling of the Chiefs’ Traditions 1 - 12 2. The Unwashed Hands 13 3. The Encounter with Canaanite Woman 14 – 21 4. The Simple Hearted Being Attracted to Him 22 – 23 5. His Compassion for Those Who Wanted Him 24 – 36 + + + 1. The Overruling of the Chiefs’ Traditions: (Matt 15:1,2) “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus saying, ‘why do you disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’” The multitudes were eager to touch the hem of his garment so they would be healed (Matt 14:36), whereas the scribes and the Pharisees were unable to stand his kingly words, and neither could they tolerate his divine love to humanity. They therefore adopted the attitude of criticism and experienced people. The scribes were entrusted with the word of god so they write it accurately, and the Pharisees so they interpret it to the people, so that when the word of God would come incarnate, they would rejoice reign over their hearts, and they would respond to him with all their life. It was more appropriate for the scribes and the Pharisees to have the leadership of the people, yielding before the word of the living God, the Messiah the king. But their hearts turned away from serving the word to serving their own. They have rejected the divine word and resisted him. It was as if he came to withdraw the chairs from under them, or to usurp their positions. Indeed, the Messiah has come to overrule the heart. But Herod resisted him when he was only a child, for fear having the throne usurped. When he began his service, Satan could do nothing but declare openly the war, for fear of having his dark kingdom destroyed. During the service, Hose people of power and authority rushed to resist him lest they collapse before the people’s eyes. The Lord was constantly rejected until he was hung on the cross. The authorities united together to pull down his kingdom, but this https://coptic-treasures.com/ attitude became part and parcel of the declaration of his kingdom, secretly hidden in the hearts of so many. Those people who resisted him thought that by the cross they would put things to an end. But they discovered it was the cross itself that was the only means to declare his kingdom and attract the gentiles to his fee salvation. The resistance for what is right, this does not destroy it; it rather opens the way to declare it more strongly and more vastly. The Lord of glory remains resisted in his person, his cross his gospel throughout so many generations. Unfortunately, it is so done by even those who sometimes have his name, and by those who seem to be of his won kingdom. But, the more he is resisted the more he is transfigured clearly amidst his kingdom, and his glory shines on those sitting in darkness. It is amazing what St. Augustine said, he who has resisted the Lord so much before accepting the faith. This was through his philosophy and his filthy life; but when he came to know the Lord, he devoted all his potentials for the kings’ account. He thinks those resisting the book, and the heretics, that these urge us all the more to know the mysteries if we live righteously. He says, “You sanctified brethren, notice the usefulness of the heretics, that with God’s provision, he uses even the evil ones in a good and useful way. For, whereas their plans regress on them, the good does not regress to them, that which God takes out of them.” The Chiefs’ Tradition: The Lord was accused of his disciples’ overriding the chiefs’ tradition when they did not wash their hands when eating bread. The Lord’s answer to them was (Matt 15:3- 6) “He answered and said to them, ‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded saying ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘He who cures father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘whoever says to his father or mother ‘whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God.’ Then he need not honor his father or mother. Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.’’” In our study of ‘traditions’, we could distinguish clearly two different kinds: Firstly: the tradition of commandments for the people, which contradicts God’s commandment for one reason or the other. This is like the parable presented by the Lord Jesus. For personal profit, the Jewish leaders set a commandment that had to the apparent donation semblance, and yet it hid the breaking of God’s law. This is such as the son could deprive his parents from their rights. He would not, for instance, support them and would have the pretext saying what he pays them is only an offering to God. He thereby breaks the commandment of honoring the parents. It is as if he has insulted them with his deeds, which is way worse than insulting them verbally, for he deprives them of the right of a honorable life to be let. They would therefore have to live under a tight standard of living, covered by the belief of donating to the temple. As the scholar Oreganus says, “When the parents hear what is given to them has become of the offering children, even if they are badly in need of it.” In (Luke 6:14) “The Pharisees were money https://coptic-treasures.com/ lovers,” therefore they pretended to collect it, to give the poor, and they deprived the parents of their children’s gifts. On the other hand, they included in their tradition some details and appearances in their worship and behavior, that was of no purpose other than the love of ostentation under the pretence of religion. This had no inward spirituality appertaining to the living God. Secondly: a live tradition which preserved the books of the old testament, and offered an interpretation to its excerpts. It also declared to us the life with God in our worship and behavior, in addition to preserving the information verbally or documentarily. This is not rejected by the New Testament, because it does not contradict the divine commandment, it rather serves it. It has been applied in the New Testament itself. As an example: A) According to the Jewish tradition, St. Paul the apostle knew the names of the two sorcerers who rejected Moses the prophet (2 Tim 3:8). B) By means of it, Jude the apostle mentioned the discard and enmity of the archangel Michael to Satan, arguing about the body of Moses in a humble spirit and in honesty (Jude 1:9). C) The New Testament mentioned what was written in the Jewish tradition, that the receiving of the law was by the hands of angels. D) In more than one situation, St. Paul the apostle confirmed the necessity of tradition, or to yield (1 Cor 11:34; 2 Tim 1:5; 2 Thes 3:6). Let us return to the Lord’s words rebuking the scribes and the Pharisees, who criticized the Lord Jesus based on the literacy and wording and appearances that ruined the concept of the divine law of God. (Matt 15:6-9) “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying: ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far form me and in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’” He calls them hypocrites because they seem as if they defend the truth, whereas they were breaking it. They appear as if they are zealous about the glory of God, whereas they care more about what they possess. They come forward as if they are teachers, whereas they are blind and are in need of someone to teach them. As St. John Chrysostom says, “It is considered a serious matter if the blind has no guide, so how much more if this blind wants to lead or guide someone else?” The scribes and the Pharisees occupied the foremost front seats among the worshipers, but as for their heart it had no place at all, but it was rather far away from God. They worship God not out of love, but rather to fulfill personal human goals. Therefore their teachings became ‘commandments for men.’ https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. Gregory Bishops of Nicus comments on the Lord’s words, saying that God is concerned with the heart itself more than with the words of worship or apparent deeds. “What does this mean? That the correct trend for the soul towards righteousness is of far greater value in God’s eye than any worshiping. For God hears the signing of the heart which could not be uttered.” That is, God desires the inward purity of heart when worshiping, and not the outward appearance. Father John of Kronstodt says, “Our prayer should be deep, sincere, wise an fruitful, and it has to change our heart and direct our will towards righteousness, and pulls us away from what is evil.” 2. The Unwashed Hands: The Lord Jesus called on the multitudes tenderly saying, (Matt 15:10) “Hear and understand.” He is the wise physician who knows when the patient needs surgery to uproot any corruption. He also knows when he needs the soothing ointment to relieve the pain, when to cut and when to bandage. It was not possible to hear the hypocrites and teachers with kind words, for this would cover up their inward evil and hence corrupt the whole body. But as for the meek multitudes, these could not tolerate a cruel word lest they be wrecked with despair. They rather needed gentle words to support them and lift them up in hope. In this way the Lord reigns over the hearts, using the hard words and the gentle ones so the heart is opened to him. In such a way the Lord called the multitudes to explain to them the issue of unwashed hands. He said so, not to defend his disciples but rather to spiritually build them up, and so they would not be kindred because of the doubts aroused by the scribes and the Pharisees. (Matt 15:11) “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” The Lord wished to take the multitudes by his hand and to take them to the inward life, so as to realize that the mystery of life and of sanctification is not focused on the apparent outward deeds but in the inward life. He did not totally disregard what enters the mouth, but it is not this which defiles, it is rather what is inside man, and what is declared when going out of the mouth. When our first forefather’s hearts were defiled, they did not pay attention to healing the inward defects, but they thought of how to outwardly cover their bodies. It is similar to someone decorating his collapsed house instead of treating its foundation. Similarly, the Jewish leaders paid attention to washing the hands before eating so they are not defiled. But they paid no attention to what comes out of their hearts, such as defiling word filled with hypocrisy and judgment. (Matt 15:12-14) “Then his disciples came and said to him, ‘do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?’ But he answered and said, ‘every plant which my heavenly father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch.’” https://coptic-treasures.com/ The Pharisees were enable to hear the Lord’s words. For they the surgeon cuts to get out the rottenness, and reveal the diseased part, something that the hypocrite could not stand. They were just as their fathers who accepted the false prophets in the days of Jeremiah. These said soft and sweet words, ‘Peace, peace,’ whereas there was no peace. When Jeremiah the prophet warned them, and he asked them to repent, they threw him in the den, and was put in jail, and they scorned him and tormented him. But as for the Lord Jesus, he establishes the real kingdom like a paradise, where the father plants his trees, and supports them with the holy blood of Christ, and waters them with the spring of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus was not shaken with the rejection of the Pharisees to his words. He does not get concerned about how many surround him, but rather of what kind they are. He is concerned about coming to righteousness, and not about the appearance. For the sake of one real plant, the Lord has offered his precious pure blood, and his life as a price in return. But the Lord does not ask for artificial trees, having no fruits of the Spirit. This is why he said to leave them alone. To be left here does not imply the Lord’s wish to give them up. He only wished to deprive them of the multitudes that showed overwhelming respect to them, and hence they lost their humility, and their hearts were stricken with spiritual blindness. They needed to be left alone, so as to come to themselves, and realize they were blind who stole the spiritual leadership positions. Therefore they have led the blind with their hearts, and all would fall together in the ditch of ignorance and darkness. 3. The Encounter of the Canaanite: The men of the Holy Book, those scribes and Pharisees, have turned away in the blindness of their hearts, from the incarnate word of god. They have become resistant, and struggles against his spiritual kingdom instead of being blessed with it and of their preaching it. The evangelist therefore says, “Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.” It is as if he is declaring his leaving of the Jewish people, those rejecting the faith, and his searching for his children from among the gentiles. By his departure he is snatching away the authentic branches, due to their pride and lack of faith, and this is to feed the wild branches, so as to be blessed with the fruits of his Holy Spirit. The Jews and their leaders were absorbed in the detailed words of their law and the unspiritual appearances of their traditions. They therefore kept looking for any error to be made by the Messiah, the savior. All of a sudden the Gentile church, represented by this Canaanite woman, comes foreword to him asking him for her needs. The evangelist says (Matt 15:22) “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.”” All her lifetime she has been deprived of hearing God’s word, and she did not receive the law, neither did she witness any prophets; she rather lived her life worshiping idols. But by ear, she came to know a little of the Messiah ‘Son of David.’ She therefore left her village, her unfaithfulness, her idol worshiping, so as to encounter him. Those https://coptic-treasures.com/ who had the lists of descents, and were in possession of the symbols and prophecies that should have discerned his personality all the symbolism and prophecies that should have discerned his personality, all have rejected him, whereas this woman of a forgiven descent, came to him. She did not argue stupidly and stubbornly, but rather to usurp his divine love and his mercies, so he would save her very lunatic daughter. She has accepted him as her own savior, for she was desperately in need of him, as much as her own very mad daughter who has lost her mind and wisdom. When the Lord heeded for the regions of Tyre and Sidon behold, the woman came out to meet him. It is as if the Lord, the lover of mankind, has gone to them, but he does not meet them inside the region of idol worshiping, but rather outside it. By doing so, she has fulfilled what was declared by David the prophet (Ps 45:10,11) “Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ears; forget your own people also, and your father’s house; so they king will greatly desire your beauty; because he is your Lord, worship him.” She has fulfilled the commandment; she left her people, her father’s house to ask for the real king. The evangelist says (Matt 15:23) “But he answered her not a word.” Why so? Firstly: His not answering her at the beginning is only a declaration of his salvation work. He has come amidst the children of Israel, and focused most of his deeds and miracles on these people, who had been blessed with the promises, the prophecies and the doctrines; so that if they reject him, he would have had his full of them. It is at this point that the Lord would reject these people and open, very widely, the door for the Gentiles. The Lord has focused from the very beginning on these people so they would be a holy leaven to ferment the entire dough through preaching the good news. We do not deny, that though he was rejected by the Jews, yet a few of then received him, among them were the disciples and the apostles who preached to the whole world. Secondly: The silence of the Lord was for a little while, so as to urge the disciples to come forward for her sake. He wished to show them their mission, to be concerned about the suffering world of idolatry that lacked in spiritual awareness and its own salvation. Thirdly: The Lord seemed to be silent in appearance only, but his invisible hand was supporting her heart and her faith. His eyes were happy to observe her great humility. In his silence he did not disregard her, but her was rather praising her before all. St. Augustine says, “She was so eager to obtain mercy that the cried out, and in boldness she kept knocking, and he seemed to her as not to hear it. Mercy did not reject her to the end, but what happened was only to kindle her desire, and to reveal her humility. She cried out as if Christ did not hear her, whereas he was providing for the matter in peace.” The saint moreover says, “She kept crying out, and kept knocking. It is as if she has previously heard the words (Matt 7:7) “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”” (Matt 15:23,24) “And his disciples came and wiged him saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries, out after us.’” But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” https://coptic-treasures.com/ How could it be he was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; whereas it was he who said to Nicodemus (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in his name would not perish, but have everlasting life.” Moreover, it has previously been witnessed by the prophets in the Old Testament about the Messiah’s coming for the whole world, both Jews and Gentiles together. St. Augustine answers, “We understand from this it was appropriate for him to declare his presence in the body, his birth, his miracle working, the power of his resurrection amidst those people. It was so provided for from the very beginning. What has been prophesied previously has been fulfill by the coming of Jesus Christ for the Jewish people so he would be killed. But he would gain those he had previously known. He did not condemn the whole nation, but he examined them and found among them a lot of chaff, as well as hidden wheat. Among them was what should be burned, and others that could fill up the barns, for, from where did the apostles come?” He furthermore says, “For her did not go himself to the Gentiles, he sent his disciples, and therefore the words of the prophet have been fulfilled (Psalm 18:43) “A people I have not known shall serve me.” Look how the prophesy has been revealed and fulfilled! It said clearly ‘A people I have not know.’ How so? He continues saying (Ps. 18:44) “As soon as they hear of me they obey me.” That is, they believe not through the vision, but through the hearing. This is why the Gentiles obtained a great deal of praise. The Jews saw him and so they killed him, whereas the gentiles heard of him and believed in him.” The Lord continued his words saying (Matt 15:26) “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Why did the Lord say these words? Did he scorn the Gentiles and so-called them dogs? For sure the Lord does not scorn his creation. He might have said so as to repeat what the Jews said continuously, so as to praise those whom the Jews thought were dogs. He thereby declared they have become of greater faith than the children themselves. This is on one hand, on the other one the gentiles denied their faith in God, and did a lot of evil, to the extent that many of them set their children on fire, and offered their own as sacrifices to the idols. They did what insensible creatures would not do. The Lord does not mean to distinguish the Jews from the Gentiles; he only reveals the impact of sin in us. He moreover uncovered the depths of the Canaanite woman’s heart, who had previously proved by her amazing humility, how the children of the kingdom are. She said, (Matt 15:27) “Yes, Lord, yet ever the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their maters’ table.” St. Augustine says, “She did not rebel or get upset by being called as a dog, when she was asking for blessing and mercy. But she said ‘Yes, Lord, you have called me a dog, and in truth, I am as such, for I know my name! You say what is true. But I should not be deprived of blessing because of this…. Forever the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their maters’ table. What I wish for is the blessing of a reasonable amount. I am not overcrowding the table, I am only looking for the crumbs.’ Look, brethren, the great https://coptic-treasures.com/ humility set before us! She knew herself and therefore the Lord said immediately (Matt 15:28) “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be as you desire.” You said about yourself you were ‘a dog’, but I know you as ‘a human’. You have asked me, and sought he, and knocked; and therefore you were given, and you found, and it has been opened to you.” Look, brethren, how this Canaanite woman became an example or a symbol to the church! She has presented before us the gift of humility in an amazing way! What the Jews, the owners of the promises, have been deprived of due to their pride, the Gentiles have obtained, those people deprived of the knowledge, by means of their humility. Those who assumed themselves to be the children deprived themselves of the kingdom table through their ingratitude. Whereas those who were evil and defiled as the gods, have become in truth, children worthy of entering their heavenly Father’s feat. This woman, coming out of the villages of Tyre, has fulfilled what was declared by the prophet about her (Psalm 45:12) “And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor.” What gift will this daughter of Tyre offer other than the declaration of her great faith during the silence of the Lord, and his pretending not to give her at the beginning. He granted her the opportunity to give the greatest gift the Lord wishes for. He says, (Matt 15:28) “Let it be to you as you desire.” With this gift, she opened the Lord’s treasures so as to obtain whatever she desired, whereas the Jewish leaders shut the doors of God’s mercies for themselves. The Lord accepted her overwhelming warm heat’s gift. He rewarded her this gift with what was more awesome, for, he praised her before all. He opened the doors of his love before her. He established her as the symbol of the Gentile church that has usurped the Lord himself by means of the faith. 4. The Attraction of Simple Ones to Him: For another time, the Lord goes up the mountain to stay there. The meek multitudes go after him, carrying to him the lame, the blind, the dumb…. etc. They put them before him, and he heals them. The leaders, in their hypocrisy, were heart-blinded, and were unable to see the sun of righteousness. But the strangers, the Gentiles, personalized by the Canaanite woman, were able to encounter him by means of their feelings, and how much they were in need of him. Similarly, those who were simple Jews realized in their simple-heartedness, that Jesus Christ was their Savior and king. This was it, which the leaders have been deprived of. 5. His Compassion on Those Asked for Him: When the multitudes gathered round him and stayed with him for three days, the disciples did not ask him to dismiss them so they go to the villages and buy some food, as happened previously, (Matt 14:15). He rather called them, to offer the people, by means of the, their needs even the physical ones. This may have been because the people this time did not feel hungry, for they were listening all the time to his satisfying words. It could also have been because the disciples have experienced previously how he had fed them, as we have spoken of in the feeding of the multitudes, (Matt 14).
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