Matthew is one of those passages most Christians would rather not talk about. But the passage IS in the Bible… on purpose. That fact makes it imperative that we dig into it. Look, Jesus just seems rude here. For real. Not only does he completely ignore this Canaanite woman when she asks him for help, but he justifies his actions to the disciples before calling her a dog… right to her face. This woman had exasperated the disciples. We can tell by their request to just give her what she wanted so she would go away.
Their exasperation is a key piece here. It tells us that Jesus had not simply ignored this woman on one or two of her requests. Some say Jesus was testing this woman, which certainly makes us feel better about the scene. Surely Jesus knew how this thing would end, so he just wanted to make a point about persistence, right?
I suppose. Or it at least shows some consistency in the way God views prayers. Too, this is not the first place Jesus refers to some category of people as dogs. In fact, in that famous Sermon on the Mount…. That well-known German faced the wind and became one of the greatest composers of all time. A contrary wind blew John Bunyan into the Bedford jail for 18 years, because he refused to stop preaching the gospel.
Contrary winds destroyed my daughter Brianna's health. She writhes in constant pain, with no cure in sight, and yet she writes with insight and ability. She has raised over a billion dollars for non-profit ministries. Only God could have given her the strength to stand strong in the storm. Rick, contrary winds often strengthen us today in order that we might do greater things for God tomorrow. A contrary wind blew Paul from the life of a Christian-hating, scheming, murdering Pharisee to the greatest Christian messenger God ever had.
Another great example is the old story about a ship that sank, leaving one lone survivor. Days passed with no rescue in sight. He built a shack, still no rescue.
One day, his cookfire raged out of control and burned down his hut and all of his possessions. Then he heard a ship's horn and a small boat coming to shore.
Contrary winds brought the disciples troubles and problems. But, in the midst of their troubles, contrary winds brought the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Jesus is always standing right under us. How do you take it when the headwinds are contrary? Do you bend and weave like the grass or do you stand up strong like an oak?
So, Rick, what should we do with our burdens? In addition to being an author and sought-after conference speaker, Roger has mentored or taught thousands of pastors , missionaries, and Christian leaders worldwide.
Casas Church, where Roger served throughout his year career, is a megachurch known for a well-integrated, multi-generational ministry. The value of including new generations is deeply ingrained throughout Casas to help the church move strongly right through the twenty-first century and beyond. His popular book, Listening to the Voice of God, published by Bethany House, is in its second printing and is available in Thai and Portuguese.
His latest work is, Got Guts? Get Godly! Roger can be found blogging at Preach It, Teach It , the pastoral teaching site founded with his wife, Dr. Julie Barrier.
Editor's Note : This Ask Roger article features insights from Roger's daughter, Brie Barrier Wetherbee , a sought-after Bible teacher and conference speaker, author, analyst, and Christian theologian.
Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople or giving advice on church leadership issues.
Email him your questions at roger preachitteachit. Shoebox Collection Week is Here! Worse than that, what do you do when it feels like God is flat-out ignoring you? When the promise is being placed in the hands of everyone around you, and the wait is making it look like the promise is a lie, you do one thing: You grow. When we are in the place of waiting on the manifestation of our promises, it can feel as if God has abandoned us, or even as if He is punishing us, but none of this is so.
In my own experiences, waiting has shown me the lies and false theologies that I had been raised to believe about God. Daniel shows, however, that when our hearts are truly set on seeking the Lord, He hears us the first time we pray and that a delay sometimes has much more to it than we can see with our natural eyes. Waiting should build our faith, not destroy it.
If you are finding that the waiting is causing you to harden your heart or to pull away from the presence of God, I encourage you to examine your thoughts and beliefs about His character against Scripture. The God described in Psalm and Isaiah is not ignoring you. There is a time for everything so in its time, the Word of God will prove true in your life. David, Abraham and even Christ himself had to wait until the appointed time to receive the manifestation of their promise.
Consider the story of Joseph. God is a master craftsman, and has an amazing way of bringing every detail into alignment. The parents of John the Baptist were barren until old age, not as punishment they were righteous , but so that he could be the forerunner that Scripture had spoken of. I also believe that God knew Mary would need the encouragement of her cousin Elizabeth. Yes, waiting sucks, and waiting can make the promise look like a lie.
But the waiting is where the promise takes shape. Consider Hannah, the mother of Samuel.
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