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that is, at the land of Gennesaret. Another proof, amidst this collection of wonders, that the Son of God was with them.

34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

'Land of Gennesaret.' This region was in Galilee, on the west side of the sea of Tiberias; and in this land was situated Capernaum, to which he had directed his disciples to go. Jesus only can make us perfectly whole. No other being can save us. He that could heal the body, can save the soul. A word can save us. How ought we to beseech him, for the privilege of obtaining his saving grace, ver. 36.

CHAPTER XV.

1 THEN came to Jesus scribes and pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

See also Mark vii. 1-9. 'Then came to Jesus,' &c. Mark says, that they saw the disciples of Jesus eating with hands unwashed.

2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

'Transgress the tradition of the elders.' The word 'elders' means ancients, or their ancestors. 'Tradition' means something handed down from one to another by memory: some precept or custom not commanded in the written law. The Jews supposed that when Moses was on mount Sinai, two sets of laws were delivered to him: one was recorded, and is contained in the Old Testament; the other, they said, was handed down from father to son, and kept uncorrupted, till it was recorded in the Talmuds. In these books these pretended laws are now contained. They are exceedingly numerous, and very trifling, and many of them opposed to the truth. They are, however, regarded by the Jews as more important than either Moses or the prophets.

"The pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not,' Mark vii. 3. Mark has also added that this custom of washing extended not merely to their hands before eating, but in coming from the market; and also to pots, and cups, and brazen vessels and tables, Mark vii. 3, 4. They did this professedly for the sake of cleanliness. So far it was well. But they made it a

matter of superstition. They regarded external purity as of much more importance than the purity of the heart. They had many foolish rules about it, which our Saviour did not think it proper to regard; and this was the reason why they found fault with him.

3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

They accused him of violating their traditions, as though they were obligatory. In his answer, he said, that those traditions could not be binding, as they violated the commandments of God. He proceeds to specify a case.

4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

'For God commanded,' &c. That is, in the fifth commandment, Exod. xx. 12; and xxi. 17. To honour,' is to obey, to reverence. To curse, is to disobey, to treat with irreverence. 'Let him die the death.' This is a Hebrew phrase, the same as saying, let him surely die.

5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

'It is a gift.' In Mark it is, corban. The word 'corban' is a Hebrew word denoting a gift. It here means a thing dedicated to the service of God, and, therefore, not to be appropriated to any other use. The Jews were in the habit of making such dedications. They devoted their property to him, for sacred uses, as they pleased. The law required that when a dedication of this kind was made, it should be fulfilled, Deut. xxiii. 21. Psa. lxxvi. 11. The law of God required that a son should honour his parent; that is, among other things, provide for his wants when he was old, and in distress. Yet the Jewish teachers said that it was more important for a man to dedicate his property to God, than to provide for the wants of his parent. If he had once devoted his property-once said it was corban, or a gift to God-it could not be appropriated even to the support of a parent. The son was free. They would not suffer him to do any thing for his father after that. Thus he might in a moment free himself from the obligation to obey, or support his father or mother.

Besides, the law said that a man should die who cursed his father; that is, who refused to obey him, or to provide for him, or spoke in anger to him. Yet the Jews said, that though in anger

and in real spite and hatred, a son said to his father, all that I have which could profit you, I have given to God, he should be free from blame. Thus the whole law was made void, or of no use, by what appeared to have the appearance of piety. No man, ac. cording to their views, was bound to obey the fifth commandment, and support an aged and needy parent, if either from superstition or spite he chose to give his property to God, that is, to some religious use.

Jesus meant to condemn the practice of giving to God, where it interfered with our duty to parents and relations; where it was done to get rid of the duty of aiding them; and where it was done out of a malignant and rebellious spirit, with the semblance of piety, to get clear of doing to them what God required.

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Hypocrisy is the concealment of some base principle under the pretence of religion. Never was there a clearer instance of it than this-an attempt to get rid of the duty of providing for needy parents under an appearance of piety towards God. 'Esaias.' That is, Isaiah. This prophecy is in Isaiah xxix. 13.

'Draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,' &c. That is, they are regular in the forms of worship. They are strict in ceremonial observances, and keep the law outwardly; but God requires the heart, and that they have not rendered.

9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

"In vain do they worship me.' That is, their attempts to worship are vain, or are not real worship-they are mere forms. Teaching for doctrines,' &c. The word 'doctrines,' here means, the requirements of religion-things to be believed and practised in religion. God only has a right to declare what shall be done in his service; but they held their traditions to be superior to the written word of God, and taught them as doctrines binding the conscience.

10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:

See also Mark vii. 15-17. And he called the multitude.' In opposition to the doctrines of the pharisees, he took occasion to show them that the great source of pollution was the heart. They supposed that external things chiefly defiled a man. On this, all their doctrines about purification were founded. He took occasion, therefore, to direct the people to the true source of real defile ment-their own hearts."

11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

The disciples were charged with being sinners for transgressing the tradition of the elders, in eating with unwashed hands. Christ replies that what they should eat could not render them sinners. The man, the moral agent, the soul, could not be polluted by any thing that was eaten. What proceeds from the man himself, from his heart, would defile him. 'Defileth.' Polluteth, corrupteth, rendereth sinful.

12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.

Religious doctrine is not unaptly compared to a plant. See 1 Cor. iii. 6-8. It is planted in the mind for the purpose of producing fruit in the life, or conduct. Jesus here says that all those doctrines, of which his Father was not the author, must be rooted up, or corrected. The false doctrines of the pharisees, therefore, must be attacked; and it was no wonder that they were indig

nant.

14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

'Let them alone.' That is, do not be troubled at their rage. Be not anxious about it. The thing was to be expected. They are greatly attached to their traditions, and you are not to wonder or interfere when they are indignant. They have a vast influence over the multitude and it is to be expected that they will be enraged at any doctrines that lessen their authority. By commanding them to let them alone,' he does not mean to suffer them to remain in error, without any attempt to refute or correct them, for this he was doing then; but he meant to charge his disciples not to mind them, or to regard their opposition. If the blind lead the blind,' &c. This was a plain proposition. A blind man attempting to conduct blind men, would fall into every ditch that was in the way. So with religious teachers. If these pharisees, themselves ignorant and blind, should be suffered to lead the ignorant multitude, both would be destroyed.

God often suffers one man to lead many to ruin. A rich and profligate man, an infidel, a man of learning, a politician, or a teacher, is allowed to sweep multitudes to ruin. But those who are led are not compelled to follow such men. They are free in

choosing such leaders, and they are answerable for being led by them to ruin.

15 Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

See also Mark vii. 17-23. See note, Matt. xiii. 3. The word 'parable' sometimes means a dark or obscure saying, Psa. lxxviii. 2. Peter meant, Explain to us more fully this obscure and somewhat novel doctrine. To us, now, it is plain: to the disciples, just coming out of Judaism, who had been taught by Jewish teachers, the doctrine of Jesus was obscure. Mark says that the disciples asked him. The question was put by Peter in the name of the disciples.

16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?

He appeals, in explaining this, to their common sense; and he wonders that they had not yet learned to judge the foolish tra ditions of the Jews by the decisions of common sense, and by his own instructions.

17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?

The meaning of this may be thus expressed: The food which is eaten does not affect the mind, and therefore cannot pollute it. The doctrine of the pharisees, that neglect of washing defiles a man, or makes him a sinner, cannot be true.

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man : but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Christ proceeds to state what does defile the man, or render him a sinner: 1. Evil thoughts. These are the first things. These are the fountains of all others. Thought precedes action. Thought, or purpose, or motive, gives its character to conduct. 2. Murders.' Taking the life of others with malice. malice has its seat in the heart, 1 John iii. 15. 3. Adulteries, fornication,' See Matt. v. 28. 4. Thefts.' Theft is taking away the goods of others without their knowledge or consent. Ii violates, at the same time, two commandments-the tenth in thought, and the eighth in act. 5. False witness.' Giving wrong testimony. Concealing the truth, or stating what we know to be false, contrary to the ninth commandment, to injure others, to take away their character or property, or to do them injustice.

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