Matthew Week 92

·46 min·4 clips

Why did Jesus tell his disciples to feed the 5000 instead of sending them away?

The episode is part of a weekly sermon series from Central Christian Church, analyzing Matthew chapter 15. The speaker begins by recapping previous lessons, including the feeding of the 5000 and Peter walking on water, to establish the theme of disciples taking responsibility for others' needs. He explains that this responsibility requires abiding in Jesus first. The sermon then addresses Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees about tradition versus God's commandments, highlighting that sin originates from the heart, not external actions. The speaker uses Romans 7 and a Cherokee story about two wolves to describe the ongoing struggle with sin in sanctification. He distinguishes between justification (salvation through Christ's sacrifice) and sanctification (daily growth in faith). Next, the episode covers Jesus' instruction to ignore the Pharisees as false teachers, referencing the parable of the wheat and tares. The narrative shifts to Jesus traveling to Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, where a Canaanite woman pleads for her demon-possessed daughter. The speaker details how Jesus initially ignores her, leading the disciples to ask him to send her away, mirroring their earlier response to the 5000. Jesus then engages the woman, using the metaphor of children's bread and dogs to explain his mission to the Jews first, but she persists in faith, and he heals her daughter. The speaker interprets this as foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles in God's kingdom, citing Genesis 12 and John 3:16. He concludes by connecting mercy to the Beatitudes, urging listeners to show compassion as they have received it from Jesus, emphasizing that feeding others is about heartfelt mercy, not duty.

As heard by us

A Matthew study connecting dependence on Jesus with mercy for outsiders.

This sermon follows Jesus from the feeding of the 5,000, where he tells the disciples, "you feed them," into a deeper lesson about abiding in him before trying to care for others.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a Matthew study that turns the feeding of the 5,000 into a question of responsibility: Jesus says, "You feed them."

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Central Christian Podcast