Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The setting of Jesus’ ministry shifts significantly in Mark 7:24-26: “And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it, but He could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet: the woman was a Greek [Gentile], a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil [demon] out of her daughter.” Although this area was close to Galilee (more than twenty miles away), it was a different place culturally. Almost all of the people were non-Jewish, and polytheistic paganism prevailed. Yet, our gracious Savior willingly went there. This lady was a Syrian by birth but lived in the region of Phoenicia along the Mediterranean coast. Her unique background did not prevent her from seeking out Jesus; her comfort level in approaching Him tells us all we need to know about Him and His solicitude. She dared to come to Him because of all that she had heard about Him. The contrast with the legalistic leaders in Galilee is absolute. They would not have permitted this Gentile woman to approach them precisely because she was both a Gentile and a woman. One Jewish man rejected that prejudice, welcomed her, and spoke to her – Jesus. His concern for her needs is the same concern that caused Him to go to the Cross.