Matthew 15:29-31

(Text and Audio)

Title: The Qualification of the Creator

On the importance of understanding audiences.  Last week Jay and I had dinner and told him the story of this comedienne back in the 80’s who talked about her son repeating everything they said.  (You’re a lying man!)

Remember last week when I noted that Jesus’ main focus and ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?  While he had isolated incidents of ministry with Gentiles (the Samaritan woman at the well, the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8, and the woman that we read about in last week’s message) up until this point, the masses that Jesus has worked with have been predominantly Jewish.

But here, in this series of works, recorded in detail by BOTH the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, we get a sense that most of these masses were most likely Gentiles.

Evidence of a Gentile Audience

1. Mark 7:31 (part of Mark’s parallel account) gives us a bit more geographical information, telling us that this account takes place in the region of Decapolis, a Gentile territory.
2. The miracles and works that Jesus does in these passages is somewhat of a “repeat” of things we’ve already read that Jesus did.  The miracles themselves were not new, but if this was indeed a Gentile audience, that might tell us why both Matthew and Mark make special mention of it.  
   1. Consider, the next passage that we will study in Matthew is what?  The feeding of the four thousand.  And this comes less than a chapter after the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  Now, I’m not saying it’s “no big deal” that Jesus fed 4,000 people, regardless of what he’s already done.  Any way you look at it, that’s one amazing miracle.  What I’m suggesting in that perhaps the reason that both Matthew and Luke record that account isn’t so much because of the miracle itself, but rather because of the audience.
3. The parallel with Isaiah 35:5-6  “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.  For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.”  
   1. Look in your Bibles for a moment specifically at Matthew 15:30.  Now, show of hands, how many of your bibles make a cross-reference from that verse to Isaiah 35:5-6?  Most scholars see that distinct prophecy being fulfilled because in that section of Isaiah, the prophet is talking about the future restoration of Israel, and one of the things that is evident from Isaiah 35 is that this will be a supernatural and physical restoration.  And, if indeed, this audience is Gentile, Jesus is saying something very powerful:  “Israel” may very well include Gentiles.
4. The response of the people is that they “Glorified the God of Israel”  If this is a Jewish audience, that would seem to be a peculiar thing to note.

So What?

At this point you may be thinking, “Okay, so what?  What is the big deal about this being a predominantly Gentile audience.?”  Let me offer a few thoughts in response to that question:

1. When Peter has his vision in Acts 10 and the Holy Spirit falls upon the Gentiles, Peter understands from events like the ones recorded here in Matthew 15 that Jesus had already set a precedent for working with the Gentiles.
2. IF these people that Jesus is healing have true faith (and he points their great faith specifically a few times with the Roman Centurion and the woman from last week’s passage, so we can assume it’s authenticity) WHERE did that faith come from?  The same Holy Spirit that opened the eyes of Jews like Peter and Paul opened the eyes of these Gentiles.
3. “Israel” is about your heart, NOT about your heritage.

The Main Point of the Passage

Now, we’ve gone to great lengths this morning to determine the audience and why that may be important, but if we don’t understand the lesson, it’s all for nothing.

A few months ago we were back in Matthew 11 and we studied the passage where John the Baptist was in prison and was having doubts about Jesus, so he sends a delegation of his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the Christ, or should we look for another.”  Do you remember what Jesus says in response?

Matthew 11:5  “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.”

What’s the point?  

Jesus fixes us.

Whatever we have wrong, whatever infirmary sin has wrecked our life with, Jesus fixes it.  No matter what the problem, Jesus is the solution.  

Are you blind?  He can make you see like you’ve never seen before.

Are you crippled?  He can make you run like the wind.

Are you addicted?  He can make you addicted to Him.

Are you riddled with thoughts of self-hate and self-loathing?  He can show you your real value.

Is marriage falling apart?  He can fix that.

Do you have no relationship with your kids to speak of?  He can fix that too.

Consider:

1. He created you; therefore he knows you.
2. He know you; therefore he knows what’s wrong with you.
3. He knows what’s wrong with you; therefore he knows how to fix you.
4. He knows how to fix you; therefore he is the only one qualified to be your savior.

In other words:  If he didn’t make you, he can’t fix you.