QT 19/02/2026 Thu. Matthew 15. Commandment or Tradition. Offense or Healing. Have Nothing versus Having Leftovers. 诫命或传统. 冒犯或医治. 一无所有与剩余有余.

QT 19/02/2026 Thu. Matthew 15. Commandment or Tradition. Offense or Healing. Have Nothing versus Having Leftovers.
READ http://www.esv.org/matthew15

In any festive season here, we encounter various cultures and traditions, even religious celebrations and ceremonies.

(1) Commandment or Tradition (Matthew 15:1–9)

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time confront Him about His disciples not following the tradition of ceremonial handwashing. To them, tradition equaled righteousness. But Jesus exposes the deeper issue: they were elevating human tradition above God’s clear commands.

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” (v. 8)

Jesus does not condemn all tradition—He condemns tradition that replaces obedience. The Pharisees had found ways around God’s commands (like the “Corban” practice) while maintaining a religious appearance—they failed to care for their parents’ welfare by using the excuse that the funds for it were dedicated to God already.

Application: It is possible to look spiritually serious while drifting from God’s heart. We must continually ask:

(a) Am I obeying God’s Word, or just following comfortable religious habits?

(b) Do I defend my traditions more passionately than I pursue God’s truth?

(c) God is not impressed with external performance. He desires hearts aligned with His commands.

(2) Offense or Healing (Matthew 15:10–31)

Jesus then shifts the conversation inward: defilement comes not from unwashed hands but from an unclean heart. What flows out of us—words, attitudes, actions—reveals what rules within us.

This teaching offends the Pharisees. The disciples even say, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended?” (v. 12). Jesus does not soften truth to avoid offense. Truth sometimes confronts before it heals.

Immediately after this confrontation, we see the Canaanite woman. She is a Gentile—an outsider. At first, Jesus’ response seems sharp, even testing. Yet she persists in humble faith:

“Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” (v. 27)

Where the Pharisees were offended, she was healed. See the contrast: The proud are offended by truth. The humble are healed by it.

The woman came with nothing but desperate faith. She left with a healed daughter and public commendation from Jesus: “O woman, great is your faith!”

Application:

(a) When God confronts us, do we become defensive—or do we lean in with humility?

(b) Offense hardens the heart. Humility opens the door to healing.

(3) Have Nothing versus Having Leftovers (Matthew 15:32–39)

In the feeding of the four thousand, the disciples see only scarcity: seven loaves and a few small fish. In their eyes, the crowd has nothing. But in Jesus’ hands, nothing becomes abundance.

After everyone eats and is satisfied, seven baskets of leftovers remain.

Let’s learn a Kingdom Principle:

(a) When placed in Jesus’ hands, little becomes more than enough.

(b) The Canaanite woman asked for crumbs. Jesus fed thousands with baskets left over. God is not a God of barely enough—He is a God of overflow.

Application: You may feel spiritually empty. You may feel you have little faith, little strength, little resources. Bring your “little” to Jesus. Obedience and trust invite multiplication.

Final Reflection: Matthew 15 asks us three searching questions:

(a) Is my faith rooted in God’s command or human tradition?

(b) Will I respond to truth with offense or humility?

(c) Do I focus on what I lack—or trust Jesus with what I have?

Religious pride ends in emptiness. Humble faith ends in healing and abundance. May we be people whose hearts are near to God, who receive truth without offense, and who trust Jesus to turn our “nothing” into overflowing baskets.

Prayer

Heavenly Father. Search my heart today. I do not want to honour You with my lips while my heart is far from You. Reveal any tradition, habit, or routine that I have allowed to replace true obedience. Teach me to love Your commands more than my preferences. When Your truth confronts me, guard me from offense. Where pride rises up, humble me. Where I am defensive, soften me. I want to be like the Canaanite woman that seek you sincerely—persistent, desperate, and full of faith. Even if all I feel I have are crumbs, help me trust that You are more than enough.

You see the places where I feel empty. The areas where I believe I have nothing to offer. My limited strength. My small faith. My insufficient resources. I bring them to You now. Multiply what I place in Your hands. Take my little and make it overflow for Your glory.

Purify my heart. Shape my words. Let what flows from my life reflect a heart transformed by You. Thank You that You are not a God of scarcity but of abundance. Teach me to trust You fully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

QT 19/02/2026 星期四. 马太福音 15. 诫命或传统. 冒犯或医治. 一无所有与剩余有余.
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/mat/15/

在任何节日期间，我们都会接触到各种文化传统，甚至宗教庆典仪式。

(1) 诫命或传统（马太福音15:1-9）

耶稣时代的宗教领袖因门徒未遵守礼仪洗手的传统而质问祂。在他们眼中，传统即公义。但耶稣揭示了更深层的问题：他们竟将人的传统置于上帝明确的诫命之上。

“这人民用嘴唇尊敬我，心却远离我。”（第8节）

耶稣并非谴责所有传统——祂谴责的是取代顺服的传统。法利赛人通过 “各耳板” （各耳板意思是奉给　神的供物），等规条规避神的命令，却维持宗教外表——他们以奉献给神的借口，拒绝照顾父母的福祉。

应用：人可能表面虔诚，内心却远离神的心意。我们必须不断自省：

(a) 我是否遵行神的话语，还是仅维持舒适的宗教习惯？
(b) 我捍卫传统热忱是否超过追求神的真理？
(c) 神不看重外在表现，祂渴慕的是与祂命令相合的心。

(2) “生气” 或被医治（马太福音15:10-31）

耶稣随即把话题转向内在：污秽并非源于未洗的手，而是源于污秽的心。从我们里面流出的——言语、态度、行为——揭示了内在的统治者。

这教导触怒了法利赛人。门徒前来告诉他：“法利赛人听了这话很生气，你知道吗？”（第12节） 耶稣从不为避免冒犯而淡化真理。真理有时需要先直面冲突，才能带来医治。

冲突过后，迦南妇人登场。她是外邦人——局外人。起初耶稣的回应看似严厉，甚至带着试探。但她以谦卑的信心坚持：

“不过小狗也吃主人桌子上掉下来的碎渣。”（27节）

法利赛人因真理生气而跌倒，她却因此得医治。看这对比：骄傲者被真理刺伤，谦卑者借真理得医治。

妇人带着绝望的信心前来，离去时却带着得医治的女儿，并听见耶稣当众称赞：“妇人，你的信心真大！”

应用：

(a) 当神面对我们时，我们是防御抵挡——还是谦卑靠近？

(b) 冒犯使人刚硬。谦卑则开启医治之门。

(3) 一无所有与剩余有余（马太福音15:32-39）

在喂饱四千人的神迹中，门徒只看见匮乏：七个饼和几条小鱼。在他们眼中，众人一无所有。但在耶稣手中，无变为丰盛。

众人吃饱后，竟剩下七篮子余粮。让我们领悟天国原则：

让我们学习一个天国原则：

(a) 当交托在耶稣手中，微不足道便成为丰盛有余。

(b) 迦南妇人只求碎屑，耶稣却喂饱万人尚有篮子剩余。神并非勉强够用的神——祂是丰盛有余的神。

应用：你或许感到属灵枯竭，或许觉得信心微薄、力量匮乏、资源贫瘠。将你的“微小”带到耶稣面前。顺服与信靠必招致倍增。

终极反思：马太福音15章提出三个叩问：

(a) 我的信心根植于神的命令还是人的传统？

(b) 面对真理时，我会心怀抵触还是谦卑回应？

(c) 我是否执着于缺乏——抑或将所有交托耶稣？

宗教骄傲终归虚空，谦卑信心终得医治与丰盛。愿我们成为心亲近神的人，不以真理为难，信靠耶稣将我们的“无”化作满溢的篮子。

祷告

天父啊，今日求祢察验我心。我不愿口唇尊崇祢，内心却远离祢。求祢揭露那些取代真实顺服的传统、习惯与惯例，教导我更爱祢的命令胜过自己的喜好。当祢的真理直指我心，求祢保守我不至抵触。骄傲滋长时，求祢使我谦卑；自我辩护时，求祢使我柔软。愿我如那迦南妇人真诚寻求祢——坚持不懈、迫切恳求、满怀信心。纵然我所拥有的仅是残羹冷炙，求祢助我坚信：祢已全然丰盛。

祢洞悉我心深处的空虚，看透我自认一无所有的角落。我力量有限，信心微薄，资源匮乏——此刻我将这一切呈献于祢。求祢使我手中所献倍增，取我微薄之物，为祢的荣耀使之盈溢。

洁净我的心，修饰我的言语。愿我生命流淌的一切，都彰显被祢改变的心。感谢祢不是匮乏之神，乃是丰盛之神。求祢教导我全然信靠。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。