Today’s reading was so good. It is Mark 7:24-37 – read this beautiful section of scripture.

Mark 7:²⁷ And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, 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.”

Jesus had been traveled outside of Jewish territory to a Gentile city. According to Jewish tradition this is not something a Jew would do, but this was not just a Jew, it is God. In a way, Jesus was foretelling of how Jew and Gentile would become One in Him. He enters a house, where a woman who heard of him, comes and asks for healing for her demon possessed daughter. He says to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” This term “the dogs” was a term that Jews would have used to describe those who are not Jewish. But this determined woman, perhaps hearing of His compassion, presses past this statement that would have set the average person into a rant of “how dare you!” simply, humble, understanding her low estate and position says, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” It was this response, to what could have been offense to her, that brought her daughters healing.

Do you see the heart of an intercessor here? She wasn’t trying to be about herself or her value! She was bringing the need of another. Jesus said, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” Her faith + Her humility = Victory!

The perceiving of offense derails our victory and sends us railing against another instead of rising above in faith.

Starla Smith

In the second half of this reading, Jesus is travelling back and goes through Sidon, and a group brings their friend to Jesus. He is deaf and has a speech impediment. He could not hear or speak. This one caused me to fill with tears, as Jesus put His fingers in the mans ears, spit, and touched his tongue. Jesus didn’t use words that the man couldn’t hear or understand. He used touch and what he could see to communicate with him. Jesus meets us where we are! He uses what we can understand to encounter our hearts. Look at this, it says, “And looking up to heaven, he sighed.” At first I thought why did he sigh? Was he annoyed? Was he wore out? What was that for? And then I burst into tears realizing that Jesus was showing this man, who could not hear or speak, what He was doing. He looked up to heaven and sighed. He used his eyes as direction of where this is coming from and used a bodily expression of compassion. Then said, “Ephphatha.” I think that was the first word this man heard. It means, “BE OPENED!” “And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” This group’s faith to intercede for their friend brought his freedom.

And what was their victory song: HE HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL!

Jesus traveled outside of where He should have been and brought redemption and creation to those who should have never even been spoken too by a Jewish man. But this is no ordinary man!

Jesus finds us where we are!

Starla