As much as we would like to think that Yahweh looks upon everyone equally, scripture does not always appear to back this up. Yahweh sent Yeshua and most often the prophets to His chosen people, the Hebrew people. It was not until the Hebrew people rejected Him that He turned to the Gentiles, in which case those who accept Him are now grafted into Israel as part of His people (Romans 11). Individuals are grafted in or grafted out with rejection of Messiah, but Israel is not thrown aside as if discarded and Christianity is not a brand new start, or “do over”. The path demonstrated by Yeshua and His disciples built upon the Hebrew roots and added Messiah. We should take note and do the same.
In Mark 7, we even see Yeshua initially refusing to cast out a demon for someone else who was not Jewish. Ultimately, because of her faith and persistence, He had compassion on her and cast the demon out of her daughter. We can learn from this to be sure.
Yeshua was often moved by compassion in the face of faith demonstrated by people who wholeheartedly sought after Him. Even for those whom He had not intended to help, such as those not among the Jewish people, He was still moved when the came seeking Him humbly, faithfully, and persistently. As a side note, this also shows a tangible example where God invites us to come to Him in prayer persistently. We are not rebuked for asking more than once, though we do need to seek the Spirit on how and what we ask for persistently (reference Luke 18:1-8).
The answer could still be “no” in some cases and we may not always understand why (reference Job and Yeshua’s prayer in Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46). None the less we are encouraged to persistently bring righteous prayers before our Father and not lose heart.
The Syrophoenician Woman
24Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. 25But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” 29And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
31Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. 32They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. 33Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” 35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 37They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Do not overlook or cease to be amazed at the miraculous healing power of God. Seek Him persistently and humbly. Trust Him in His answer. Do not lose heart.
I invite you to pray with me:
Father, thank You for demonstrating Your love and compassion on Your people, and even those who are not Your people, when we desperately and faithfully seek You. Help us to have the courage to persist and not lose heart and help us also to trust in Your answer to our prayer without losing faith if the answer is “no”. Amen.
Shalom
Devotion by John in service to Christ
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