Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 15:10

"And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:" — Matthew 15:10 (ASV)

He turns to the common throng, among whom He had performed His miracles of love. He called the multitude and instructed them, hear, and understand. It looks as if He would say by His actions that He would rather teach the unlearned peasants than those deceitful scribes and Pharisees. He had more hope of being understood by the unlearned multitude than by educated men who had so wretchedly enslaved their judgments by following worthless traditions.

The appeal of the Gospel is from the teachers to the people. The latter have more common sense and honesty than the former, yet even these need the exhortation, hear, and understand.

And he called the multitude, and said unto them, 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.

True religion does not consist in meats and drinks, in feasting or in fasting.

It is not that which goes into us, but that which comes out of us, which is the main matter.

And he called the multitude,

It was as if he had said to the scribes and Pharisees, "I cannot waste my time arguing with you; I am going to talk to these poor people who are perishing, and I shall have more hope of doing good among the multitude than among you, though you do consider yourselves the aristocracy of the church."