Worship

15. January 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

Okay, I must be overwhelmed already.  I have got to slow down and it’s just 15 days into the New Year.  Do you know that I honestly thought I did a posting on yesterday?  It was late last night before I realized that I had not done my daily devotional.   I normally get a lot of emails responding to my daily devotionals and at night, I settle down and try to answer as many questions as I can from the emails and when I did not get any concerning yesterday’s post, I was wondering what was wrong.  I do apologize.  I have no idea what happened.  I had an extremely busy day yesterday but no different than other days.   Uhmmmmm!!!!!!!!!   I’ll do better. 

Our lesson today holds one of my favorite stories in the bible.  It is the story about the Canaanite woman who comes to Jesus on behalf of her child.   Here is the text:

 

Matthew 15: 21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and

Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of

Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

 

This story is told also in Mark and has more details.  I always like to read every remote (where the story is repeated in another source) context because it gives you the entire picture.

 

The text starts off that when Jesus went thence.  If you remember from day before yesterday (lol) then you know that Jesus is leaving from the discussion about the “religious leaders” questioning him about the washing of hands by the disciples and accusing him of being in violation of the “tradition of the elders.”

 

Jesus leaves this discussion and after seeing such a display of hypocrisy (Performances, acting, productions)  in the house of God and among the “religious leaders,” he escapes to the coasts of Tyre and

Sidon.  When Mark tells this story it actually says that he enters into a house and desires that no one would know it.  Jesus is trying to get some private time.   He has been frustrated at a people that in vain do worship him declaring worship with their lips yet their hearts are far from him.

 Out of the coasts, comes this woman.  I love it.  I always say when a woman wants to find a man, she can.   Jesus tried to hid away, but this woman desperate for a healing for her child finds him. 

The bible says that she cries unto him and says; “Have mercy on me, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.   There are a couple of things that I want to point out here.   First the mercy presupposes guilt.  You don’t need mercy unless you know that you are guilty.  Have you ever been in court or listen to court cases on TV and you will hear the guilty person say to the judge that “I fall at the mercy of the court.”  In other words, I know that I am guilty but can you please show kindness or leniency concerning the sentencing.  

 This woman comes with a broken spirit and a humble heart and admits guilt and appeals for mercy from the Lord.    The text says that she cries out.  This phrase “cries out” is a continuous action.    This is not a one time event but a constant cry.  So basically she is running behind Jesus crying and Jesus is not answering or acknowledging her at all.  Her crying after Jesus is so annoying that the disciples finally beg Jesus to send her away for her crying.  Sometimes, I can envision the “what appears to be” heartlessness of this situation.  This woman is hurting and coming not on behalf of herself but her daughter and the disciples show no compassion at all but are simply frustrated at her constant requests and now consider her appeal to be aggravating.   In their defense, this was a Gentile woman and the Jews had no dealings with the Gentiles and considered them to be unworthy of any promises from God. 

Now, Jesus still does not respond to this woman, but he does respond to his disciples concerns about her.   He tells his disciples the following:  “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the “house of

Israel.”  In other words, “don’t worry” I understand that she is a Gentile and my mission is to the Jews.

 

Now, this is what is fascinating.   I love it.  It takes my breath away every time.     Jesus still has not addressed the woman and if you read it in its remote context, it is clear that he has not addressed the woman yet, the bible says the woman falls down and worship.   I told you.    I can’t take it.    SHE WORSHIPS…… and says, “Lord, help me.”    For the first time in our text, Jesus addresses her concerns.   He talks to her.    Her worship got an audience with him.  

WORSHIP………  IT GET’S THE ATTENTION OF GOD……  But look at what he says to her….. HE CALLS HER A DOG!!!!!!!!!   YEP!!!!!!!!!.   

Jesus says…..  It is not meet to take the children’s bread and to cast it to dogs.   In other words, I am here for the JEWS, (the Gentiles time was not yet) and to take away what belongs to them and give it to dogs would not be right.    In the ancient world, the Gentiles were commonly referred to as “dogs” by the Jews….  

 

WOW!!!!!!!  He’s talking but he called her a dog………   YEAH!!!!  But he’s talking.    It is often silence that we cannot take.   God, Just talk to me, whatever you call me, as long as I know I have your ear….. and worship opened this door.  

 The woman does not give up and answers him brilliantly…  She says….  “yet the dogs, eat from the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”    All she needed was a crumb.   HOW PERFECT!   Her determination even when her opposition was Jesus.    

Jesus responded with HOW Great is your faith and granted her request and her daughter was healed.  

PLEASE,  LISTEN!!!!   Let’s now do a recap.   Jesus was escaping a people who in vain worshipped him.  He had not experienced true worship from his own people and he goes to get away and he encounters a Gentile woman who worships from the heart…   HOW POWERFUL!!!!!!! 

Worship…..  It takes you there.  It does open up doors and lines of communication with our Lord. 

WORSHIP!!!!!!!!!!  OH!!!!!!!!  I’m losing it.   I LOVE HIM SO!!!! 

Okay, enough…..  

Stay encouraged!!!!!!! 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

 

 

 

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