Matthew 15

v1-9: God’s Word always takes priority over the words of humans.  “A human authority that sets up in competition with divine authority must never be submitted to.”

v10-20: There is no sin that we commit in thought, word, or deed, that did not originate first in our hearts.  Our problem is that our hearts are by nature desperately wicked.  If we are going to obey God we need to be given new hearts, which is what is promised in the gospel.

v21-28: “Not every accepted prayer is immediately answered.  Sometimes God seems not to give his attention to the prayers of his people.”  Why?  To increase our faith as we become more persistent and even bolder in our asking.  “Disappointments in prayer must stir us to pray further.”

v29-39: If we have been healed of our spiritual blindness, lameness, and muteness, we have far more reason to praise God and bless his holy name, than if we were physically blind, lame, mute and were healed.