Faith of a Gentile Woman – Mark 7:24-30

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SONY DSCJesus went to another town and tried to keep where he was staying a secret, but a Gentile woman found him and begged him to heal her daughter. “Gentile” is a word that refers to people who are not of Jewish faith.

Jesus told the woman that he came to minister to the people of the Jewish faith and that he needed to take care of those people first. The woman’s response was that even the dogs were able to eat the crumbs from under the table.

Jesus praised her good answer of faith and healed her daughter.

You can read the full passage below:

24 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.[a] He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. 25 Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil[b]spirit, 26 and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter.

Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27 Jesus told her,“First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews.[c] It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

28 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.”

29 “Good answer!” he said. “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

–Mark 7:24-30 (NLT)

Jesus first response to the lady seems harsh, but he healed her because of her faith. The people of this woman’s nationality worshiped idols, an act that is detestable to God. Also, keep in mind that Jesus was never caught by surprise. Her response was a powerful example of faith as she was able to use the word “dog” to show her confidence that Jesus could heal her daughter.

 

Jesus, the Bread of Life – John 6:27-40

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A BIG THANK YOU to my friend Mary Seth Luoma for guest posting for me today:

26572510_sMmmmm. What is better than a hearty, freshly baked loaf of bread warm from the oven? The smell alone will get you! Did you know that bread contains almost everything we need to stay alive? Water, yeast, honey, flour, and salt are enough to nourish us and provide life, growth, and health. Bread takes longer to digest than many foods and is, therefore, more satisfying and sustaining.

Jesus said in John 6:32 that “My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven” and in verse 35 goes on to say “I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger” and that (verse 40) God’s will is that everyone who seeth the Son, and believeth on him may have everlasting life.

Stop a moment and think about what this means for us! EVERLASTING, NEW LIFE! Most of us would not even consider going one day without eating. Most of us don’t skip many meals.

Are you partaking as often of THE Bread of Life? Do you spend daily quiet time with just you and God? This daily sustenance prevents our becoming spiritually malnourished. I am as guilty as most of not spending enough alone time with God. Life gets in the way if we let it. I challenge you and me to partake of Jesus each day by spending time in the Bible and in prayer. Let’s allow Him to feed our souls so that we can live healthy, fulfilled, and satisfied lives.

God, through his son, Jesus, the living bread of life, and through His Word has given us everything we need to grow and develop as Christians. Let’s watch God work. It will be amazing!!!! Blessings!

Read the full passage below:

John 6:27-40

27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man[a] can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[b]”

32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day.40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”

–John 6:27-40 (NLT)

Image credit: aaron007 / 123RF Stock Photo

Inner purity – Mark 7:15

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file0001525791592Who is the purest person you know (not counting Jesus)? How would you know a pure person? Is it the one with the whitest clothes or the nicest clothes? Or the one with the cleanest fingernails? (Of course not – I’m being ridiculous.)

Some religious leaders criticized Jesus and the disciples for not doing the ceremonial hand washing before meals. But Jesus knew that their rituals had nothing to do with inner purity. He called them hypocrites and quoted Isaiah to them saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”   (Mark 7:6b-7 NLT)

So what does make a person pure? Jesus also said, “It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” (Mark 7:15 NLT)

We have a clean heart only by yielding to Jesus and letting him clean us up from the inside out.

Read the full passage at this link: Mark 7:1-23

Don’t be afraid… I am here – Mark 6:47-56

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file000292253304 sailboat storm 2Have you ever been in the middle of a large lake in a boat when a big storm came up. I remember such an experience. With lightning popping around and the water thrashing every direction, it was downright scary! Fortunately for us we had a motor to get us to shore faster.

The Disciples were out in the middle of a lake before the sun came up when a terrible storm came up. They struggled to row to shore, but how could they row when the boat kept bobbling around so in the wind and waves?

Jesus was on the shore and knew they were in trouble so he walked out to them. The Disciples thought he was a ghost until he spoke his calming words, “Don’t be afraid… I am here.”

This is the same Jesus who had calmed the storm once before. The same Jesus who calms our fears. Sometimes he stops the storm altogether, and sometimes he walks through the storm with us to keep us strong.

Read more of this exciting adventure the Disciples shared with Jesus in the passage below, or click on the link and choose your favorite Bible translation to read.

Mark 6:47-56

47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning[a] Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said.“Take courage! I am here![b]” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed,52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

53 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54 and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55 and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

–Mark 6:47-56 (NLT)

Jesus feeds five thousand – Mark 6:30-46

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A special thanks goes to my author friend, Linda McQuinn Carlblom for this guest post today:

Mark 6:30-46 New Living Translation (NLT)

The recommended reading for today is Mark 6:30-46 when Jesus Feeds Five Thousand. You can read the full story here. I’m focusing on verses 30-32.

30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

Rowboat on the beach Image courtesy of Photokanok FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of Photokanok / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Jesus and his disciples had put in a long, busy day. They were tired, maybe even ready to go home. Jesus said, “Let’s go off to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He knew just what they needed and it wasn’t more activity, more teaching, or more ministry opportunities. They needed some peace and quiet time alone with Him.

We all need that, even when we sometimes don’t recognize it. After a long day at school, work, or fun with friends, take Jesus’ advice and get alone with Him and rest. Block out the noise of the world. Turn off your iPod, TV, or computer. Read your Bible or pray for a few minutes and let Him recharge your spirit.  Then you’ll be ready to tackle your next task or greet a new day with fresh energy.