"Snapping turtle" faith, Part II

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28) 
                                                                                              

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 25 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." 30 And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone. (Mark 7:24-30)

Are you surprised by the woman in this story?
Are you surprised by the way that Jesus responds to her?
Let's dive in!

This was a mom who was desperate to save her child. We aren't told what the demon caused her daughter to do, but as we discussed earlier, it could be anything from talking to air, to throwing oneself into the flames. It was scary, and it was harmful.  The mother heard that Jesus was in the area, and approached Him.

That in itself is worth looking at: the Jewish people looked down upon the Greeks, and snobbishly call them "dogs."  In addition to the Jewish snobbery against the Greeks, the Greeks themselves felt that the Jewish people were inferior to them. They pointed to their great thinkers and mathematicians and enjoyed the prestige that they afforded them. In spite of these differences, this woman admitted that Jesus' wisdom and His power exceeded those of humans, and she felt that He alone could rid her daughter of this problem.

She cried out for Him to help. His disciples suggested that He needed to do something about it. She was "causing a scene" and they wanted Him to have some peace and quiet. Matthew's account says that He replied that He came "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mark notes that He said, "let the children first be fed" meaning that the Jewish people were His first priority, and that when the timing was right, the Gentiles would be a part of the equation. (It's interesting to note, though, that the only other time that Jesus healed a Gentile was the centurion's servant....again in that passage, He remarked at the faith of the seeker, and He healed from a distance. Nothing is too hard for our God!)

It's hard for us, too, when we see what we think of as rudeness, coming from our Lord. Scholars tell us that this is not the usual word for dogs, those that would fight and scavenge in the streets of the city, but a word used for little pets that would be in the household.  Jewish families did not keep dogs as pets, for they considered that to be unclean. Greeks, however, had dogs that were indoor pets, much as we keep our pets today. They were sometimes considered part of the family.

So, kneeling at His feet, she may (or may not) have understood His remark, but her quick and nimble mind came back with a reply that turned His apparent rebuff to her own advantage. (Oh, to be as quick-witted as she! She humiliated herself and begged for help, but she still was "thinking on her feet"!)

"True, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

It certainly seems that Jesus was impressed and pleased with her answer. It was an answer of humility, and we read in Proverbs:

                        He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and
                        oppressed. (Proverbs 3:34)

Her answer also pleased Jesus because it was a statement of her faith in Him.

                       And 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. (Hebrews 11:6)

Finally, I believe that her answer pleased Him because she was persistent. Remember the passage in Luke 18:1-8? It's a story of a persistent widow, who finally received justice against an adversary because of her persistence. (Go back and read it -- it's inspiring!) Also, Jesus said that we should be persistent in our prayer life, and expect to see our prayers answered (Luke 11:9-10).

Jesus remarked on her great faith, and then sent her home -- with the assurance that her daughter was healed! She got her miracle!

We'll have some more thoughts on this passage tomorrow as we wind up our study of this woman and her faith.

 

Verses that inspire

I found this quote recently and it meant a great deal to me:

God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son.  ~ Jerry Bridges
Then I was reminded of these verses:

                       But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which
                      he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive
                      together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:4-5)

If you've a verse or a passage that has inspired or comforted you recently, won't you let us all know, by leaving a comment?

Thank you.

"Snapping turtle" faith - the Syrophoenecian woman

There's a funny thing about snapping turtles . . . have you ever seen one? They look pretty fierce.

They are well-known for their tenacity -- the old saying here in the South is that they "won't let go until the sun goes down." In other words, if they bite something, really get hold of it, they will not let go!

The woman in our study this week had that kind of faith; she had a fierce tenacity that was rewarded, and is an awesome example to moms and to Christians everywhere.
Let's dive in!
The Syrophoenician woman's story is found in two of the Gospels: Matthew and Mark. Scholars call her that because of the geography and the politics of the time. The area of Tyre and Sidon, two notoriously ungodly cities, was called Phoenicia, but that region was controlled by the Syrians.  The Jews called the people who lived in this region "dogs" but Mark called the woman Greek, implying that she was (to him) a pagan.

Our story takes place shortly before the final scenes of Christ's life as a mortal; after this we'd see His transfiguration, His raising Lazarus from the dead, and His final trip to Jerusalem. The crucifixion and the resurrection would come after all of those events. But before these, Jesus traveled northwards into the Syrian controlled region. Perhaps he was in this province seeking solitude, or perhaps he journeyed here for another reason. Solitude would be in short supply here; His fame had gone before Him, and the crowds had found Him. They gathered and swirled around Him, begging for healing and for the wisdom that only He could give.

One of those in the crowd was this desperate mother. Her precious daughter was possessed by, and controlled by, demonic forces. Christ met many tormented souls in His time on our earth; one man was host to many demons, and a boy kept throwing himself into the fire because of demons. The outward signs were obvious and frightening.

While demons are mentioned only twice in the Old Testament, they are mentioned over seventy times in the New Testament. They are fallen angels, sent from Satan to oppress and enslave humans, and to accomplish Satan's plans. Did you know that they have special powers here on earth? If we look at I John 4, we find that:

                 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
                whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone
                out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God:
                Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
                is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not
                from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is
                coming and even now is already in the world.  (I John 4:1-3)

They know the truth, and they will try to hide it! And in Mark, we read that they recognize Jesus as God's own son:

               He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus,
               Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” (Mark 5:7)

And then, in Luke we see that demons can have supernatural strength:

               .....Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot
              and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the
              demon into solitary places. (Luke 8:29)

They may have intelligence, and a great deal of strength, but they are not as powerful as God, or as His Son Jesus. Whenever they come face to face with Christ or His power in the disciples, demons call out, and tremble, and do as they are told.

I suppose one could make a case for the demon-possessed having an illness of some kind; it could be physical or mental. I guess the scholars could debate that for a long time. (Grin) We can see that later in Mark (5:15) the man delivered from a demon was sitting "dressed and in his right mind." But in other cases, possession rendered someone mute or blind, or gave them convulsions. One thing is for sure, though: demons were (and I'm sure still are) real, and caused fear and desperation.

When Jesus ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell us, and to be our defense against the forces of evil in this world. Whether we are suffering from demonic pressures, or from physical or mental stresses, we possess His power within us as His children. His power is a hedge of protection for us.
If we will keep that close, sweet relationship with Him, He will strengthen, protect, and comfort us.

We'll continue with this woman's story next time.

 

Fourth of July week

Here in the United States, we celebrated an important day -- this past Saturday was July Fourth! For us, it's an occasion marked by family gatherings, picnics, music and fireworks.

We celebrate more than just a day. As citizens of this country, we celebrate that two hundred and thirty nine years ago, fifty-six men solemnly signed a document that made them all wanted men. They put their signatures on a document that told a king across the ocean that the people living here had different ideas of how things should be done! The strength and the goodness of this nation came from the principles laid out in our Declaration of Independence and in the Constitution which followed it.

Principles like representation -- we are governed by people that we elect, and choose to make laws for all of us. Principles like the separation of powers into three distinct branches of government. And principles like limited government. These are concepts that have come under attack many times since our country's birth, and some will continue to attack them now and in the future.

As citizens of this country we honor and we show our gratitude to those who serve as first responders and as our military forces. They give so much, so that we can have so much.

As Christians we celebrate the freedoms that we have in these United States; we have freedom of religion, of speech, and more. Not just the we are free to worship as we please, but we celebrate our freedom in Christ at the same time that we praise Him for our country. He came to bring freedom to us, since we were captives of sin.
As Christians this July 4th, let's add to our prayers some sincere requests for the leaders of our country. They need it. (Grin) 
We can be joyful as we spend time with our friends and family. Whether we are listening to patriotic music, chasing fireflies, or playing softball, be joyful!
Enjoy the beauty of God's creation - look up into the night sky at the stars. He spoke them all into existence! Praise Him for the beauty and then enjoy the fireworks.

I hope you will bear with me as I take some time with family and rejoin you all next week!
Happy Fourth of July!

Friday slowdown

This week's study was pretty intense, wasn't it? I feel like the Spirit blessed us with insights, and that we learned a lot.

Who knew when we started this study, that we would be led in so many directions and see so many applications to our own lives! Our great God is good!

A sense of justice, Tamar (conclusion)

Yesterday we read that Tamar had sent a stunning message to Judah -- in effect, she was telling him, "You are the guilty man. You are the father of my child, out of wedlock. You see, here are the seal, cord, and staff you gave me as pledge, to prove it!"

Judah was confronted with the truth. This was a man who had quickly passed judgment. This was a man who had used a double standard. "It's OK for me to have sex outside of marriage, but not for you!" He was taken up short by the revelation of his own sin.

Judah acknowledged that she was correct, and that she "was more righteous" than he, since he would not give her his son, Shelah.  He confirmed that she was acting according to the law.

Tamar insisted on her rights, and showed Judah that he was in the wrong; the Bible tells us that she was blessed with not one child, but two. These twins were fighting for position even before they were born, as another set of twins earlier: Jacob and Esau.  The midwife saw one of Tamar's boys thrust out his hand while she labored to deliver them, and she tied a red cord on the little wrist. The first tiny body that appeared had no thread on his wrist -- they named him Perez, which means "breaking out." The other little one was born, and they named him Zerah, meaning "scarlet," since it was he that had the red cord on his wrist.

Perez was recognized as the first born, and it was through his line that King David, and eventually our Lord Jesus, would come.  Judah had shown very little concern for the continuation of his name and his line. Tamar, shamed by her barrenness and determined to find justice, ensured that the tribe of Judah would not only continue, but that one day the "Lion of Judah" would be born to a sinful world. Her actions were unorthodox, but saved Judah from doing what was wrong, and kept the line alive.

Tamar's story might make us uncomfortable. We might not like to think of the details of her prostituting herself, and we might want to look away, and read a different passage. But our God is a God of surprises.  Our God can take the unfit, the sinful, the sordid parts of lives and use them for His own purposes. Tamar may have been completely unaware of God's working in her life. She may have been solely focused on her situation, and on her sense of being wronged and seeking justice. Nevertheless, God was at work, bringing good out of tragedy. He blessed less than respectable events with using them for His own purpose.

It is His power to bring positive things from negative, even sinful events of our lives (and the lives of others) that we celebrate in this study. He is just as much in the business of working in human lives today as He was then. We might not see it, or understand it, but we can trust Him to do what He enjoys doing -- bringing blessing to us in spite of ourselves!

                        Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?
                        (Psalm 77:13)

                         And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
                        who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
                         (Romans 8:28)

Let's celebrate today and praise Him that He can help us to avoid being like Judah, and using a double standard to judge others. He can heal our hearts and show us how to avoid being judgmental - to realize that we, too, have sinned.
And then let's praise Him that He can use even the sinful events in our lives for His purposes. He can use everything and everyone to bring about the results that He has planned.

Yes, we see Tamar in Matthew's list of Jesus' ancestors. God promised the Hebrew people that they would continue through many generations; He also promised them that a Messiah would come. God's plan unfolded through the unorthodox methods of a woman determined to get justice.

I learned a lot in this study; I hope you did, too. Please leave a comment to tell your insights from Tamar's story.

A sense of justice, Tamar continued

We pick up our story of Tamar as we see her still in her widow's garments, living with her family, and realizing that Judah (her father-in-law) was not going to fulfill his obligation under the law. He was not going to send his third son Shelah to her, so that Er's line would continue, and Tamar would be cared for.

We read in Genesis that Judah's wife passed away, and he set out for Timnah to shear his sheep. Tamar heard of his plans and devised a plan -- she would trick Judah just as he had tricked her into thinking he would care for her. She put aside her widow's garments and put on a veil -- perhaps a very exotic one, or one that would identify her as a prostitute. She arranged her veil carefully to hide her face, and sat in the city gate where prostitutes typically sat, and where their customers knew to find them. No respectable woman would be found there!

Now, it's possible that when Judah saw her there, he thought she was one of the "sacred" prostitutes of that era. Having intercourse with one of them was thought to be like having sex with the fertility goddess and was supposed to ensure the fertility of one's flocks and herds, and to ensure good yields of wool and meat from them. (Did that raise your eyebrows?) In any event, having sex with someone he wasn't married to was wrong, and we'll get back to that later.

Judah had intercourse with Tamar, and her disguise made it easy to hide her face from him. The usual payment was money or an animal, and Judah promised to send a kid from his flock. Tamar told him that he would need to leave a pledge with her -- a guarantee that he would come back and bring the kid to her. In a way, she was asking for collateral, right? So she specified that he would leave his personal seal and cord with her, along with his staff, in promise of the future payment.

These items, the seal, cord, and staff, were symbols of a man's identity at the time. They were very important and of great personal worth.  The seal would have been a cylinder with a personal emblem carved on the top of it, that was unique to Judah.  And his staff wasn't just a walking stick, either. The staff of a tribal leader was a symbol of his authority -- almost like a king's scepter. It often had the lineage of the man carved into it, so that it showed the genealogy of his people.

For Judah to give up these items, is very surprising, and it may show the state of his mind after the deaths of his sons and his wife. It doesn't look like he is thinking very clearly, does it? But Tamar is thinking very clearly. These items are a symbol to her as well -- of the son that she hopes to bear. The son that might succeed Judah.

Tamar removes her veil after Judah is gone, and puts her widow's garments back on. She goes home to her family, with her plan accomplished.

It may be later that day, or perhaps the next day, but Judah sends one of his men to the city gate with the little animal that he'd promised. Tamar is nowhere to be found. He was forced to return to Judah and tell him that he could not find the "prostitute" and reclaim his important items.

Three months later, it was evident to those around Tamar that she was pregnant. And word got to Judah, who immediately ordered her death.  Here's the background behind that: as head of the family, Judah had the right to pass judgment on her, and condemn her to death. Both the Code of Hammurabi, which other nations followed, and the law we read in Deuteronomy say that both the man and woman who are caught in sex without marriage, would be killed.

But Tamar wasn't finished yet! She pulled the seal, cord, and staff out of her belongings and sent them to Judah, along with the message that they belonged to the father of her child!

We'll finish our study of Tamar tomorrow, and see what applications we can make to our own lives.