Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
All Commentaries on Matthew 15:15 Go To Matthew 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
But these things His disciples said, not as grieving for those men only, but as being themselves also slightly perplexed. But because they dared not say so in their own person, they would fain learn it by their telling Him of others. And as to its being so, hear how after this the ardent and ever-forward Peter came to Him, and says, Declare unto us this parable, Matthew 15:15 discovering the trouble in his soul, and not indeed venturing to say openly, I am offended, but requiring that by His interpretation he should be freed from his perplexity; wherefore also he was reproved.
What then says Christ? Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.
This, they that are diseased with the Manichæan pest affirm to be spoken of the law; but their months are stopped by what had been said before. For if He was speaking of the law, how does He further back defend it, and fight for it, saying, Why do ye transgress the commandments of God for your tradition? And how does He bring for ward the prophet? But of themselves and of their traditions He so speaks. For if God said, Honor your father and your mother, how is not that of God's planting, which was spoken by God?
And what follows also indicates, that of themselves it was said, and of their traditions. Thus He added, They are blind leaders of the blind. Whereas, had He spoken it of the law, He would have said, It is a blind leader of the blind. But not so did He speak, but, They are blind leaders of the blind: freeing it from the blame, and bringing it all round upon them.
Then to sever the people also from them, as being on the point of falling into a pit by their means, He says, If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
It is a great evil merely to be blind, but to be in such a case and have none to lead him, nay, to occupy the place of a guide, is a double and triple ground of censure. For if it be a dangerous thing for the blind man not to have a guide, much more so that he should even desire to be guide to another.
What then says Peter? He says not, What can this be which You have said? but as though it were full of obscurity, he puts his question. And he says not, Why have you spoken contrary to the law? for he was afraid, lest he should be thought to have taken offense, but asserts it to be obscure. However, that it was not obscure, but that he was offended, is manifest, for it had nothing of obscurity.
