E17 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - The Character of GOD - Is GOD Biased? - Part 2 of 3
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #17
Title: GOD’s Goodness - Is God Biased?
Date: July 26, 2021
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): Matthew 15:24 – ‘But he answered and said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”’
Intro: Why did Jesus tell this mom He was not sent to help her, but only the people of Israel?
When I wrote that question as part of the episode notes, I intended to write about why Jesus said what He did in Matthew 15:24.
But then I hesitated and wondered, what does the Lord have to say about it.
So I prayed, asking Him. Now, I don’t hear GOD’s voice actually, but it’s more like an impression upon or thought in my mind that sometimes I attribute to GOD.
It’s difficult to tune out previous teachings I’ve heard or read previously concerning this passage, but I’m going to try.
This episode has the results from that time in prayer.
Devotion focus: Is GOD biased?
· - Matthew 15:21-28
Matthew 15:21 – ‘Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Matthew 15:22 – ‘And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is demon-possessed.”
Matthew 15:23 – ‘But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries out after us.”
Matthew 15:24 – ‘But he answered and said, “I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 15:25 – ‘Then came she and worshipped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
Matthew 15:26 – ‘But he answered and said, “It is not good to take the children's bread, and throw it to the little dogs.”
Matthew 15:27 – ‘And she said, “Yes, Lord: yet the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.”
She literally said, “Truth, Lord.” From the Strong’s concordance, it means ‘Yes, even so…’
Matthew 15:28 – ‘Then Jesus answered and said unto her, “O woman, great is your faith: let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”’
There are several lessons contained in this passage. The first I see is Jesus’ reputation preceded Him to this foreign region.
When the woman in this account heard Jesus was close by she sought Him out.
And here is where the Lord led me in answer to my request He reveal an answer to the question of whether He is biased against those not of the Jewish people.
While studying this passage in e-sword.net, a Bible study program on my computer, a corresponding commentary off to the side of the page caught my eye.
Listen to a description of this passage in Matthew 15, from that commentary:
I’m going to paraphrase a little for ease of understanding denoted by ( ):
· “It is important to realize that this woman was not a Jewess, but a Gentile. She was descended from the Canaanites, an immoral race which God had marked for extinction. Through Israel's disobedience, some had survived the invasion of Canaan under Joshua, and this woman was a descendant of the survivors. As a Gentile, she did not enjoy the privileges of God's chosen earthly people. She was (a foreigner), having no hope. (In that position) she had no claim on God or the Messiah.
Speaking to Jesus, she addressed Him as the Lord, the Son of David, a title which the Jews used in speaking of the Messiah. Although Jesus was the Son of David, a Gentile had no right to approach Him on that basis. That is why He did not answer her at first.
15:23 His disciples came and urged Him to send her away; to them, she was a nuisance. To Him, she was a welcome example of faith and a vessel in whom His grace would shine. But first He must prove and educate her faith!
15:24, 25 He reminded her that His mission was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, not to Gentiles, and certainly not to Canaanites. She was undismayed by this apparent refusal. Dropping the title, Son of David, she worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” If she couldn't come to Him as a Jew to her Messiah, she would come as a creature to her Creator.”
Now, I’m going to read once more Jesus’ reaction to this mom’s persistence:
Matthew 15:28 – ‘Then Jesus answered and said unto her, “O woman, great is your faith: let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”’
The second lesson I see is inferred – The fact this woman sought Jesus out and persisted in seeking His help with her daughter tells me she had sought help elsewhere, to no avail.
This of this: in that ancient time with no swift and sure means of communication, this woman had not only heard of Jesus and His reputation as Healer, but on word-of-mouth, she believed He was the Messiah and said so when she hailed Him as ‘Son of David,’ a messianic title.
Jesus’ own nation rejected Him as their Messiah, but here is a woman living in a foreign region who believes in Jesus as Messiah and therefore able to heal as she obviously heard from those traveling from Israel.
Now, were the disciples biased? I don’t know. But I do wonder why they didn’t intervene on the woman’s behalf instead of becoming frustrated with her and asking Jesus to “send her away?”
But if you will look through the 4 Gospels, see if you can find any place where it is written that Jesus turned away even one person who sought Him with a sincere heart.
Summary: If GOD has a bias it’s for lost and hurting souls and He proved it when He sent His own Son to die for our sins so He could give hope to all who desire it.
Action to consider: Spend time during the next few days and see if you’re biased against others. How about non-Christians? Yes, how about those of other beliefs that lead them to worship what we consider cultic?
How about criminals? I ask this being a former law enforcement officer.
Listen, it’s normal to have biases. Lots of them. The point to consider is whether we will allow these to affect how we pray for these very ones we don’t care for.
This action to take after thinking through these questions is to oppose those biases we discover by focusing on this verse:
1Timothy 1:15 – ‘This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.’
Think through it and let GOD speak to your spirit.
Next week’s devotion:
Does GOD hate us? Proverbs 6:16 – ‘These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:’