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"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." ~Jesus Christ, in Matthew 28:18-20 |
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No May Not Mean No The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet He could not keep His presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about Him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. "First let the children eat all they want," He told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then He told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Mark 7:24-30 We often hear that God answers prayer with three possible answers:
Sometimes we say that He answers with, “I’ve got a better idea.” May I suggest a 5th possible answer? He may be saying, “Tell me more!” The woman in this story was a Gentile – a non-Jewish person – and the Jews, being very prideful, called Gentiles “Dogs.” A lot of us used to have nicknames for the black folk, so we have no place to criticize. She was also a heart-broken mother whose child was possessed by an evil spirit. Jesus was usually a very kind and compassionate Man. But this time He seemingly ignored her! Perhaps He was tired. Verse 24 states that Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know that He was there. After all, He was a human being and He did get tired. Most of us understand that feeling! Matthew (15:21ff) tells the same story but he has a slightly different slant. If every writer told exactly the same detail we could assume that some of this was made up – the differences reinforce the authenticity of scripture. Over 40 people were involved in writing the Bible – and over a time span of 1500 years. While the details vary, the principles and primary messages all agree with each other. Matthew says that initially Jesus did not answer the woman. This got on the disciples nerves so they suggested that Jesus send her away, “For she keeps crying after us.” Obviously He was not merely thinking on an answer! Jesus was giving her a chance to grow her faith. Matthew says that Jesus told her “no” twice. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” She responded, “Lord, help me!” He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Mothers have a special relationship to their children – my wife says that is the umbilical cord. The woman responded, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” An amazed Jesus said, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” In Luke 18:1-6 Jesus explained to His disciples that they should always pray and not give up. .
How then did this woman receive from God what she asked, when she was initially denied? There are several reasons:
She knew the heart of God. The Word teaches us to rejoice in the midst of our trials. When we are rejoicing we are in a teachable frame of mind. When we are angry we are not learning anything! I can honestly tell you that I am better off because of the problems I have experienced through the years. Many were not enjoyable, and I do not particularly look forward to more problems… but I am thankful for the learning experiences. She understood the power of persistence. Recently I spent considerable time in prayer about a matter. Among the things I learned were these jewels: When facing a problem or decision
To keep your marriage brimming With love in the loving cup Whenever you're wrong, admit it Whenever you're right, shut up!" Anytime we make a commitment to serve the Lord we have practically signed a contract for a battle with the enemy of our soul. Satan does not want you to succeed as a Christian. He has a whole arsenal of weapons. Discouragement Opposition from friends or enemies Financial problems Health problems God has made provisions for our protection against all of these issues, so don’t let the devil steal your victory! She did not get offended. God is not impressed when we pout. One day I was counseling a very frustrated lady. Her business was not paying well enough, her children were scrapping with her and her mother was terminally ill. She said, “I asked God to do something about the situation right now!” If you’ve tried that, He ordinarily does not respond to pressure like that. Finally I suggested that she pray for wisdom. James 1:2-8 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Then we prayed. Knowing that God answers prayer I said, “Now you have the wisdom of God. Use it!” The change in her was a wonder to behold! Are you ready to set God free to minister to you that way? I hope so! March 8, 2009 |
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Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL
VERSION (NIV).
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