Mark 7:25-28 "For a certain woman, whose
young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his
feet: (26) The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and
she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. (27)
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet
to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. (28)
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat
of the children's crumbs."
I sit here ready to type, not knowing exactly what I want to say. I hear a siren in the distance. The weather report is on and I hear of so many communities and people who have been affected by the storms that ripped through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and back into South Georgia through the night and this morning. I find myself praying for families that have experienced a loss of life and loss of homes. I try to pray for the Lord's mercy and grace to be upon them. I pray with the expectation of God hearing my prayer and hoping for His grace to be bestowed upon many people.
I think about my prayer and then I open my Bible and read about this woman's prayer for the healing of her daughter. Mark's account does not include portions which Matthew does include in his account. I understand they both were inspired of the Holy Spirit and I'm sure He (Holy Spirit) has a reason for not including certain portions in every account. Matthew's account says the disciples wanted Jesus to send this woman away. They were not concerned that she would be offended; yet, just prior to this they were concerned that Jesus may have offended the Pharisees. (That's in Matthew's account.) That shows me that even those who walked daily with Jesus needed help in their attitudes and approach to daily actions.
Mark's account goes right to the heart of this woman, the mother who was so very concerned for her daughter's physical condition. Matthew's account speaks it on this manner: "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." (Matthew 15:22) I use his account to show the woman's state of heart and mind, "Have mercy on me." When our children are sick, we take it very personally. How often as a parent has it been said, "I would rather be sick myself than for my child to be sick." This gives me a completely different outlook on John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."
I know I'm rambling this morning and maybe I need to stop with the thoughts I've shared and come back tomorrow to the words of the woman to Jesus. This being the day after Easter, my heart is still on the thought of my Lord coming to this earth to die for me. And these passages this morning take my heart to the Father Who, because of my sin, would not even look upon His Son as He hung on the cross. What wondrous love is this! O my soul!
I sit here ready to type, not knowing exactly what I want to say. I hear a siren in the distance. The weather report is on and I hear of so many communities and people who have been affected by the storms that ripped through Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and back into South Georgia through the night and this morning. I find myself praying for families that have experienced a loss of life and loss of homes. I try to pray for the Lord's mercy and grace to be upon them. I pray with the expectation of God hearing my prayer and hoping for His grace to be bestowed upon many people.
I think about my prayer and then I open my Bible and read about this woman's prayer for the healing of her daughter. Mark's account does not include portions which Matthew does include in his account. I understand they both were inspired of the Holy Spirit and I'm sure He (Holy Spirit) has a reason for not including certain portions in every account. Matthew's account says the disciples wanted Jesus to send this woman away. They were not concerned that she would be offended; yet, just prior to this they were concerned that Jesus may have offended the Pharisees. (That's in Matthew's account.) That shows me that even those who walked daily with Jesus needed help in their attitudes and approach to daily actions.
Mark's account goes right to the heart of this woman, the mother who was so very concerned for her daughter's physical condition. Matthew's account speaks it on this manner: "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." (Matthew 15:22) I use his account to show the woman's state of heart and mind, "Have mercy on me." When our children are sick, we take it very personally. How often as a parent has it been said, "I would rather be sick myself than for my child to be sick." This gives me a completely different outlook on John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..."
I know I'm rambling this morning and maybe I need to stop with the thoughts I've shared and come back tomorrow to the words of the woman to Jesus. This being the day after Easter, my heart is still on the thought of my Lord coming to this earth to die for me. And these passages this morning take my heart to the Father Who, because of my sin, would not even look upon His Son as He hung on the cross. What wondrous love is this! O my soul!