Matt. 15:10-2810And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 21Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Matthew 15:10‑28)
In this beautiful Scripture the Lord unfolds to us in a striking way what is in the heart of man, in contrast with what is in His own heart. There is nothing but badness in the one, and nothing but goodness in the other.
Men in general, like the Pharisees here, are occupied about what is outside; the washing of hands before eating bread, the washing of cups, the traditions of the elders have the first place in their thoughts. With what amazing power must these words of the Lord Jesus have fallen on their ears: “Hear and understand: not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies—these are the things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
What a picture of man’s heart! the seat of all wickedness and folly; the cage of every unclean bird; a filthy, polluted swamp, out of which issue the streams of sorrow and death! My reader, there is your heart! Have you owned it, bowed to it, submitted yourself to the judgment of God so expressed? so much so, that to you it is a comfort past description to turn away from yourself to Him—that Blessed One, whose heart, full of goodness, is towards you, and whose word to you is—“I cannot trust you; you may trust Me.” Have you? It is not a little remarkable that immediately after exposing the heart of man, the Lord left the place of boasted privilege for the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, which were outside the region of earthly blessing, and the people in covenant relationship with God. And here in the defiled place, as it were, He manifests the heart of God as fully as previously in the place of outward privilege He had exposed the heart of man. The boasted goodness of the land of Israel could not change the heart of man, and the known wretchedness and contempt connected with Tyre and Sidon could not take away from what was in the heart of God. A woman of Canaan, belonging to a cursed race, a descendant of Ham, in her distress cries after Him—“Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” He who was tenderness itself answers her not a word. What can it be? Is there no pity in Him?
His disciples, in the selfishness of their nature, say to Him—“Send her away”—i.e., “give her what she wants”; “she crieth after us”; she is a trouble to us; or, it is distressing to hear her. He who alone was the Servant of the various needs of men, was also Jehovah’s Servant; and as she without right claims from Him as Son of David, He replies—“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
She will not give Him up, though. He is silent to her; and again she comes, worshiping Him, and saying, “Lord, help me!” What will He say to this? As Jehovah’s Servant, He willnot only own the rights of Jehovah, but will have all do likewise. Hence He replies, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread (i.e., what belongs to Israel) and to cast it to dogs” (i.e., to Gentiles). What will she say to this? Is she content to be blessed as a dog, as an unclean, outside one? She replies, “Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” She is satisfied to be a dog, and she is satisfied to receive a crumb. He had it in His heart to bless her according to His heart. Is that not like Him? His best and nothing less is all that is in His heart for her. Gently and graciously, yet truly, did He lead her on, step by step, first away from false ground that she had taken in the wildness of her distress (for as Son of David she had no claim upon Him), and then He brings her on to the full acknowledgment that even a dog in the house of such a Master was not forgotten; and that to be such to Him, and to receive from such an one as Himself a crumb even, was all her poor heart longed for. Wonderful grace! Wonderful Lord in whom it was, producing in her, a needy descendent of Ham, the degraded one, such confidence, such trust!
There are two points of great beauty here. First, observe how suitable it is to the heart of Jesus, as well as to the truth of God’s nature, that a needy one should be before Him, not only in the sense of need, but with the sense of having no claim upon Him. It is a wonderful moment for a poor heart when it stands before Jesus, in the full assurance that no one can meet it save Him, and yet with the equally full acknowledgment that it has no claim whatever on His mercy. Where this position is taken, there His eye discerns what He Himself designates as “great faith.” Now, in what consisted her faith? Was it some great feeling in her which found its solace in Him? Not for a moment; but it was the goodness in Him which created confidence in her. It is very blessed to see her in the light, with the expression of it in her heart and on her lips—“Truth Lord.” She knew what it was to do truth, which is simply the acknowledgment of the conscience and the soul that there is nothing in us, and no reason why we should receive anything from God. Destitute and unclean, as well as without claim or title, was what she meant when she said “Truth Lord.” And this is faith: she had God’s opinion of Christ, and no opinion of herself. And observe how this faith of hers is met by Him whose perfect goodness caused it to spring up in her soul: it receives from Jesus all that He would give. The principle of the world is nothing for nothing: that is to say, if you have nothing you need expect nothing. Have you never known those in the world who have had what is called “reverse of fortune?” As long as the sun of prosperity shone upon them they had many friends; but affairs once prosperous are succeeded by difficulties, losses, and it may be eventually absolute want, and with their prosperity vanished their friends—nothing for nothing. Now, this is the moment in the history of a poor sinner when Jesus proves Himself to be “a friend,” “a brother born for adversity,” “a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” The owning of what we are, known by His light shining on and in us, brings out the manifestation of His heart, who is rich in mercy. Faith is His warrant for showing Himself to be as good as faith knows Him to be. “Truth, Lord,” in her, calls forth “Great is thy faith” from Him. Then she gets the desired mercy for her daughter from Him whose heart was as sensitive to such needs of poor creatures around Him, as that same heart found its pleasure in displaying the goodness of God to guilty man in his sins and sorrows.
O’er all Thy perfect goodness
Rose blessedly divine;
Poor hearts oppressed with sadness
Found ever rest in Thine!
Still in Thee love’s sweet savor
Shone forth in every deed,
And showed God’s loving favor
To every soul in need!