Good morning!
We're so glad you decided to join us today!
When we meet together, we take some time to share our joys and concerns. If you have any prayer requests, please add them to this post as a comment. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
O Lord God, Almighty Creator and Sustainer, why you choose to love me and bless me with your grace is a great mystery to me. You know my thoughts. You know my motives. While I am working on making those areas of my life more holy, I recognize that I need the cleansing and power of your Holy Spirit in the inner most places of my existence. Cleanse my heart and conform my thoughts to your will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Today's lesson is on Matthew 15:21-28.
In this modern day, it is easy to mistake Jesus’ answer as an insult. Jesus is creating a metaphor meant to explain the priorities of His ministry. He is also teaching an important lesson to His disciples.
According to John 18:28, Jews in Jesus’ day sometimes referred to Gentiles as “dogs.” Non-Jews were considered so unspiritual that even being in their presence could make a person ceremonially unclean. Jesus had deliberately gone into Gentile territory when he was confronted by the Canaanite woman. The disciples are annoyed and wanted her sent away. She was an outsider. Jesus explained His current ministry in a way that both the woman and the watching disciples could understand. At that time, His duty was to the people of Israel, not to the Gentiles Jesus frequently tested people to prove their intentions. In testing her, Jesus declined her request and explained that she had no legitimate expectation of His help. The woman, however, lived out the principle Jesus Himself taught. Her response proved that she understood fully what Jesus was saying, yet had enough conviction to ask anyway. Jesus acknowledged her faith—calling it “great”—and granted her request. So, according to both the context and language, Jesus wasn’t referring to the Canaanite woman as a “dog,” either directly or indirectly. He wasn’t using a racial slur but making a point about the priorities He’d been given by God. He was also testing the faith of the woman and teaching an important lesson to His disciples. How do we exhibit our faith? Have you ever said or thought: There but for the grace of God go I? In Philippians Paul says, I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In KJV he says “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we are grateful to be part of your family. Reveal to us the things that prevent us from having great faith. Encourage us when we feel unable to show persistent faith. give us eyes to see people we consider “outsiders” so we can invite them to experience your great mercy. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. Thought to Remember Live by great faith
Questions for Discussion
Benediction
This week's benediction is from the King James Version.
Next week's lesson will be on Romans 3:21-30.
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