Friends Church Sermons

To get where we are going today in the latter half of chapter 15 we have to go backwards to go forwards. First let me show you on a map where these things take place then we can take a look at what Matthew is trying to share with us. Matthew and in fact Jesus leaves a trail of bread crumbs that bring us in the end to the momentous question posed by Jesus that forms the heart of this Gospel. Bread in fact forms the theme of this section of Matthews writing. The trail begins outside Bethsaida (5000 fed), moves to Genessaret (confrontation with the Pharisees over bread), moves to Tyre (Canaanite woman), Decopolis (4000 fed), Magadan (second confrontation), Bethsaida (the meaning of the circuit). So let’s look briefly at each crumb and then at the conclusion that is so important to us.