Journal Day 11

October 12 2006 - Day 11

Mark 7:24-30

Passage: In this passage we find Jesus trying to escape the crowds probably for some much needed rest. He is so well known now that it is practically impossible for Him to go unnoticed. A woman from Syria who speaks Greek comes to Jesus and asks that He cast out a demon in her daughter. Jesus responds to her in what seems a rather derogatory manner by saying “shouldn’t the children be fed before the dogs.” In that day the Gentiles (non-Jew) were looked down upon and not respected by the Jews. Jesus likened the Jews to the children and the Gentiles to the dogs. She responded like this, “Yes Lord you are right, but even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that the children drop on the floor.” Jesus greatly commends her for saying this and immediately casts the demon out of the young girl even though she was no where near.

Application: The point of Jesus’ response to the woman was not to lift up the Jewish race and to degrade the Gentiles. Jesus’ point was that the Jew’s were being offered the salvation of God before anyone else. The Jew’s were the chosen people of God through whom the Messiah would come. They received the revelation of Jesus before anyone else. The terrible thing is that the Jew’s largely rejected Jesus and “threw Him to the dogs.” The Gentiles were brought into the chosen people of God. This woman was willing to honor the Jews and to humbly accept her position as a Gentile in the plan of God. I can apply this by being thankful for the Jewish heritage that belongs to every Christian. It is amazing the widespread hatred towards the Jews in today’s time and past times. There is no right place for persecution of Jews. They are close kin to the Christian. it is a shame that we as Christian’s have not been more loving and diligent to share the gospel with Jews. Jesus was a Jew and he loved his fellow Jews. I need to exemplify this same love.