How Rude Was Jesus? Mark 7:24-37

[Andyindauk]

Jesus goes to Tyre and Sidon. This is one of only a couple of instances where Jesus ventures outside of Israel since He was a little baby when Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt Matthew 2:13-15. But before we go any further, I want you to look at Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the unjust judge.

We're told that Jesus went into a house and wanted to keep it secret but such was His celebrity that He was recognised even in Tyre or Sidon and word got out and soon spread. A lady heard that Jesus was in town, whether she was Greek (Mark 7:25) or Canaanite (Matthew 15:22) maybe both, it's immaterial, she was a Gentile and to Jesus at that time, giving her her request was a problem. So, that being the case, what was Jesus doing in Tyre and Sidon? What was the problem with healing a gentile? He healed other gentiles, Matthew 8:5-13, the healing of the Centurion's servant. Mark 5:1, the demon possessed pigs. Luke 17:11-19, the 10 lepers. It was possible that Jesus was testing out His theory in Matthew 11:21 in which case, why did He go into the house secretly and why was He so reluctant to perform any of His mighty works there?

This passage throws up a lot of questions.

Back to the story. The woman had a problem, her daughter was demon possessed. She'd heard about Jesus and His reputation for dealing with spirit possession and she wanted some of that for her daughter. She'd heard that Jesus was in town and so off she went. We're not told where her husband was, was he baby sitting or was he out of the equation altogether?

The first act of humility and submission is that she throws herself onto the floor at Jesus's feet. Then she starts begging. Is there a lesson there for us, when we desperately need something? Remember that unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8. She pleads; 'Have mercy on me.' It's like she's assumed responsibility for her daughter's condition. She's honest, she's opened up and publicly approached Jesus. She's not covered her daughter's condition up, pretending everything is OK. It's OK to be not OK. When things are bad, we need to share and declare that situation and our trust and belief that we've asked God to fix it. Others will see God's miracle and the resource that we have in God. They will all see God's glory and wonder as He answers your prayers, real time. Don't be shy, coy and hide problems and situations in the closet and later bring them out after God has answered your prayers, thanking Him in a prayer meeting or a testimony; it's history then.

In the account in Matthew 15:21-28, the woman addresses Jesus by His proper title, 'oh Lord, son of David.' She was clearly a believer. You see, the Pharisees never acknowledged that title, rather addressing Him, rather patronisingly, 'teacher' or 'Rabbi'. No, this woman knew about King David, she knew the Messianic prophecies that He would be a direct descendant, and she clearly believed that Jesus was that Messiah, and so she comes to Him with her petition. Firstly, Jesus blanks her and so she had to keep asking Him, irritating the disciples according to Matthew, which gives an indication of their cold hearts towards Gentiles, even those in distress.

So was Jesus being indifferent, uncaring and cold towards this poor woman, just because she wasn't Jewish? He loved this woman just like He loves us, Jesus does not want us to have the notion that by following Him, all we need to do is ask and every little problem and bump in the road simply just melts away. Jesus was testing the resilience of her faith.

This woman who lived and grew up in a town with no synagogue had a genuine faith and belief in God. Because she had this need and problem, she then sought out His son, Jesus. Often, it's so easy to come to God when we have a crisis; it's when everything is going nice and smooth that we can become complacent, and He starts to slip down our priority list. But because of her problem, this woman's daughter was the trigger that compelled her to seek out Jesus. Relationship breakdowns, cost of living crisis, career and work problems and health issues can all serve to jolt us out of complacency and back into towing the line and seeking His divine intervention.

In the end, He answers her, but not the answer she was looking for. In fact this is the only time Jesus says no to anyone asking Him for healing. The Bible doesn't seem to be very 'doggy friendly'. 1 Kings 14:11, Matthew7:6, Luke 16:19, Philippians 3:2. What Jesus says to the woman looks uncannily like an insult and would almost certainly today be deemed as racist hate speech; imagine if a journalist had been there. What would the headlines be the next morning? But was it recist hate speech? It can't be because there is no hate in Jes⁹s or racism. Jesus loves us all, literally, to death!

This woman not only shows humility, she also shows strength and tenacity. She's going nowhere until she gets what she came for? Are there other similar stories in the Bible? Genesis 32:22-30.

So was Jesus restating His mission to the Jews as described by Paul in Romans 1:16, or simply reminding her that she wasn't part of His remit or did He know what the woman's response would be if He insulted her in this way, or all three? Her lack of indignation but rather her acceptance of Jesus's rather unfair characterisation demonstrated a humility that He was not used to. This woman was the embodiment of The Beatitudes Matthew 5 verses 3 and 5. How could Jesus resist? In changing His mind, Jesus was persuaded to break His own rules. Numbers 23:19. That said, it could be argued that God had previously broken that rule. Genesis 18:16-33 and Jonah 3:9 but the answer to that is, how can you change your mind if you knew precisely the outcome of the events unfolding in advance?

The lessons we learn from this passage are -

That God loves genuine humility, not like Dickens's Uriah Heap but genuine humility, and we need to be persistent in our prayers, Luke 18:1-8.

Today, this woman would have almost certainly have taken the hump and probably given Jesus a mouthful, she'd have stormed out of there and her daughter wouldn't have seen any improvement. But no, this woman gave as good as she got and still retained her humility. Could it be said that a more humble, gentle struggle against inequality is more effective than violent protests, riots and insurrection?

The woman seems happy to be offered crumbs. How arrogant would it be to snub God's crumbs? Mark 6:43.

We rightly turn to God during times of crisis and problems Psalm 119:71-77.

Do we sometimes take our lofty and privileged position as adopted children of God, joint hiers with Jesus for granted? Romans 11:17-24. We expect, we demand; sometimes a lack of humility and demands are dressed up as faith like a mustard seed but to God that can seem like impetulance?

So, how Rude Is Jesus? Not at all !!

 

[complete]

Hello there, @Andyindauk,

In using the title, 'O Lord, thou Son of David,' (Matthew 15:22) she was recognising the Lord's right to the throne of Israel: and if she had been an Israelite, would have placed on the Lord an obligation to meet her need, as Kinsman-Redeemer, her King. But, she was not an Israelite, but a Gentile, therefore He was under no obligation. In fact it would have been against His brief to do so, for He had come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It was when she, altering her approach, and called Him by the title , 'Lord' (v.24), that He, recognising the strength of her faith, had mercy upon her and did what she asked.

I may be wrong in this, I have read that there was an obligation associated with the use of the title 'Son of David', and I associated that with the role of Kinsman-Redeemer, but have not investigated fully, so please check.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Beetow]

If there are faults to be found in Jesus' manners, we have to lay them on his superior
because Jesus was micromanaged.

• John 3:34-35 . .He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's spirit is upon
him without measure or limit.

• John 8:26 . .He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which
I have heard of Him.

• John 8:28 . . I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as the
Father taught me.

• John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, He
gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

• John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent
me.

• Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at
many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His
son.
_

 

[Hekuran]

Jesus goes to Tyre and Sidon. This is one of only a couple of instances where Jesus ventures outside of Israel since He was a little baby when Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt Matthew 2:13-15. But before we go any further, I want you to look at Luke 18:1-8, the parable of the unjust judge.

We're told that Jesus went into a house and wanted to keep it secret but such was His celebrity that He was recognised even in Tyre or Sidon and word got out and soon spread. A lady heard that Jesus was in town, whether she was Greek (Mark 7:25) or Canaanite (Matthew 15:22) maybe both, it's immaterial, she was a Gentile and to Jesus at that time, giving her her request was a problem. So, that being the case, what was Jesus doing in Tyre and Sidon? What was the problem with healing a gentile? He healed other gentiles, Matthew 8:5-13, the healing of the Centurion's servant. Mark 5:1, the demon possessed pigs. Luke 17:11-19, the 10 lepers. It was possible that Jesus was testing out His theory in Matthew 11:21 in which case, why did He go into the house secretly and why was He so reluctant to perform any of His mighty works there?

This passage throws up a lot of questions.

Back to the story. The woman had a problem, her daughter was demon possessed. She'd heard about Jesus and His reputation for dealing with spirit possession and she wanted some of that for her daughter. She'd heard that Jesus was in town and so off she went. We're not told where her husband was, was he baby sitting or was he out of the equation altogether?

The first act of humility and submission is that she throws herself onto the floor at Jesus's feet. Then she starts begging. Is there a lesson there for us, when we desperately need something? Remember that unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8. She pleads; 'Have mercy on me.' It's like she's assumed responsibility for her daughter's condition. She's honest, she's opened up and publicly approached Jesus. She's not covered her daughter's condition up, pretending everything is OK. It's OK to be not OK. When things are bad, we need to share and declare that situation and our trust and belief that we've asked God to fix it. Others will see God's miracle and the resource that we have in God. They will all see God's glory and wonder as He answers your prayers, real time. Don't be shy, coy and hide problems and situations in the closet and later bring them out after God has answered your prayers, thanking Him in a prayer meeting or a testimony; it's history then.

In the account in Matthew 15:21-28, the woman addresses Jesus by His proper title, 'oh Lord, son of David.' She was clearly a believer. You see, the Pharisees never acknowledged that title, rather addressing Him, rather patronisingly, 'teacher' or 'Rabbi'. No, this woman knew about King David, she knew the Messianic prophecies that He would be a direct descendant, and she clearly believed that Jesus was that Messiah, and so she comes to Him with her petition. Firstly, Jesus blanks her and so she had to keep asking Him, irritating the disciples according to Matthew, which gives an indication of their cold hearts towards Gentiles, even those in distress.

So was Jesus being indifferent, uncaring and cold towards this poor woman, just because she wasn't Jewish? He loved this woman just like He loves us, Jesus does not want us to have the notion that by following Him, all we need to do is ask and every little problem and bump in the road simply just melts away. Jesus was testing the resilience of her faith.

This woman who lived and grew up in a town with no synagogue had a genuine faith and belief in God. Because she had this need and problem, she then sought out His son, Jesus. Often, it's so easy to come to God when we have a crisis; it's when everything is going nice and smooth that we can become complacent, and He starts to slip down our priority list. But because of her problem, this woman's daughter was the trigger that compelled her to seek out Jesus. Relationship breakdowns, cost of living crisis, career and work problems and health issues can all serve to jolt us out of complacency and back into towing the line and seeking His divine intervention.

In the end, He answers her, but not the answer she was looking for. In fact this is the only time Jesus says no to anyone asking Him for healing. The Bible doesn't seem to be very 'doggy friendly'. 1 Kings 14:11, Matthew7:6, Luke 16:19, Philippians 3:2. What Jesus says to the woman looks uncannily like an insult and would almost certainly today be deemed as racist hate speech; imagine if a journalist had been there. What would the headlines be the next morning? But was it recist hate speech? It can't be because there is no hate in Jes⁹s or racism. Jesus loves us all, literally, to death!

This woman not only shows humility, she also shows strength and tenacity. She's going nowhere until she gets what she came for? Are there other similar stories in the Bible? Genesis 32:22-30.

So was Jesus restating His mission to the Jews as described by Paul in Romans 1:16, or simply reminding her that she wasn't part of His remit or did He know what the woman's response would be if He insulted her in this way, or all three? Her lack of indignation but rather her acceptance of Jesus's rather unfair characterisation demonstrated a humility that He was not used to. This woman was the embodiment of The Beatitudes Matthew 5 verses 3 and 5. How could Jesus resist? In changing His mind, Jesus was persuaded to break His own rules. Numbers 23:19. That said, it could be argued that God had previously broken that rule. Genesis 18:16-33 and Jonah 3:9 but the answer to that is, how can you change your mind if you knew precisely the outcome of the events unfolding in advance?

The lessons we learn from this passage are -

That God loves genuine humility, not like Dickens's Uriah Heap but genuine humility, and we need to be persistent in our prayers, Luke 18:1-8.

Today, this woman would have almost certainly have taken the hump and probably given Jesus a mouthful, she'd have stormed out of there and her daughter wouldn't have seen any improvement. But no, this woman gave as good as she got and still retained her humility. Could it be said that a more humble, gentle struggle against inequality is more effective than violent protests, riots and insurrection?

The woman seems happy to be offered crumbs. How arrogant would it be to snub God's crumbs? Mark 6:43.

We rightly turn to God during times of crisis and problems Psalm 119:71-77.

Do we sometimes take our lofty and privileged position as adopted children of God, joint hiers with Jesus for granted? Romans 11:17-24. We expect, we demand; sometimes a lack of humility and demands are dressed up as faith like a mustard seed but to God that can seem like impetulance?

So, how Rude Is Jesus? Not at all !!

I think you let Jesus off the hook too easily here. I've been puzzling over this passage for years and I've not yet been able to resolve it.

A woman in absolute desperation about her daughter's condition begs for Jesus' help. In return, Jesus offers no help and calls her a dog.

The woman's faith and her calm and quick witted response to Jesus are amazing.

I know that we shouldn't judge 1st century stories by 21st century standards, but it seems to me that Jesus' words are cruel and hurtful by any standards.

I would love to be able to find my way through this passage. But I've done a lot of reading on it, and I've never found a satisfactory interpretation of what is going on.

 

[Waggles]

Judaism and Dogs​

Today domesticated canines are beloved pets, but traditional Jewish texts were uneasy about these creatures.

BY MY JEWISH LEARNING
Dogs are for the most part portrayed negatively in the Bible.
Deuteronomy appears to equate dogs and prostitution, ruling in Deuteronomy 23:19 that if one of these is used to pay for an animal — say, if one offered a dog or sex in exchange for a goat — that purchased animal cannot be
brought to the temple as a sacrifice.
The Book of Kings includes several references to dogs feeding on corpses. And in the Psalms, dogs are described as beasts that maul at human beings.

In the Jewish mystical tradition, dogs are symbols of the demonic. The Zohar, the core text of Jewish mysticism, says that evil in the world is like a vicious dog on a long leash.

The Mishneh Torah (a 12th-century code by Maimonides) states that one must keep a dog chained, because these animals are known to cause “substantial and frequent” damage. Maimonides permitted Jews living in border towns
to let their dogs loose at night only, presumably for protection.
The Shulchan Aruch (a 16th-century legal code) takes a somewhat less restrictive approach, saying only that an “evil dog” must be bound in iron chains.
Similarly, Rabbi Moshe Isserles, a 16th-century Polish scholar also known as the Rema, in his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch writes that a dog that is liable to harm people must be kept chained.

 

[Waggles]

DOG (

).​

By: Solomon Schechter, Kaufmann Kohler​

The Jewish Encyclopaedia - dog

"Dog" is also the synonym in rabbinical literature for shameless and relentless people, and therefore for wicked heathen.
The time of general degeneracy is a time when "the generation will have the face of the dog" (Soṭah ix. 15).
R. Joshua ben Levi compares the righteous to the guests invited to the king's table, and the wicked heathen to the dogs who obtain the crumbs that fall therefrom (Midr. Teh. to Ps. iv. 8, based upon Isa. lvi. 10, 11).
R. Ishmael b. R. Jose called the Samaritans dogs, as "being as adhesive to idolatrous customs as the dog is to the flesh of carcasses" (Gen. R. lxxxi.).
Just as the dog must be beaten by the master, so must the wicked be smitten by God (Ex. R. ix., with reference to Ps. lix. 7; compare Sanh. 109a: "As the dog scents food from afar, so do the wicked scent the bones of the rich for pillage").
The epithet "dog" used for heathen in the New Testament (Matt. xv. 26; Phil. iii. 2) is explained hereby; but the statement of Eisenmenger, "Entdecktes Judenthum," i. 714-716, that the Jews call non-Jews (Christians) "dogs,"
repeated often and referred to in Meyer's commentaries to Matthew, l.c., as well as the Talmudical quotations in Herzog-Hauck's "Real-Encyc." s.v. "Hund," and in Cheyne and Black, "Encyc. Bibl." s.v.

 

[Waggles]

Philippians 3:2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh -

2Peter 2:22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

 

[Beetow]

I know that we shouldn't judge 1st century stories by 21st century standards, but it
seems to me that Jesus' words are cruel and hurtful by any standards.

The words he spoke to the women weren't his: Jesus was micromanaged.

• John 3:34-35 . .He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's spirit
is upon him without measure or limit.

• John 8:26 . .He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things
which I have heard of Him.

• John 8:28 . . I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as
the Father taught me.

• John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

• John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who
sent me.

• Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has
spoken to us by His son.

The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets (1Cor 14:32) but not
Jesus' spirit: it was totally subjugated to his superior, i.e. Jesus never acted as
an independent agent. (John 4:34, John 8:29, Phil 2:8)
_

 

[Hekuran]

The words he spoke to the women weren't his: Jesus was micromanaged.

• John 3:34-35 . .He is sent by God. He speaks God's words, for God's spirit
is upon him without measure or limit.

• John 8:26 . .He that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things
which I have heard of Him.

• John 8:28 . . I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak these things as
the Father taught me.

• John 12:49 . . I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

• John 14:24 . .The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who
sent me.

• Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has
spoken to us by His son.

The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets (1Cor 14:32) but not
Jesus' spirit: it was totally subjugated to his superior, i.e. Jesus never acted as
an independent agent. (John 4:34, John 8:29, Phil 2:8)
_

I dont see how that helps much, just passes responsibility from the son to the father. The problem of calling a woman in desperation begging for help a dog remains.

 

[B-A-C]

Well, God is never "politically correct". What man thinks is correct isn't what God thinks is correct.
But I wonder if it has to do with the mentality of the Jews more than it had to do with the mentality of Jesus.
Jesus originally came for the Jews... (only?) But they rejected Him. So...

Matt 15:24; But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Matt 23:37; "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
Luke 13:34; "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!

What is the great mystery of the New testament?

Rom 11:25; For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
Col 1:27; to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Acts 10:45' All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

The Gentiles were unclean to the Jews, Mark 7:27 and Matt 15:26; weren't the only place people are called dogs.
Also see Matt 7:6; Php 3:2; and Rev 22:15; It doesn't appears that only Gentiles are the dogs in these passages.

Philippians 3:2; is especially interesting, because it was written to the Gentiles, and yet it tells the Gentiles to "beware of the dogs".

Acts 10:28; And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Acts 10:15; Again a voice came to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."

Did the Gentiles somehow become "clean" in Acts 10? At least clean enough to talk to the Jews and receive salvation.

Acts 15:16; 'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,
Acts 15:17; SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

I find it amazing that the temple of Solomon was still standing when this was written, but yet "I (Jesus) will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David". ( see Amos 9:11; )
Why?
So that the Gentiles can seek the Lord.

 

[Beetow]

I dont see how that helps much, just passes responsibility from the son to the
father. The problem of calling a woman in desperation begging for help a dog
remains.

This is a good test case for Gen 3:22, which says:

"Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing
good and evil"

In the beginning, mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, i.e. they
came into being with an inspired conscience. But then came the forbidden fruit
incident wherein mankind's conscience lost its inspired compass and became
humanistic.

As a result, mankind's sense of right and wrong quite naturally often disagrees with
its maker's sense of right and wrong, and at times God's conduct seems unfair,
unjust, cruel, thoughtless, selfish, and insensitive.

One of the problems associated with mankind's natural moral compass is that it
oftentimes doesn't have enough pertinent facts to work with. A case in point is that
woman with whom Jesus spoke. God was up to something with her that on the
surface looks awful, but underneath was something beneficial to both her and to us.

I sincerely believe that one of the things that God truly appreciates is stubborn
determination to obtain His providence; and some of Jesus' parables speak to that.

My favorite "determined" guy is Jacob. He refused to let go that mysterious person in
the 32nd chapter of Genesis; and the person replied:

"Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel for you have striven with beings
divine and human, and have prevailed. And He blessed him there."

Jacob's new name means: He shall rule as God. (Christ is Jacob's descendant; so
that by means of Christ, Jacob's blessing is coming to pass.)
_

 

[Andyindauk]

I think you let Jesus off the hook too easily here. I've been puzzling over this passage for years and I've not yet been able to resolve it.

A woman in absolute desperation about her daughter's condition begs for Jesus' help. In return, Jesus offers no help and calls her a dog.

The woman's faith and her calm and quick witted response to Jesus are amazing.

I know that we shouldn't judge 1st century stories by 21st century standards, but it seems to me that Jesus' words are cruel and hurtful by any standards.

I would love to be able to find my way through this passage. But I've done a lot of reading on it, and I've never found a satisfactory interpretation of what is going on.

I'm pretty sure that Jesus knew this woman inside out, He knew her psychie; she was a feisty one, quick witted and sharp as a knife and He knew what He was saying and how she would receive it and her reaction. Were she more sensitive and delicate, Jesus would surely have tailored His response accordingly. If my wife does something dizzy I'll call her a silly cow, and she'll laugh it off whereas if I were to have called my mother a silly cow, she would have either slapped me or not spoke to me for a month

We know that Jesus loved the woman and admired her faith and humility. He knew that she had rejected the Pagan gods and sought and found God with no help from a synagogue or a religious upbringing. She studied the Scriptures and fully understood what scribes and Pharisees failed to grasp; that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. It's clear that this woman did not take Jesus's banter to heart and a combination of love for Him and the need for her daughter's healing gave her resilience. She wasn't one bit upset; no, Jesus had something she wanted and no put down was going to detract her from that. Jesus admired and applauded that.

That woman wasn't indignant, hurt or upset about her encounter with Jesus, no, she did cartwheels all the way home!!

The lesson for us is that Jesus does not dish out for every whim and request, whether or not you or the prayer is deserving. Contrary to the Word of Faith teaching, God reserves the right to say wait or no and that is no reflection of the petitioner's faith. God wants us to love Him for who He is, rather than for what He gives.

 

[Waggles]

Matthew 8:5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him,
6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.”
7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,
12 while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

 

[Hekuran]

I'm pretty sure that Jesus knew this woman inside out, He knew her psychie; she was a feisty one, quick witted and sharp as a knife and He knew what He was saying and how she would receive it and her reaction. Were she more sensitive and delicate, Jesus would surely have tailored His response accordingly. If my wife does something dizzy I'll call her a silly cow, and she'll laugh it off whereas if I were to have called my mother a silly cow, she would have either slapped me or not spoke to me for a month

We know that Jesus loved the woman and admired her faith and humility. He knew that she had rejected the Pagan gods and sought and found God with no help from a synagogue or a religious upbringing. She studied the Scriptures and fully understood what scribes and Pharisees failed to grasp; that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Messiah. It's clear that this woman did not take Jesus's banter to heart and a combination of love for Him and the need for her daughter's healing gave her resilience. She wasn't one bit upset; no, Jesus had something she wanted and no put down was going to detract her from that. Jesus admired and applauded that.

That woman wasn't indignant, hurt or upset about her encounter with Jesus, no, she did cartwheels all the way home!!

The lesson for us is that Jesus does not dish out for every whim and request, whether or not you or the prayer is deserving. Contrary to the Word of Faith teaching, God reserves the right to say wait or no and that is no reflection of the petitioner's faith. God wants us to love Him for who He is, rather than for what He gives.

Imagine taking a sick child to a doctor and the doctor takes one glance and says, "I don't treat dogs, only children!"

No matter what smart rejoinder the parent comes up with or the eventual outcome, we'd have to say that the doctor behaved appallingly, no?

I want to state clearly that I'm not stirring things up for the purposes of debate or to be a controversialist. I love the portraits of Jesus throughout the rest of the gospels - how he is always surprising, gets straight to the heart of issues, his compassion, wisdom and love for people who are suffering. But I can't find a way to read this one story that isn't monstrous.

 

[Beetow]

I can't find a way to read this one story that isn't monstrous.

Your natural conscience is steering you away from God's perspective.

"Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing
good and evil" (Gen 3:22)

Jesus died to atone for mankind's natural conscience the same as he died for
everything else that's wrong with us.

• Heb 9:14 . . How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead
activity
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