Empower your Day in Just Seconds

By Grantley Morris

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In the middle of Matthew 15 we find a Canaanite woman pleading with Jesus, detailing her desperate plight to him. Without so much as uttering a word, he turns his back on her and walks away. Despite reeling in the pain of rejection and being emotionally flattened by the hopelessness of it all, she still follows Jesus, crying out to him. As if Jesus’ reaction were not enough, his chosen followers soon pile on their own rejection. Her persistence so annoys them that Jesus’ disciples plead with him to tell her to get lost. So Jesus tells her that his divine mission – the command of God on his life – is to minister exclusively to Jews, not Gentiles like her. Instead of resigning herself to the sovereign will of God, she begs even harder. Jesus is unyielding. He states even more emphatically that it was not right for him to do what she is asking. This woman was a Gentile before Jesus’ sacrifice opened the way for Gentiles to be included in God’s Covenant. But not only was she a Gentile, she was a Canaanite – the worst of the Gentiles. She should not even have been born. Had God’s people been obedient to God’s command, her family line would have been wiped out generations ago. Then, as astounding as it is to imagine our loving Savior doing this, he seals his rejection by calling her a dog – a bitch, if you like. This was the grossest possible insult. Jews despised dogs as unclean. Jesus refers to the people he is called to minister to as “children.” She, however, he labels as not even human but an animal – and an unclean one at that. On another occasion Jesus said it is not right to give what is holy to dogs, nor to cast one’s pearls to swine. Not only did Jesus say it should not be done, in the same breath he linked dogs with pigs, as does Scripture elsewhere. So, in biblical thought, dogs are the most repulsive of creatures, totally unacceptable to God, and yet this is the label Jesus slaps on this woman. By now her devastating feelings of rejection could have turned to anger and a determination to reject Jesus like he has rejected her. Yet despite all the pressure to give in to feelings of hopelessness and bitterness, she still refuses to take ‘No’ for an answer. Why was Jesus so hard on her? Because he knew she had what it takes to rise to the challenge and that her doing so would bring her rich reward. Jesus’ seeming rejection brought out the best in her. Yes, she got her miracle like so many other people, but because Jesus let her seemingly suffer rejection, she soared far beyond getting her miracle to gaining Jesus’ high praise resounding through the tunnels of time for two thousand years around the world and continuing for all eternity. Her refusal to accept Jesus’ apparent rejection not only thrilled the heart of God, it has inspired countless multitudes of Christians throughout every successive generation. And the same is true for you. God has faith in you. You can rise to the challenge and refuse to be defeated by all the surface indications of rejection. You can ignore all the worrying superficialities and by faith see past them to the loving heart of Jesus. You can keep following Jesus even when he seems to have turned his back on you and walked away. And as you persist, you will thrill the heart of God, gain for yourself eternal glory, and inspire other Christians. Taken from Rejected by God? Touch hearts! May be freely copied. Just include this notice: © Grantley Morris, www.net-burst.com Next Inspirational

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