Hello, friends, and welcome
00:00:29.46\00:00:31.32
to another few
minutes with Jesus.
00:00:31.33\00:00:33.55
We're going to spend
some time in the gospels again
00:00:33.56\00:00:36.35
and it's my
privilege to join you
00:00:36.36\00:00:39.64
and many people around the world
00:00:39.65\00:00:41.47
as we open ourselves
up to the experiences
00:00:41.48\00:00:44.93
of Christ walking in
streets with His people
00:00:44.94\00:00:47.96
and how He lived
the life and the things
00:00:47.97\00:00:51.03
that He sought to teach us
00:00:51.04\00:00:52.99
that even to this
day, you know what?
00:00:53.00\00:00:54.52
I haven't outgrown it.
00:00:54.53\00:00:56.18
And I probably am never
going to and neither are you.
00:00:56.19\00:00:59.75
And so it's
appropriate for us to spend time
00:00:59.76\00:01:02.41
in the word to come
to know Christ better,
00:01:02.42\00:01:04.40
but more than that,
to allow Him to give us
00:01:04.41\00:01:06.92
the building
blocks the foundation
00:01:06.93\00:01:09.71
of understanding
what we are in his mind.
00:01:09.72\00:01:13.61
The value that we have
00:01:13.62\00:01:15.21
within in His sense of economy--
00:01:15.22\00:01:17.59
within the scope of eternity.
00:01:17.60\00:01:19.64
And what He dreams us to become.
00:01:19.65\00:01:22.90
That's really our goal.
00:01:22.91\00:01:24.56
As we open up the text
of the gospels together.
00:01:24.57\00:01:26.84
So join with me as we pray.
00:01:26.85\00:01:30.13
Father, thank you so much
00:01:30.14\00:01:31.85
for our wonderful and
rich opportunity to go
00:01:31.86\00:01:34.76
under the surface of the text.
00:01:34.77\00:01:36.79
To open up this word, this word
00:01:36.80\00:01:38.65
that thousands have died
so that we might have it.
00:01:38.66\00:01:42.53
That there are blood
drops on these pages of people
00:01:42.54\00:01:45.53
who gave their lives that we
00:01:45.54\00:01:47.26
might have the
privilege of opening the word.
00:01:47.27\00:01:49.53
We ask that we
would cherish the moments
00:01:49.54\00:01:51.93
that we have
together as we do this again.
00:01:51.94\00:01:54.66
This is our
prayer in the holy name
00:01:54.67\00:01:56.17
of Christ, amen.
00:01:56.18\00:01:59.32
I'm Don Pate from
Between the Lines,
00:01:59.33\00:02:01.18
and if you know
anything about me
00:02:01.19\00:02:03.01
or know anything
about Between the Lines,
00:02:03.02\00:02:04.77
it's just
distinctly a passion with me
00:02:04.78\00:02:08.11
to more for my own growth
than almost anything else,
00:02:08.12\00:02:11.67
I know it sounds
selfish to go under the surface
00:02:11.68\00:02:14.61
of the text to look back at it.
00:02:14.62\00:02:16.70
Some of the stories that
may be we've heard forever.
00:02:16.71\00:02:19.13
To see if we can find things
00:02:19.14\00:02:20.98
that we haven't seen before
00:02:20.99\00:02:22.52
to look across
the field of flowers
00:02:22.53\00:02:24.74
where maybe we have admired
00:02:24.75\00:02:26.20
this massive field of
flowers from a distance.
00:02:26.21\00:02:28.92
And maybe to go and to pick
00:02:28.93\00:02:31.36
some of the individual
petals and really study them.
00:02:31.37\00:02:34.41
To appreciate and get an odor
00:02:34.42\00:02:36.21
of the flower one single flower.
00:02:36.22\00:02:38.50
And so that's
what we're going to do.
00:02:38.51\00:02:39.89
We're going to spend time
00:02:39.90\00:02:41.26
with a gospel story from Mathew.
00:02:41.27\00:02:43.65
I invite you to take a Bible
00:02:43.66\00:02:44.93
and turn to the
Gospel of Mathew.
00:02:44.94\00:02:46.98
We're going to look at a story
00:02:46.99\00:02:48.31
that is only told by
two of the gospel writers.
00:02:48.32\00:02:52.12
For whatever
reason this one just gets
00:02:52.13\00:02:54.85
brushed by in the Book of Luke.
00:02:54.86\00:02:58.09
Luke generally often mirrors
00:02:58.10\00:03:01.33
what we have seen
in Mathew or in Mark,
00:03:01.34\00:03:04.01
all though certainly
adding some flavor each of them
00:03:04.02\00:03:06.48
adding their own
little spice to the story,
00:03:06.49\00:03:09.09
their own little
perceptions and intuitions
00:03:09.10\00:03:11.97
that the spirit has given them.
00:03:11.98\00:03:13.82
Certainly we see that,
but for whatever reason
00:03:13.83\00:03:16.72
and, oh, it may very
well be that because Luke
00:03:16.73\00:03:20.69
and this is just a
little speculation,
00:03:20.70\00:03:22.71
Luke often has such an affinity
00:03:22.72\00:03:26.48
for how the gentile sees Christ.
00:03:26.49\00:03:30.33
For how the Gentile
world comes into interaction
00:03:30.34\00:03:35.22
with the gospel that this story
00:03:35.23\00:03:37.60
is so decidedly gentile,
00:03:37.61\00:03:40.71
that Luke may have
backed off a little bit
00:03:40.72\00:03:42.48
and said you know,
everybody expects me
00:03:42.49\00:03:44.15
to do that and it
will have more power
00:03:44.16\00:03:47.64
if you hear the
story from Mathew
00:03:47.65\00:03:49.07
and Mark and I
don't deal with it.
00:03:49.08\00:03:50.65
I'm not sure exactly
why Luke is not as amazed
00:03:50.66\00:03:56.01
or chooses not to
review this story for us.
00:03:56.02\00:03:59.65
But we find it
in Mathew Chapter 15
00:03:59.66\00:04:02.92
and then again the parallel
passage in the next gospel,
00:04:02.93\00:04:06.43
in the Gospel of Mark Chapter 7.
00:04:06.44\00:04:09.47
Now it is a problematic story.
00:04:09.48\00:04:12.28
It's a story that raises
some interesting concerns.
00:04:12.29\00:04:15.04
In fact the truth
is, if you don't know
00:04:15.05\00:04:17.48
what's going on
between the lines.
00:04:17.49\00:04:18.65
If you don't
know what's going on
00:04:18.66\00:04:19.66
under the surface of the story,
00:04:19.67\00:04:21.00
you can back off and
be a little frustrated
00:04:21.01\00:04:22.40
with Jesus in this one.
00:04:22.41\00:04:23.53
I mean, really,
you can say, "Lord,
00:04:23.54\00:04:26.52
I'm not really
comfortable with this.
00:04:26.53\00:04:28.23
And actually I feel not super--
00:04:28.24\00:04:32.07
you know, as though
I'm better than you, Lord.
00:04:32.08\00:04:34.22
But there's--obviously
we got a problem here.
00:04:34.23\00:04:36.73
We've got
something I don't understand
00:04:36.74\00:04:38.22
about the story, Lord."
00:04:38.23\00:04:39.54
It's a story
when Jesus, it seems,
00:04:39.55\00:04:43.95
looks at a poor little sinner
00:04:43.96\00:04:47.70
and just cuts him to shreds.
00:04:47.71\00:04:49.69
You see, excuse me?
00:04:49.70\00:04:52.24
You know, that's not
what I expect of Jesus.
00:04:52.25\00:04:54.53
And at first reading that seems
00:04:54.54\00:04:57.40
to be what's
happening in the story
00:04:57.41\00:04:59.03
and of course as a
result many Christians
00:04:59.04\00:05:01.54
reading this story
immediately start--
00:05:01.55\00:05:04.07
we put up our
defenses and we say
00:05:04.08\00:05:05.26
I'm not comfortable with that,
00:05:05.27\00:05:06.30
therefore I don't
wanna deal with it.
00:05:06.31\00:05:07.89
You know, since I
can't easily understand
00:05:07.90\00:05:09.51
why Jesus would
do this to somebody.
00:05:09.52\00:05:11.66
I think we'll just
act like its' not there.
00:05:11.67\00:05:13.93
But of course its
there for a reason.
00:05:13.94\00:05:16.53
There are things in
there for us to discover
00:05:16.54\00:05:18.91
that will make a
difference in practical insights
00:05:18.92\00:05:21.42
to enrich our lives
even this far removed
00:05:21.43\00:05:25.01
from the original event
so many generations later.
00:05:25.02\00:05:28.47
And so I'd invite
to take your Bible
00:05:28.48\00:05:29.90
and turn to Mathew 15.
00:05:29.91\00:05:31.72
Now, again, it's
often--I don't know
00:05:31.73\00:05:35.47
I probably sound like
some old broken record
00:05:35.48\00:05:37.97
or CD that keeps skipping back
00:05:37.98\00:05:39.91
if you wanna go to
more modern technology.
00:05:39.92\00:05:42.66
I probably loop
around to this often,
00:05:42.67\00:05:45.34
but it is so important
and I'm sure you know this.
00:05:45.35\00:05:47.93
It is so important for us always
00:05:47.94\00:05:49.59
to take the Bible stories,
00:05:49.60\00:05:51.85
the episodes, the
thoughts, the concepts,
00:05:51.86\00:05:54.25
the discussions, to
take them in context.
00:05:54.26\00:05:57.81
Don't, you know, pick
something out of the text
00:05:57.82\00:06:00.00
and set it over
here independently
00:06:00.01\00:06:02.29
and assume that as a result
00:06:02.30\00:06:04.88
I can really grasp
the power of that story.
00:06:04.89\00:06:08.45
We have to put it
back into its context
00:06:08.46\00:06:11.00
to see what leads
up to this moment.
00:06:11.01\00:06:13.31
And literally it is
important in this story.
00:06:13.32\00:06:15.68
In Mathew
Chapter 15 and you find
00:06:15.69\00:06:17.42
the same thing
when you get to Mark,
00:06:17.43\00:06:18.99
because you see Jesus
almost contrasting something.
00:06:19.00\00:06:24.46
It's like He says
something to the disciples here
00:06:24.47\00:06:28.67
and then shortly
after that He exhibits it.
00:06:28.68\00:06:33.68
He lives it,
that up to this point
00:06:33.69\00:06:36.54
we just talked about it.
00:06:36.55\00:06:37.66
Now we're gonna have a living
practical lesson, an example
00:06:37.67\00:06:41.19
of what I was
just saying back here.
00:06:41.20\00:06:43.92
That's what
seems to be happening
00:06:43.93\00:06:45.43
in this passage because
as you start the chapter,
00:06:45.44\00:06:47.94
you will find Jesus
involved in a discussion about--
00:06:47.95\00:06:51.73
what is it that really
causes a person to be defiled?
00:06:51.74\00:06:55.35
What is it that sets a person
00:06:55.36\00:06:57.57
out of the norm of
heaven's acceptance?
00:06:57.58\00:07:01.83
And there's some
difficult discussion in this.
00:07:01.84\00:07:04.85
Now in the Mishnah
which is the codified
00:07:04.86\00:07:09.13
black and white, written down
00:07:09.14\00:07:11.82
oral tradition of
the world of Jesus.
00:07:11.83\00:07:14.62
This book was done
in Hebrew obviously.
00:07:14.63\00:07:18.26
It was done or
Aramaic, it's debatable.
00:07:18.27\00:07:21.11
But the book was done originally
00:07:21.12\00:07:24.67
because the Jews
when they lost the temple
00:07:24.68\00:07:27.12
in the year 70 and then
in the Bar Kokhba rebellion
00:07:27.13\00:07:30.17
65 years later in the
year 135 after Christ.
00:07:30.18\00:07:34.18
Judaism was so temple based,
00:07:34.19\00:07:37.13
was so tied to what we
call the Jewish temple cult,
00:07:37.14\00:07:40.05
and that term
cult is not a negative.
00:07:40.06\00:07:43.58
They were so tied
as a Jewish temple cult
00:07:43.59\00:07:45.58
that as a result of the fact
00:07:45.59\00:07:49.66
that they just
passed on the traditions
00:07:49.67\00:07:51.06
father to son and
rabbinic arguments
00:07:51.07\00:07:53.09
back and forth
with the minority report
00:07:53.10\00:07:54.91
against the majority
report and things like this
00:07:54.92\00:07:56.79
of the great
scholars and Rabbis.
00:07:56.80\00:07:58.73
The school of
Shammai, the school of Hillel,
00:07:58.74\00:08:01.23
Rabbi Judah Hachasid,
Rabbi Elazar disputed,
00:08:01.24\00:08:05.20
this was all oral tradition.
00:08:05.21\00:08:06.95
Just passed on word of mouth
00:08:06.96\00:08:09.58
until about 60 or 70
years after that final revolt
00:08:09.59\00:08:15.44
against Rome a 135 years
after the birth of Jesus.
00:08:15.45\00:08:19.89
What we would say 135 A.D.
00:08:19.90\00:08:22.37
When it was
evident when the Romans
00:08:22.38\00:08:24.76
made it a capital offense,
00:08:24.77\00:08:27.29
literally, you
may not know that.
00:08:27.30\00:08:28.78
It actually under
Hadrian the emperor,
00:08:28.79\00:08:30.61
it became something
00:08:30.62\00:08:32.40
for which you could be
crucified if you were Jew.
00:08:32.41\00:08:35.12
A Jew was not even
allowed to get to the place
00:08:35.13\00:08:37.41
where he could see
the city of Jerusalem,
00:08:37.42\00:08:40.53
where he could
even be within view
00:08:40.54\00:08:42.11
of the city of Jerusalem.
00:08:42.12\00:08:43.17
The reason being is the Romans
00:08:43.18\00:08:45.41
had caught on the Jews whenever
they got around Jerusalem,
00:08:45.42\00:08:48.20
they got so super patriotic
00:08:48.21\00:08:50.23
that they sort of lost
their sense in the empire.
00:08:50.24\00:08:53.42
And so it came to the
place where Hadrian finally said
00:08:53.43\00:08:55.51
"That's it, I've
had it," you know,
00:08:55.52\00:08:57.66
Jerusalem was destroyed
65 years ago in the year 70.
00:08:57.67\00:09:01.28
and they kept
crawling back and you know
00:09:01.29\00:09:03.21
they came to this
rebellion again in 135,
00:09:03.22\00:09:05.76
of course they
weren't using those dates.
00:09:05.77\00:09:07.82
But, you know,
we now have put down
00:09:07.83\00:09:10.23
this second
revolt under Bar Kokhba.
00:09:10.24\00:09:12.45
This great second revolt
against Rome we put it down.
00:09:12.46\00:09:14.42
And that's it, we're
not dealing with you again.
00:09:14.43\00:09:16.37
We are going to
scatter the Jews out away
00:09:16.38\00:09:19.05
from the city of Jerusalem,
00:09:19.06\00:09:20.11
because that way we can break up
00:09:20.12\00:09:21.59
some of your patriotic fervor.
00:09:21.60\00:09:23.61
And so he made it a
capital offense penalty
00:09:23.62\00:09:26.30
of crucifixion for a
Jew to even get to a place
00:09:26.31\00:09:28.38
where he could see
the city of Jerusalem.
00:09:28.39\00:09:30.28
Well, when that became true
the Jews realized, you know,
00:09:30.29\00:09:35.68
temple's gone and it's
been gone for 65 years.
00:09:35.69\00:09:39.16
And it looks like
we're not getting it back
00:09:39.17\00:09:40.77
not for a
longtime, so who are we
00:09:40.78\00:09:43.79
when we don't have a temple?
00:09:43.80\00:09:45.90
That had been a
problem within Judaism
00:09:45.91\00:09:48.16
even into the First Temple era.
00:09:48.17\00:09:50.03
You remember 137 Psalm.
00:09:50.04\00:09:52.17
We grew up by
the rivers of Babylon
00:09:52.18\00:09:53.80
and we're singing the
Lord's song in an alien land,
00:09:53.81\00:09:56.89
but we don't even,
how we can do that?
00:09:56.90\00:09:58.87
Who are we as a
people when we are not tied
00:09:58.88\00:10:01.74
to the temple? To
this, the chosen land.
00:10:01.75\00:10:05.93
In fact, there's a Hebrew phrase
00:10:05.94\00:10:07.14
it's called shakintiple luta.
00:10:07.15\00:10:08.98
And what that means is the exile
00:10:08.99\00:10:11.19
of the presence of God.
00:10:11.20\00:10:13.65
God settled down
to Jerusalem to bless
00:10:13.66\00:10:16.24
that place uniquely on the earth
00:10:16.25\00:10:17.83
and then when the
temple was destroyed
00:10:17.84\00:10:20.52
where did God go?
00:10:20.53\00:10:22.12
The exile of
the presence of God.
00:10:22.13\00:10:24.27
This became a
perpetual problem of discussion
00:10:24.28\00:10:27.37
within Judaism any time
they came to the destruction
00:10:27.38\00:10:29.89
of the city or the
loss of the temple.
00:10:29.90\00:10:31.95
And so the Jews
decided we better nail down
00:10:31.96\00:10:35.73
who we are as a people
00:10:35.74\00:10:37.64
and the Mishnah
came into existence.
00:10:37.65\00:10:39.77
And what may surprise you
is probably the final third
00:10:39.78\00:10:43.32
of the Mishnah actually
deals with the same issues
00:10:43.33\00:10:46.97
as Jesus is very
distinctly discussing here
00:10:46.98\00:10:50.22
in the
introduction to our story.
00:10:50.23\00:10:53.42
In chapter 15 of
Mathew, Jesus is discussing
00:10:53.43\00:10:56.32
the things that defile,
00:10:56.33\00:10:59.05
that which renders you Tomah
00:10:59.06\00:11:02.42
that you become
unacceptable, unfit.
00:11:02.43\00:11:07.45
Jesus has to deal with that
00:11:07.46\00:11:09.02
because it's a
discussion of His world.
00:11:09.03\00:11:11.32
It's a major hot
point. It's a flash point.
00:11:11.33\00:11:14.58
It's a
triggering within His world
00:11:14.59\00:11:17.48
about what is it that
really defiles a person
00:11:17.49\00:11:19.85
that sets a person out
of the approval of heaven
00:11:19.86\00:11:23.54
and so we see Jesus doing that.
00:11:23.55\00:11:25.07
Now, when the
discussion ends in verse 20,
00:11:25.08\00:11:29.18
immediately it says after
that discussion right here,
00:11:29.19\00:11:34.47
Jesus then took the
disciples to go show them
00:11:34.48\00:11:37.98
how the lesson played out.
00:11:37.99\00:11:41.22
"Jesus went thence, and departed
00:11:41.23\00:11:44.55
to the coasts
of Tyre and Sidon."
00:11:44.56\00:11:47.47
Now if you go to Bible map,
00:11:47.48\00:11:49.40
you're going to
notice something.
00:11:49.41\00:11:50.87
You've got the Galilee over here
00:11:50.88\00:11:52.25
with the Jordon
River coming out of it
00:11:52.26\00:11:53.86
going down to the Dead
Sea and Jerusalem is here.
00:11:53.87\00:11:56.47
You've got the highlands,
you've got the trans-Jordon
00:11:56.48\00:11:58.92
over across the
other side past Jericho.
00:11:58.93\00:12:01.36
You go to the Mediterranean side
00:12:01.37\00:12:04.07
even back into
the days of Joshua
00:12:04.08\00:12:07.29
that Northwest coast
was pretty much frontier.
00:12:07.30\00:12:13.44
Yes, there were
some tribes up there
00:12:13.45\00:12:14.90
like Asher and
this kind of thing,
00:12:14.91\00:12:16.09
but it never really
was part of the main
00:12:16.10\00:12:20.09
of the nation of Israel.
00:12:20.10\00:12:22.47
Even in the days
of David or Solomon
00:12:22.48\00:12:24.56
that it was always
00:12:24.57\00:12:25.82
a little bit sort
of the hinterland.
00:12:25.83\00:12:29.27
That it was never
fully incorporated
00:12:29.28\00:12:31.90
within the main body
of the nation of Israel,
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.36
that Northwest
coast of Tyre and Sidon.
00:12:35.37\00:12:38.23
That was always a
little bit compromised
00:12:38.24\00:12:41.95
as far as the mentality
00:12:41.96\00:12:43.40
of the
mainstream and the orthodox.
00:12:43.41\00:12:46.22
We see that in
the Old Testament,
00:12:46.23\00:12:47.49
we see it in the New Testament.
00:12:47.50\00:12:48.79
And what is very
clear and curious to me
00:12:48.80\00:12:51.43
is that Jesus
decidedly turns and He says,
00:12:51.44\00:12:54.33
"Okay, we're heading west."
00:12:54.34\00:12:57.47
The disciples--
this was not common.
00:12:57.48\00:13:00.17
And when you read the
gospels through and through,
00:13:00.18\00:13:02.51
you find Jesus spending
lot of time in the Galilee.
00:13:02.52\00:13:05.34
You find him even
fractionally going
00:13:05.35\00:13:07.10
through Samaria few times.
00:13:07.11\00:13:08.73
You find Him around Jerusalem.
00:13:08.74\00:13:10.63
But you rarely
find Jesus turn off
00:13:10.64\00:13:13.19
to that Northwest coast.
00:13:13.20\00:13:15.06
You rarely find
Him going anywhere
00:13:15.07\00:13:17.14
that direction
after the hinterlands,
00:13:17.15\00:13:19.88
that wasn't really Israel.
00:13:19.89\00:13:22.45
And there's a
reason for it, I think.
00:13:22.46\00:13:24.76
Jesus Himself said, "I
am come to the lost sheep
00:13:24.77\00:13:28.72
of the house of Israel,"
which is only fulfilling.
00:13:28.73\00:13:31.35
You remember the
prophecy of Daniel 9
00:13:31.36\00:13:33.56
that when Messiah
comes, he will reconfirm
00:13:33.57\00:13:36.17
the covenant with
the house of Israel.
00:13:36.18\00:13:39.16
That, yes, the gospel
is good for the world,
00:13:39.17\00:13:42.52
but the Messiah's
specific and distinct goal
00:13:42.53\00:13:45.97
will be for the
boundaries of Israel.
00:13:45.98\00:13:49.64
That was the prophecy
and Jesus basically stayed
00:13:49.65\00:13:52.93
within the boundaries of
the mainstream of Israel,
00:13:52.94\00:13:55.70
only barely going
through Samaria few times,
00:13:55.71\00:13:58.71
only just rarely
going off into the frontier.
00:13:58.72\00:14:02.35
Jesus, for whatever
reason, and the reason appears
00:14:02.36\00:14:05.21
to me to be the first 20 verses.
00:14:05.22\00:14:07.74
He is going to
show His disciples
00:14:07.75\00:14:09.82
a practical living lesson
about issues of defilement.
00:14:09.83\00:14:14.42
That's what He
just got in discussing.
00:14:14.43\00:14:16.99
He turns
immediately from the discussion
00:14:17.00\00:14:18.69
of defilement and
He starts heading west.
00:14:18.70\00:14:21.66
The disciples are going
along, a little surprised.
00:14:21.67\00:14:24.85
There isn't much out there.
00:14:24.86\00:14:26.30
And certainly it isn't
good Judaism, you know,
00:14:26.31\00:14:28.35
I mean, we're not gonna
make a dent in Jerusalem
00:14:28.36\00:14:29.97
if we're
heading northwest there,
00:14:29.98\00:14:31.40
but his Lord will
go wherever he wants.
00:14:31.41\00:14:34.07
As they headed out
toward that coast, verse 22,
00:14:34.08\00:14:36.85
"Behold, there
was a woman of Canaan
00:14:36.86\00:14:39.30
who came out from that
region from the same coasts,
00:14:39.31\00:14:42.87
and she cried out to Him.
00:14:42.88\00:14:44.70
'Have mercy on me oh
Lord thou son of David.'"
00:14:44.71\00:14:50.16
What an amazing thing.
00:14:50.17\00:14:53.72
How long a journey was it?
00:14:53.73\00:14:55.72
A day or two day's
walk, three day's walk.
00:14:55.73\00:15:00.08
We find no other appointment
for Jesus on this trip.
00:15:00.09\00:15:04.86
Now, don't get me wrong.
00:15:04.87\00:15:07.33
You cannot categorically say
00:15:07.34\00:15:08.95
Jesus didn't do
anything else on this trip.
00:15:08.96\00:15:11.19
I mean, the scripture is silent.
00:15:11.20\00:15:13.49
And so you can't categorically
00:15:13.50\00:15:15.22
just black and white say
00:15:15.23\00:15:16.47
Jesus only went
out there only for this
00:15:16.48\00:15:18.00
and He didn't do anything else,
00:15:18.01\00:15:19.27
although in the scripture
it doesn't give anything else.
00:15:19.28\00:15:21.96
And some of me, I
kind of like the idea
00:15:21.97\00:15:24.43
that Jesus had once
specific appointment in mind.
00:15:24.44\00:15:27.88
One thing that
He was going to do
00:15:27.89\00:15:29.56
and He set His eyes to go do it.
00:15:29.57\00:15:31.26
And it was have a
rendezvous with this woman.
00:15:31.27\00:15:34.13
He was going to
cross pass with that woman.
00:15:34.14\00:15:38.06
And that's why He headed west.
00:15:38.07\00:15:40.33
A woman, a Canaanite.
00:15:40.34\00:15:43.16
She was not Jewish.
00:15:43.17\00:15:45.13
More than that, of course
00:15:45.14\00:15:47.03
when you put this together
with the Gospel of Mark,
00:15:47.04\00:15:49.79
you find out that she's got
00:15:49.80\00:15:51.57
about five strikes against her.
00:15:51.58\00:15:53.66
You know, when you play baseball
00:15:53.67\00:15:54.69
you get only three
strikes and you're out.
00:15:54.70\00:15:56.34
This woman's got
about five against her.
00:15:56.35\00:15:57.81
And some of them, you know,
00:15:57.82\00:15:58.84
in our cultural
sensitivities today,
00:15:58.85\00:16:00.94
we're not real happy with it.
00:16:00.95\00:16:02.18
But the truth is if
you wanna take the text
00:16:02.19\00:16:04.42
in its real
context, in its real world,
00:16:04.43\00:16:06.57
the way it really
was back in those days.
00:16:06.58\00:16:08.69
You've got to recognize
that some of these things
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.47
were real even if
they make me uncomfortable.
00:16:10.48\00:16:12.68
One is, and I'm sorry
for half of our audience.
00:16:12.69\00:16:17.15
You know, I'm
sorry she was a woman.
00:16:17.16\00:16:19.68
Sorry about
that, this was an age
00:16:19.69\00:16:23.38
when women to a great degree,
00:16:23.39\00:16:25.54
it was not an
egalitarian society.
00:16:25.55\00:16:27.68
I mean, woman to a great degree
00:16:27.69\00:16:29.13
were just a half a step above
00:16:29.14\00:16:30.32
property in many cultures.
00:16:30.33\00:16:32.72
That wasn't
universally true. The Egyptians,
00:16:32.73\00:16:35.99
the Egyptians were fairly equal.
00:16:36.00\00:16:38.04
In fact that you
may or may not know
00:16:38.05\00:16:39.67
that in the Egyptian
world some of the pharaohs
00:16:39.68\00:16:42.49
were women and
everybody knew it,
00:16:42.50\00:16:45.58
I mean, it wasn't
like it was a secret.
00:16:45.59\00:16:47.32
Now granteded, artistically,
they were still portrayed
00:16:47.33\00:16:49.49
as though they had
beards and things like this.
00:16:49.50\00:16:51.27
But everybody
knew it was a woman,
00:16:51.28\00:16:52.82
this wasn't a secret.
00:16:52.83\00:16:54.74
Egyptian women in many
ways had some opportunities
00:16:54.75\00:16:58.73
that nobody else
in the world had.
00:16:58.74\00:17:00.38
Which by the way
should open up some windows
00:17:00.39\00:17:02.13
of understanding to you
about a story about a woman
00:17:02.14\00:17:05.72
who is married to a man
name Potiphar, and Joseph
00:17:05.73\00:17:09.61
and if you
understand the equality of women
00:17:09.62\00:17:12.59
in Egypt that opens up
a just whole new vignette
00:17:12.60\00:17:15.62
to you in that story.
00:17:15.63\00:17:17.59
But in most of the
world, that was not true.
00:17:17.60\00:17:21.19
As so much so you
get into the Book of Acts
00:17:21.20\00:17:22.80
and it speaks about of
Lydia, the seller of purple.
00:17:22.81\00:17:25.29
It's the Bible's way of saying,
00:17:25.30\00:17:27.31
this is unusual. A woman
who is making it on her own.
00:17:27.32\00:17:31.56
Independently, she
doesn't need a man.
00:17:31.57\00:17:34.04
She has her own
business, she's got employees.
00:17:34.05\00:17:36.67
You know, that this was a woman
00:17:36.68\00:17:38.10
who was making it on her own,
00:17:38.11\00:17:39.21
that was unusual for that world.
00:17:39.22\00:17:41.12
This woman has one
thing going against her,
00:17:41.13\00:17:43.42
and number one, she's a woman.
00:17:43.43\00:17:45.58
I'm sorry. Number
two, she's an alien.
00:17:45.59\00:17:49.59
She's not
Jewish. She isn't going
00:17:49.60\00:17:52.58
to be accepted by the disciples.
00:17:52.59\00:17:54.08
They're not gonna
reach out to her and say
00:17:54.09\00:17:55.52
"Oh, sister," because
she is not their sister.
00:17:55.53\00:17:59.50
She is an alien woman.
00:17:59.51\00:18:01.85
Number three, not
only is she an alien woman,
00:18:01.86\00:18:05.06
but she is of mixed race.
00:18:05.07\00:18:08.49
And in most cultures
around the world, you know,
00:18:08.50\00:18:10.76
that had some problems
00:18:10.77\00:18:13.17
and not everybody is comfortable
00:18:13.18\00:18:15.82
with though she is
Syrian and she is Phoenician.
00:18:15.83\00:18:21.09
She is both, she is mixed race,
00:18:21.10\00:18:23.13
which if it plays out anywhere
00:18:23.14\00:18:26.16
near what we see
with much of the world
00:18:26.17\00:18:30.23
they're going to
look at this and say.
00:18:30.24\00:18:32.78
You know, I'm a Syrian
00:18:32.79\00:18:34.29
and I don't really accept you.
00:18:34.30\00:18:36.58
You know, and the Phoenicians
00:18:36.59\00:18:37.75
might look and
say, I'm a Phoenician,
00:18:37.76\00:18:39.37
and you know what?
You're not really one of us.
00:18:39.38\00:18:42.27
That could have been
some of the interplay
00:18:42.28\00:18:45.24
of the story.
That's strike number three.
00:18:45.25\00:18:49.60
Strike number
four against this woman
00:18:49.61\00:18:51.25
is that she's got a daughter
00:18:51.26\00:18:53.81
with a publicly known problem.
00:18:53.82\00:18:57.43
I have next door neighbor
00:18:57.44\00:18:58.48
who is a really nice
lady who has a daughter,
00:18:58.49\00:19:02.23
who from early, early
childhood it was evident
00:19:02.24\00:19:05.53
that there was
something wrong with this girl.
00:19:05.54\00:19:07.83
And she's blind,
00:19:07.84\00:19:10.11
she's very severely
mentally handicapped.
00:19:10.12\00:19:13.97
She has very serious
physical limitations.
00:19:13.98\00:19:16.76
And our next door neighborhood
00:19:16.77\00:19:18.13
who is actually talked
to me just fractionally
00:19:18.14\00:19:22.48
about--she's a
divorcee and you know,
00:19:22.49\00:19:26.08
it's one thing to
be a divorced woman
00:19:26.09\00:19:28.29
and hope that maybe
a man will date you.
00:19:28.30\00:19:30.80
My own mother,
you know, she had a--
00:19:30.81\00:19:33.39
the most incredible gentleman
00:19:33.40\00:19:34.76
cross our life when
I was seven years old.
00:19:34.77\00:19:37.39
I mean here she was a single mom
00:19:37.40\00:19:38.86
with three runny-nosed brats
00:19:38.87\00:19:40.75
and I was the
youngest and I was the worst.
00:19:40.76\00:19:43.44
And, you know, what kind of man
00:19:43.45\00:19:45.17
is gonna introduce himself
00:19:45.18\00:19:46.37
into that mess to
take that responsibility?
00:19:46.38\00:19:49.36
It's a very unusual
person who'll do that.
00:19:49.37\00:19:51.61
And you know Lord
bless my dad, my step dad.
00:19:51.62\00:19:54.12
You know, it's best dad
anybody could ever have.
00:19:54.13\00:19:56.58
What an amazing act for
him to move into our family
00:19:56.59\00:19:59.83
and just take us as his own,
00:19:59.84\00:20:02.24
but that doesn't always happen.
00:20:02.25\00:20:03.76
And my next
door neighbor shared,
00:20:03.77\00:20:04.93
you know, it's one
thing to be a single mother.
00:20:04.94\00:20:07.44
And maybe hope that
some day a man will,
00:20:07.45\00:20:10.13
you know, want
to-- you get married,
00:20:10.14\00:20:11.77
and you know,
life works that way.
00:20:11.78\00:20:13.76
She--but with her
daughter, it raised
00:20:13.77\00:20:16.20
a whole different
spectrum of issues
00:20:16.21\00:20:19.40
to have a mentally
retarded, blind, you know,
00:20:19.41\00:20:21.95
that just--that's more
than most people can handle.
00:20:21.96\00:20:24.92
This woman in the
story she has a daughter
00:20:24.93\00:20:28.28
who is a public
embarrassment without question.
00:20:28.29\00:20:35.64
And that is part of her curse.
00:20:35.65\00:20:36.88
And the fifth
strike against her is,
00:20:36.89\00:20:38.74
she doesn't have any
God who is gonna help her.
00:20:38.75\00:20:42.53
As you read the story both here
00:20:42.54\00:20:44.17
and in the Book of Mark.
00:20:44.18\00:20:45.42
It gives us this expression
that she sought you know,
00:20:45.43\00:20:48.27
resolution not just of doctors,
00:20:48.28\00:20:49.95
but she'd appealed to the gods.
00:20:49.96\00:20:51.47
Now think about it.
00:20:51.48\00:20:53.25
Who could she have
sought as far as gods go?
00:20:53.26\00:20:56.09
She could have
appealed to the Greek gods,
00:20:56.10\00:20:58.60
because it was a Greek world.
00:20:58.61\00:20:59.92
She could have
appealed to the Roman gods,
00:20:59.93\00:21:01.83
because it was the Roman Empire
00:21:01.84\00:21:03.33
and there were
Roman temples around.
00:21:03.34\00:21:04.88
She could have gone
in and made sacrifice
00:21:04.89\00:21:06.52
before Syrian gods,
because she was half Syrian.
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.22
She could have
gone and made sacrifice
00:21:09.23\00:21:11.07
to the seafarian
gods of the Phoenicians,
00:21:11.08\00:21:13.54
you know, because
she was half Phoenician
00:21:13.55\00:21:16.87
and none of them
did her any good at all.
00:21:16.88\00:21:20.40
She had appealed to the gods
00:21:20.41\00:21:23.57
and the gods
remained silent to her.
00:21:23.58\00:21:27.02
What was there in this woman?
00:21:27.03\00:21:29.42
That when she heard
the rumor of a new prophet
00:21:29.43\00:21:33.10
within Israel and now
remember, these people
00:21:33.11\00:21:35.73
of Israel
they're kind of bigoted.
00:21:35.74\00:21:38.06
I mean, they look down
their noses at the gentiles,
00:21:38.07\00:21:41.00
at those who were not
of the house of Israel.
00:21:41.01\00:21:45.34
What is there that
caused her to step out
00:21:45.35\00:21:48.00
of her own
prejudice against the Jews
00:21:48.01\00:21:51.53
who were prejudiced against her
00:21:51.54\00:21:54.35
to approach the Son of David?
00:21:54.36\00:21:57.44
Isn't that what she says?
00:21:57.45\00:21:59.57
"Have mercy on me, O
Lord, thou son of David;"
00:21:59.58\00:22:03.10
I have no claim to anything
00:22:03.11\00:22:05.39
of the house of
David, in any way.
00:22:05.40\00:22:08.13
I'm a woman, I'm a alien.
00:22:08.14\00:22:11.15
I am mixed racially.
00:22:11.16\00:22:14.84
I have a daughter
that's an embarrassment.
00:22:14.85\00:22:17.07
I have no claim to appeal to you
00:22:17.08\00:22:19.53
or to the line of David.
00:22:19.54\00:22:22.29
But out of her
desperation she sought Jesus,
00:22:22.30\00:22:26.21
sort of I think
as a last resort.
00:22:26.22\00:22:29.33
And of all the rude things,
00:22:29.34\00:22:31.69
Jesus looked at her
and called her a dog.
00:22:31.70\00:22:34.97
Ouch... read it.
00:22:34.98\00:22:37.87
He answered her not a word.
00:22:37.88\00:22:39.14
At first, he didn't
even respond to her,
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.31
which I think Jesus was playing
00:22:41.32\00:22:42.93
against the disciple's bigotry.
00:22:42.94\00:22:44.38
They kind of hoped,
she would just evaporate.
00:22:44.39\00:22:46.45
And when Jesus just
kind of walked on by,
00:22:46.46\00:22:48.16
they thought, "All right, Lord,
00:22:48.17\00:22:49.43
you're finally catching on.
00:22:49.44\00:22:50.84
You know, there're
certain kind of people
00:22:50.85\00:22:51.89
you just don't want to
get too close to, Lord,
00:22:51.90\00:22:53.36
if you want a
make a dent in Israel.
00:22:53.37\00:22:54.82
And you don't want
this woman around."
00:22:54.83\00:22:57.40
He answered her not a word,
it was a test of her faith.
00:22:57.41\00:23:01.12
And it was also
going to be a confrontation
00:23:01.13\00:23:03.66
to the bigotry of His disciples.
00:23:03.67\00:23:07.29
He answered her not a word
00:23:07.30\00:23:09.90
and the disciples came and said,
00:23:09.91\00:23:12.05
"Let's get rid of
her, send her away.
00:23:12.06\00:23:14.16
This is
embarrassing, we don't need
00:23:14.17\00:23:15.41
this kind of problem around us.
00:23:15.42\00:23:16.90
Not if we are going
to impress the people
00:23:16.91\00:23:19.28
that we need to impress."
00:23:19.29\00:23:22.27
And Jesus said, "I am not sent."
00:23:22.28\00:23:24.07
Verse 24, " I am
not sent to anybody
00:23:24.08\00:23:27.06
but the lost house of Israel."
00:23:27.07\00:23:29.18
"To the lost sheep
of the house of Israel."
00:23:29.19\00:23:30.59
And they said, "All right.
00:23:30.60\00:23:31.72
You know, that's good
Lord, thank you very much."
00:23:31.73\00:23:33.77
But the woman pressed Him.
00:23:33.78\00:23:35.81
She wasn't going to give up.
00:23:35.82\00:23:38.89
She came and she worshipped Him,
00:23:38.90\00:23:40.67
"Lord, help me."
00:23:40.68\00:23:42.30
You know, somewhere
along line, I guess,
00:23:42.31\00:23:44.41
we're just gonna
catch on someday.
00:23:44.42\00:23:45.90
That when a
sinner approaches Christ
00:23:45.91\00:23:47.97
and says help
me, Jesus responds.
00:23:47.98\00:23:51.65
He just, He can't help Himself.
00:23:51.66\00:23:54.21
It's just the kind
of God we deal with.
00:23:54.22\00:23:57.28
He can't help Himself.
00:23:57.29\00:23:59.56
When she said, "Lord
help me," Jesus responds.
00:23:59.57\00:24:02.25
"He answered and
said, 'It is not meet
00:24:02.26\00:24:04.43
to take the children's the bread
00:24:04.44\00:24:05.70
and cast it to the dogs.'"
00:24:05.71\00:24:10.86
You know what?
That's not what she heard.
00:24:10.87\00:24:13.23
I really believe
that's not what she heard.
00:24:13.24\00:24:16.24
The disciples expected
her to be called a dog.
00:24:16.25\00:24:21.18
The disciples--because
that's what they thought of her.
00:24:21.19\00:24:24.09
They thought of her
nothing, she's just a dog.
00:24:24.10\00:24:27.78
But Jesus was again
playing against their bigotry,
00:24:27.79\00:24:30.20
and by the way, she
had her own bigotry too.
00:24:30.21\00:24:31.74
She had her own
prejudice against them.
00:24:31.75\00:24:34.63
Jesus plays in the bigotry
and He says, "It is not meet
00:24:34.64\00:24:39.62
that we cast
the children's bread
00:24:39.63\00:24:42.03
and cast it to the dogs."
00:24:42.04\00:24:43.81
The word in the
Greek is kunerion.
00:24:43.82\00:24:48.69
That is not the
Greek word for dog.
00:24:48.70\00:24:51.31
The Greek word for dog is kuon.
00:24:51.32\00:24:54.25
A kunerion is a puppy.
00:24:54.26\00:24:57.92
Does that tell you
something about Jesus?
00:24:57.93\00:25:00.24
That Jesus when--yes, He played
00:25:00.25\00:25:02.88
with the
prejudice He was bringing
00:25:02.89\00:25:04.77
to the surface the
prejudice about the concepts
00:25:04.78\00:25:07.37
of defilement
within his disciples
00:25:07.38\00:25:08.96
and even within
this woman herself.
00:25:08.97\00:25:10.83
He brings this
up to the surface,
00:25:10.84\00:25:12.80
but He does it in such a way
00:25:12.81\00:25:13.85
that He is not gonna wound her.
00:25:13.86\00:25:15.69
When he says do we
cast the bread to puppies?
00:25:15.70\00:25:18.81
The disciples heard
dog. I'm sure they heard dog.
00:25:18.82\00:25:22.23
But she knew, "He's
not trying to hurt me.
00:25:22.24\00:25:23.87
Who's gonna hurt a puppy?
00:25:23.88\00:25:25.67
He doesn't want to wound me.
00:25:25.68\00:25:26.73
He's called me a puppy."
00:25:26.74\00:25:30.55
And a result, she presses Him
and she says, "It's true, Lord.
00:25:30.56\00:25:33.31
Yet even the dogs find crumbs
under the master's table."
00:25:33.32\00:25:36.94
And Jesus answered
and said, "Oh, woman."
00:25:36.95\00:25:39.34
Verse 28, "Great is thy faith,
00:25:39.35\00:25:41.96
be it unto thee
even as thou wilt.
00:25:41.97\00:25:45.33
Whatever you want.
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.09
Your faith is so
sweet and rewarding to me.
00:25:47.10\00:25:49.82
Thank you, thank
you for approaching me.
00:25:49.83\00:25:52.69
Thank you for
stepping out in faith
00:25:52.70\00:25:54.10
and more than that,
thank you for ignoring
00:25:54.11\00:25:56.78
what was your own
bigotry and the defense system
00:25:56.79\00:25:59.41
that you might have
cast up in front of me,
00:25:59.42\00:26:02.54
because of what I said
00:26:02.55\00:26:04.35
to teach my disciples a lesson.
00:26:04.36\00:26:06.20
Thank you" and she went
home and her daughter was whole.
00:26:06.21\00:26:09.12
You remember Victor
Hugo's wonderful story,
00:26:09.13\00:26:11.84
classic literature, Les
Misérables, you remember
00:26:11.85\00:26:14.32
there was the little
street urchin Cosette,
00:26:14.33\00:26:17.47
and how that
Cosette was the rejected,
00:26:17.48\00:26:20.67
the abused and in
the story because of
00:26:20.68\00:26:24.29
Jean Valjean's
magnanimous heart he determines
00:26:24.30\00:26:28.17
this child is
going to be something.
00:26:28.18\00:26:30.27
It's kind of like
the story of Ezekiel 16.
00:26:30.28\00:26:32.77
He determines this little girl
00:26:32.78\00:26:34.38
is going to be
something and he raises Cosette
00:26:34.39\00:26:36.14
from being the
little street urchin
00:26:36.15\00:26:38.24
to being a lady,
a privileged lady.
00:26:38.25\00:26:42.17
You've got in this story
00:26:42.18\00:26:43.75
Jesus looking at
Syrophoenician women
00:26:43.76\00:26:47.02
who's got five
strikes against her.
00:26:47.03\00:26:48.65
And He looks at her as
though she is his Cosette
00:26:48.66\00:26:52.62
As though she is the one
that should expect rejection
00:26:52.63\00:26:55.88
and nothing but rejection,
00:26:55.89\00:26:57.09
but He just can't do
it. He can't it do it
00:26:57.10\00:26:59.14
because of his own
incredible magnanimous heart.
00:26:59.15\00:27:02.91
Jesus cannot give her
the rejection she expects.
00:27:02.92\00:27:06.02
And He shows His
gentleness with her
00:27:06.03\00:27:08.76
when--playing the prejudice
00:27:08.77\00:27:10.22
of His disciples
and her own prejudice.
00:27:10.23\00:27:12.21
He said, "Do we feed puppies?"
00:27:12.22\00:27:17.10
When I first read
this and I saw Jesus
00:27:17.11\00:27:18.72
call this woman a dog, I thought
00:27:18.73\00:27:19.86
I don't want to hear that.
00:27:19.87\00:27:21.65
He didn't called her a dog.
00:27:21.66\00:27:24.28
I don't know if you feel
00:27:24.29\00:27:25.34
disfranchised
at time, my friend.
00:27:25.35\00:27:27.48
I don't know if
you feel as though
00:27:27.49\00:27:29.53
you're on the outs with God.
00:27:29.54\00:27:31.11
I don't know if you feel
like you're not good enough.
00:27:31.12\00:27:32.81
I don't' know if
you feel like you got
00:27:32.82\00:27:34.04
seventeen strikes against you,
00:27:34.05\00:27:35.53
it is irrelevant
when you read this story.
00:27:35.54\00:27:38.27
You find Christ
coming to you, looking at you
00:27:38.28\00:27:41.54
and saying, "Look, you
may see yourself only as this.
00:27:41.55\00:27:45.05
But I can't see you that
way," and out of His gentleness,
00:27:45.06\00:27:48.94
Jesus reaches out
to the most rejected,
00:27:48.95\00:27:51.81
reaches down to pull
them up and say, "Come on,
00:27:51.82\00:27:54.91
be a child of the
kingdom. Join me."
00:27:54.92\00:27:58.51