THE REVERSALS

AUGUST 11 2009 TUESDAY SCRIPTURE MATTHEW CHAPTER 15

TEXT http://bit.ly/14zpOt

MESSAGE In an encounter with the Pharisees over their following man-made traditions above God-given commands, Jesus reveals their hypocrisy as blind guides of the people. He redefines “unclean” not as an invading contaminants (eating with unwashed hands or eating non-kosher foods) but as the evil residing within the human heart.

In a contrasting encounter with a non-Jewish woman crying for mercy for her demon possessed daughter in a region outside Israel, Jesus informs her that the gospel was to come to Israel first and explains by analogy what it would be like to reverse this, i.e. it would be like giving the children’s bread to their dog’s. The witty woman responds that even dog’s eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table resulting in Jesus acknowledging her great faith in knowing that even a morsel of his power was sufficient to heal her daughter-who he heals.

In another encounter with a non-Jewish crowd of more than 4000 people on a mountainside along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus heals those unable to walk, talk, see and who are paralyzed to the crowd’s amazement who praise God. Out of compassion for the people, Jesus multiplies 7 loaves of bread and a few small fish to feed them all.

TEACHING Three encounters with Jesus - Pharisees who practice a man-made religion of rules, a non-Jewish woman whose daughter was demon possessed and a non-Jewish crowd who were sick and hungry. The encounter in Israel met with unbelief, pride, and antagonism. The encounters outside of Israel met with great faith, humility and cries for mercy.

We don’t make ourselves clean by the washing of our hands or by the type of food we eat. The Good News is that we are made clean by Jesus who died on the cross to transform our hearts by changing its evil nature. And by his powerful word he also removes our demons; heals our inabilities to talk, walk, speak, and move; as he also miraculously feeds and sustains us. Because of his compassion, He can do all of this with even a morsel of his power if we have faith and come to him in humility and ask for mercy.

HEALING Our Father we desire to encounter your Son today as the woman did whose daughter was demon possessed, in humility, begging Him for mercy and with great faith in His power and ability to bring healing and wholeness to our lives. We confess our lack of faith in the past like the encounter He experienced with the Pharisees and our attempts to make ourselves clean as they did. We ask you to forgive us for this. We ask today that by Your Son’s Word and by the power of the Holy Spirit He cast out the demons from within us, from our lives, the demons that inflict misery upon us and cause us to suffer emotionally, physically and spiritually. We thank you for your daily bread and all the ways you sustain us including your gifts of counseling and medicine. We are amazed at what Your Son did when He was with the non-Jewish woman and the crowd of 4000 and with what He will do to bring healing to our lives and we give praise to You Father for this. In Jesus Name, Amen.

SONG 'Unclean' by Otan Vargas @imeem http://x.imeem.com/seO2SHZodX