156 – Do you remember the story about the Syrophoenician woman who asked Jesus to heal her daughter?

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was so incredibly inclusive of all types of people is in his ministry? 

I mean, think about it. Jesus talked to every sort of person there was to talk to: the rich, the poor, the holy, the humble, the sinner, the self-righteous. It didn’t matter to him if someone was of high or low social and religious status. What he cared about was if someone was receptive to who he was and his message of the kingdom of heaven. 

And Jesus didn’t only minister to people of the Jewish faith. He often broke the social and religious boundaries by talking to non-Jewish people.

In this week's episode, I focus on how Jesus interacted with the Greek woman who was a Syrian Phoenician. There are some important things to keep in mind:

• Matthew and Mark both recount this story, but they each give details the other leaves out
• Matthew says Jesus didn't even respond at first to her plea for help
• Jesus disciples were bothered by her presence and wanted Jesus to get rid of her
• Jesus saw an opportunity for healing; the disciples did not
• Jesus basically calls the woman a dog
• The word he used for dog actually meant a little dog, a lap dog, or pet. It was a term of endearment, not an insult
• The woman picked up on this. The "dogs under the table" are pets, members of the family and the woman realized Jesus was including her as worthy to be healed.
• Jesus was "the bread of life" and did not deny this woman this bread
• He healed her daughter

How was Jesus able to see this as an opportunity for healing when no one else did? How can we see these kinds of things as opportunities for healing?

Jesus knew his message of the kingdom of heaven and salvation was for all mankind. What is he teaching us about heaven in this story? What is he showing us about how his church should treat people who are rejected by social, cultural, and religious tradition?

This encounter is actually prophetic of how the Gospel would be shared with the non-Jewish world relatively soon after Jesus ascended.

Text me your questions or comments.

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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.

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