February 18, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:32-39
OBSERVATIONS
The only difference between this miracle feeding story and the previous (aside from the numbers) is the audience, here we have non-Jews, people from the regions north of the sea of Galilee.
Notice that Jesus spoke of only feeding the ‘children’ (Israelites?) previously with the Canaanite woman, yet here He is eager to feed the ‘dogs’ (Gentiles). Though I am uncomfortable with the analogy, I do think that this clarifies for us that Jesus was not reluctant to help this woman, He had compassion on her too.
Why did so many people travel with so little food? Would they bring their families without bringing enough food? Or were these people poor, desperate for Jesus’ help, this seems to be the kind of people normally drawn to Jesus.
Once again God’s power with Jesus and His compassion through Jesus are what stand out in this story. God is love, and God is stepping in to help through Jesus; come to Jesus to experience God’s love and help!
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
Come to Jesus with my struggles and needs, God loves me and will help me through Jesus. This reminds me of the old hymn ‘What A Friend We Have In Jesus’, which urges us to bring everything to Good and Jesus and prayer.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
I do not know if God will perform a miracle, but I do know that He does love us, and will somehow help us.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, yesterday again You answered a specific prayer in a specific way. Thank You for reminding me again that God loves me and will help me!