Prayer: God, you are the Good Shepherd, and you care for all your sheep. Open my eyes to see people as You see them. Open my heart to love them as You do.
Take a few minutes of silence. In your own words, ask God to meet you here.
Reading: “Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to Him, pleading, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.’ But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then His disciples urged Him to send her away. ‘Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.’ Then Jesus said to the woman, ‘I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.’ She came and worshiped Him, pleading again, ‘Lord, help me!’ Jesus responded, ‘It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.’ She replied, ‘That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.’ ‘Dear woman,’ Jesus said to her, ‘your faith is great. Your request is granted.’ Her daughter was instantly healed” (
Response: After reading those verses, what are your first impressions? Why do you think the woman continued to plea for Jesus’ help, even though He ignored her and told her no? Write down anything that comes to your mind about this passage.
Insight: In our world today, we recognize several different nationalities. We might describe someone based on their race or nationality, referring to them as Italian, Irish, Hispanic or Asian. Throughout history, however, race and nationality has been a sensitive topic. When Jesus walked the earth, the Jewish perspective was that there were only two kinds of people—Jewish and not Jewish (Gentile). The Jewish people believed they were God’s chosen people, destined to rule over the other nations of the world, and many Jewish people considered Gentiles to be unclean. In fact, a good Jewish man was not allowed to marry to a Gentile, eat with him or her or even talk to a Gentile.
What would it mean for a non-Jewish woman to approach a Jewish rabbi and ask him for something? Go back and reread this passage with that question in mind.
All through the Old Testament, there is a promise that through Israel God will redeem and restore the whole world and all people. In the time of Jesus, God’s people had forgotten they were to be a light to the world. They had forgotten God was the Lord of the whole earth and everything in it. A good portion of Paul’s teaching to the churches in the New Testament centers around what it means for there to be reconciliation between Jewish and Gentile people, who now, because of the cross, make up one new family.
Reflection: In what ways can you see Jesus challenging His disciples to think differently about these ideas of race and superiority in this passage?
Read
In the next few days, go to an ethnic restaurant to eat and interact with those who are different from you. While you’re there:
• Eat some ethnic food that is new to you.
• Observe how the customers interact with the servers or environment.
• Try to learn some of the language. Ask your server how to say simple words such as “Hello” and “Thank you.”
• After your meal, take a few minutes to write some thoughts about the experience. What did you notice about the people? How did it feel to try something new and different?
