Friday, December 21, 2012 The Faith of a Gentile Woman

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Friday, December 21, 2012          The Faith of a Gentile Woman    

Page 139      Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

The encounter between Jesus and the Gentile woman is offensive to many people because Jesus’ words are not politically correct. His words seem rude and crass to the pitiful Gentile woman. Many people would rather have Jesus say to the woman, “I am happy you came to me. I was just explaining to my disciples that God wants to reach out to people on the margins. I will gladly heal your daughter.” That’s what many people wish Jesus would have done. They just want Jesus to fix things.

What did Jesus do? First, he demonstrates an essential quality of the Messiah that I certainly do not have: patience. Jesus is a wonderful counselor. Instead of rushing in where angels fear to tread and start to heal everyone in sight, Jesus, the patient Messiah, lets the story unfold so that when he is through, both the Canaanite woman and his disciples (and us) have something enduring to take home.

The mission of Israel’s Messiah is to be the Savior of the world. (John 3:16) Jesus’ dialog with the woman allowed the woman to move from rushing to the man she heard was performing miracles in Israel, to affirming, through worship and confession, that Jesus, as Israel’s Messiah, was the one person who could heal her daughter.

A friend loved the church and wanted to see the church grow and flourish. Weekly he would come by my office to encourage me. He had a list of topics that he wanted me to avoid in my sermons. He didn’t want me to offend anyone. Eventually he came to understand that a low carb, low calorie, non-fattening diet of sermons may not be offensive, but it does not represent the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world. No one is offended when we edit Jesus so that he is politically correct. No one is healed and made whole either.  

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ

(Seed Sowers Christian Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)

Monday, December 24, 2012       I Healed the Deaf and Mute        

Page 139-140         Mark 7:31-37