Did Jesus reject any Gentile? No, never. The Roman centurion
was honored when he asked for mercy to his one of servants who was ill. In the Old
Testament, General Naaman was healed from his leprosy. This Syrophoenician
woman was honored of her request on behalf of her daughter who was demon-possessed.
There is only one God for all people. Jesus loves all kinds of people. He never
rejects anyone by race, gender, or wealth. What he sees and searches for is
faith in heart. Hebrews Chapter 11 Verse 6 says, “Without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and
that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” This passage tells us who is
truly honored in the kingdom of heaven and who is acceptable and suitable in his
kingdom.
“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 impure 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 the dogs.’ ‘Lord,’
she replied, ‘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)
Trye and Sidon are in Lebanon now. Syrian Phoenicia was a
highly civilized and tech culture, largely polluted by the hideous idol worship
and perverted sexual practices. The demons were actively ruining and haunting
the people’s lives in a greater scale. The queen Jezebel was from Sidon and incited
her husband King Ahab to abandon the worship of Yahweh and promote worship of the
deities Baal and Asherah on a national scale. The impure spirits are blowing a
great punch on the people both young and old in this age, the twenty-first
century, just as what had been happening in these regions in the first century.
We are in troubles, injustice, greed, conflict everywhere we take turn to. The substance
addiction and mental illness are out of control, the doctors are no help at all.
Nor families. Nor the government. We call it opioid crisis!
In the days of our Lord Jesus, no foreign powers like Egypt,
Assyria, Rome can help either. In fact, no humans can help others. No tech can
help. Only Jesus can help at all! That is the only help available for all human
beings. Why so? Because Jesus is a compassionate God who became in the likeness
of man. And he obeyed the Father God to the point of death. He shed his blood though
which man is saved from this corrupt world caused by sin. The blood of the Son Jesus
Christ has rekindled the love of God who gives generously eternal life to those
who believe in him.
How did Jesus treat her? At first, it seems brutal, mean, cruel,
and racially biased. But he is not at all. None of those languages fit into
what the Scriptures say about the Lord Jesus Christ. “For it is not right to
take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs,” says the Lord. He is simply
telling the truth. The children of God are those who obey the commandments of the
Lord by the faith in Christ Jesus. The children are not born in the flesh and
blood but in the faith. Only the legitimate children who are born of God are allowed
to have the great banquet in heaven. We must be born again of God to enter the
kingdom of heaven (John 3:3).
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in
his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
(John 1:12-13)
It is also a test for her faith in the Lord Christ. The one
who receives the grace and mercy of God is who knows and believes that they are
unworthy and underserving in the sight of God, as it is told in Matthew’s Gospel
Chapter 5 Verse 3. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.” Since they know the truth, they do not demand grace but ask for
mercy. Our Lord Jesus never treats anyone harshly but truthfully and lovingly. As
the Scripture tells, “He is speaking the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15) He is
so kindly loving that he did not spare his life but gave up to the point of
death as the full ransom price for the sin of the world. The Father God gives
eternal life to those who believe in the Son who he sent. This is the test for mankind.
Because in man there is nothing for credit, totally bankrupt before God. That
is what our father Abraham was rewarded for.
“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as
righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
God owes us nothing but hell. But our God is gracious and
compassionate that whoever asks him will receive in abundance. The woman answered,
“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She humbly
admitted that she did not deserve and was unworthy to ask for the grace to the Lord.
What she asked for Jesus was the healing of her own daughter through the divine
intervention. She asked for Jesus to drive out the impure spirits. Her faith is
genuine because she believed only Jesus could do such a healing from the demon-possession.
Our God is looking for those who are humble and meek, asking
for his grace and mercy. God will answer their prayers without fail. Because he
promises so in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5.
“Blessed are
the poor in spirit,
for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are
those who mourn,
for they
will be comforted.
Blessed are
the meek,
for they
will inherit the earth.
Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they
will be filled.
Blessed are
the merciful,
for they
will be shown mercy.
Blessed are
the pure in heart,
for they
will see God.
Blessed are
the peacemakers,
for they
will be called children of God.
Blessed are
those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3-10)
Furthermore, Jesus also promises that he will give rest if we
take his yoke and learn from him. Because he is gentle and humble.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
In Christ, we have already been made to inherit the treasures
in heaven. We have already been made to inherit the eternal life in heaven. The
good news is that it does not start when we die but from the beginning when we accepted
Jesus as our Lord and Savior. As a hymn reads,
“Eternal
life, begun below,
Now fills my
heart and soul.
I’ll sing
His praise forevermore
Who has redeemed my soul.”
God honors those who live by faith, not by sight and who
obey him, trusting in him. Even now, God honors us when we act lovingly and
kindly and truthfully to others just like our Lord Jesus does for us ever and
ever. The evidence for the woman was that her daughter was healed and the demon
gone, no more, just as she was told by Jesus. “You may go, the demon has left
your daughter.” What an authority Jesus has! The demon trembled at the voice of
the Son of God and left and no more.
This would not be the end of story. Another challenges and
troubles may have come to the woman and her daughter. Every time she faced a
trouble, she would have done the same thing, asking for his grace. Maybe through
prayers and petitions to him with audible voice or without. And the Lord Jesus answered
her prayers sometimes on time and other times with delay. In this process of
living together with the Lord she would have grown her faith in Christ stronger
and deeper and higher.
July
27, 2019
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