Matthew 15:21-39 (Mark 7:24-30)
Jesus leaves the home where he was having the conversation with the Pharisees and goes to the district of Tyre and Sidon (We talked about this district in week 3 Day 1). A local woman meets Jesus on the road, crying. In Mark, she is referred to as a Syro-Phoenician woman because the area she is from is Phoenicia, and it was part of the Roman province of Syria. She calls Jesus "Lord" and "Son of David" and asks Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus seemingly ignores her and the disciples ask him to send her away because she's making a scene. He responds, harshly according to some, that He's here for the children of Israel only, and these children can't be expected to share their food with the dogs. The woman says "But even the dogs get a few crumbs from the table." This is the response Jesus was hoping to draw from her, and He praises her faith, and heals her daughter immediately. Jesus continues traveling, drawing great crowds and healing many. In a scene very like the one on Monday, Jesus miraculously feeds the large crowd with very little.
The Jewish people often referred to non-Jewish people as dogs. Jesus and His disciples would have grown up hearing that. So when this Gentile, Canaanite woman starts crying out to Jesus, an entire cultural heritage would be hanging on His response. She calls Him first as Lord, which recognizes Him as one who has authority. Then she calls Him "Son of David", which is the name that sets Him apart as the promised Savior from the eternal line of David. Jesus responds by saying He's only here for the Hebrew Children, not for people who are not of this royal blood line. Jesus is trying to elicit a response from the woman, and she responds exactly as He'd hoped. But doing so in the presence of the disciples and the crowd exposes a long-held prejudice that they didn't attempt to hide. Jesus is leading them to confront the "wrongness" of this thinking-- that although God's Old Covenant WAS one for the children of Israel, this New Covenant He's bringing will be for all. To put His seal of approval on faith that comes from the heart of a "dog", He heals her daughter instantly. Jesus then travels and fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6 "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy."
It's hard to recognize prejudice in our lives and hearts, especially when it's been woven so tightly into our cultural fabric. I would not even attempt to address the hot topics facing us daily in our country. We would probably have as many opinions as we have women in this study. But I would hope that no matter our cultural, familial, traditional, ethnic, racial, social heritage, we can find common ground in Christ. I pray I would not be like the Pharisees we've learned so much about and hold way too tightly to these long-held "beliefs". I pray I would see each person as someone the Savior cares about and would reach out to in love. I pray to live like I REALLY believe Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." If we could live in this kind of allegiance to King Jesus, maybe then He would put His stamp of approval on our faith, and heal our land of the demons that have possessed us for too long.
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