Good morning to all from Atlanta, GA! Had an exciting week in Louisiana and I am happy to be back home. Waine and Aleron had a good bonding week and pray for Aleron's safe travels on Sunday as well as mine. God is in His Heaven and all is right with the world. Whatever is going on in your life today if it doesn't bear the Fruits, then let it go because it will not benefit you!
I am continuing my journey in Matthew chapter 15, verses 12-28, "Then the disciples came to Him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' " Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. WOW!
Some people have viewed this passage and thought ill of Christ; that this exchange did not speak well of His ministry however I view it differently. The Promise of God was made to Abraham and His seed. At the time the Promise was made, God had roamed the world to find a righteous man who would and could keep the Law of God in his heart. That imperfect man was Abraham and the seed that came from Abraham and Sarah. Jesus came to fulfill that promise to the seed, or to Israel. This exchange was with a woman who was not from one of the 12 tribes and thus not the focus of His ministry. She was however an early example that faith in the mission of Christ transcends tradition! Although His ministry was to save the Lost Sheep of Israel, her faith and His love made her daughter whole. With the Great Commission, Paul was sent to preach to the Gentiles, however Christ never gave up on the Jews and to this day when a Jew accepts Christ and finds the Messiah as preached about in the Torah that is one happy Jew!
This passage is also a good illustration that Christ wants us to wear our thinking hats at all times and stop acting as children. He was about through with the naivety of those disciples. They were always asking questions that they had answers to. At some point we have to mature as Christians and walk a life that reaps the Fruits of the Spirit. We are victorious in Christ Jesus! Let our lights shine so other men and women may know the joy we have!
Stephanie
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