Image from eastgatefellowship.net
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:24-37 New International Version of The Bible)
A blessed and faith-filled Monday be yours, ConCafe Family! I send (to some of you) late greetings from The Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Nellie and I are in a borrowed home near the Gulf and for about three weeks I will be doing what I received my insurance license; enroll staff and teachers of a school district with health insurance. We drove down while listening to Pastor Matt's live sermon on Youtube and arrived here after 1 pm. Friend, may your faith be blessed by this time spent in God's holy word. Please pray for those in need, please pray for us while here doing something new; pray for one another, and for your needs.
Sometimes life hands us things we did not want, nor expect, and in our thinking, did not deserve. And many times it is in the lives of loved ones where these uninvited, unwelcomed "guests" arrive, and we feel the hit even harder. No parent or grandparent want any sort of afflction, illness, accident, or anything negative to happen to their children. Most parents would travel the globe to seek that which would deliver, or heal, correct, or remedy that ill. And some would even pray. And so, we encounter a mother who comes to Jesus because her little daughter was possessed with a demon. She had come because she had heard the reports of a traveling rabbi (Yes, a Jew; she was not one) who healed and made whole those with whom He had contact. So, when she heard the news that this man was coming to her region, she prepars to go and have a meeting with Him. Her faith was at that point; she would even ask a Jew for help. Jesus shocks her, and us, with what He says; "First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." Ouch. Jesus' mission was, after all, to come and restore Israel, for they were, supposedly, of the faith. She was from the race of people who were displaced by the arrival of the Jews. Remember, God promised Abraham the land of Canaan? She was one. But, while we may think Jesus was referring to her as a wild, domesticated animal, the term Jesus used was for the household pet, who did eat off the master's table, after everyone else had eaten. While many of us still would not like such terms used with us, she was not going to be stopped in her quest; "Yes, you can call me what you like, and I understand that term, but I am here not for myself, but for my child," is what she may have thought. She was even blessed by a reply, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." That was enough. Jesus' "Why do you ask?" was met with a proper response, and tells her that the demon had left her daughter, and she was now healed. By the time she got home, the child was lying on the bed and demon-free.
Jesus leaves that area and they brought to Him a man who was deaf and mute. These people, also aware of Jesus' powers and so they ask for Jesus to place His hands on him, and Jesus does, but shocks us with the way He does it. Jesus places His fingers in the man's ears, and then Jesus spits and touches the man's tongue, and "with a deep sigh said to him, 'Ephphataha!' (which means "Be opened!"), and the man was healed. I don't know about you, but if I were the man with the great need, I would welcome whatever form of touch that Jesus would use to bring me to wholeness. I doubt anyone from that man's family, or mine, would have questioned Jesus to the point of yelling, "Wait, Jesus! Don't put your fingers in his ears! And, what? You're spitting? In public! And wait! YOU'RE TOUCHING MY DAD WITH THAT SPIT! NO WAY! I'D RATHER MY DAD STAY DEAF AND MUTE THAN BE DEFILED IN THAT WAY!" Didn't happen. The man was healed; and Jesus' ministry continued, even with His requests that this not be part of the town's news.
God doesn't need to ask, "Why do you ask?" but our hearts and minds should reflect in our prayers the why behind our prayers and actions. We should have in us the faith to ask, the hope of receiving, and the conviction to trust God no matter the outcome of our needs. Above all else, we should declare that God continues with us and that we continue with Him.
PRAYER: Loving Father, You who know all things, You know our hearts. We pray that even with the pain and hurt that You find in them, You would know that we love and glorify You. Grant us wisdom, grand us courage, to continue on; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be the hands and feet of Jesus today!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
PS. There will be no audio for the devotional for today, and possible this week. Thank you for your understanding.
