Why Are You Here?
How do we become like Jesus if we really don’t know Him? Most people are introduced to the Gospel of Salvation instead of the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of Salvation is the starting point. It is the entry into the Kingdom. As you enter in and begin to walk with Jesus you learn His way of doing things. His way isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. It can actually seem very painful and offensive if you don’t understand Him. He cares way more about your heart than your comfort. Let’s look at a story in Matthew 15.
“Then Jesus left and went north into the non-Jewish region of Lebanon. He encountered there a Canaanite woman who shouted out to him, “Lord, Son of David, show mercy to me! My daughter is horribly afflicted by a demon that torments her.” But Jesus never answered her. So his disciples said to him, “Why do you ignore this woman who is crying out to us?” Jesus said, “I’ve only been sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” But she came and bowed down before him and said, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It’s not right for a man to take bread from his children and throw it out to the dogs.” “You’re right, Lord,” she replied. “But even puppies get to eat the crumbs that fall from the prince’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Dear woman, your faith is strong! What you desire will be done for you.” And at that very moment, her daughter was instantly set free from demonic torment.
There are a couple of things happening here that Jesus is wanting to point out to us today. First of all, Jesus took his disciples to a non-Jewish region. Jews did not speak to Gentiles because it was considered unclean. When Jesus ignores the woman, the disciples asked him why he was ignoring her. In the Greek this phrase is translated by them asking Him to send her away. They did not want to deal with her, but what they did not know is He was there to deal with their thinking. He was schooling his disciples. For us today, we often try to get through our own trials quickly, but Jesus will allow them to tarry until He schools us in the areas he knows we need. We must learn to take our focus off of our trials and put it on Him. We can only hear His voice when we come into rest and trust with Him at the center. He taught the disciples through this story a different way of seeing the Gentiles. They saw themselves as the Children of Yahweh and the Gentiles as dogs. Jesus reveals to them how He sees all people. How do you see those who do not have the fruit of the Kingdom? Do you want to send them away or be like Jesus and show them the real Kingdom of Yahweh?
Second part of this story is highlighted through the response of the woman when Jesus refers to her as a dog. Did she get offended and leave? No, she didn’t. This reveals her heart for her family. Jesus will often confront situations in our lives by saying things we do not want to hear. In these moments we have a choice. Do I listen to what He is saying to me or am I listening through offense in my heart? Her response reveals faith and fascination of who He is and what He can do for her children. Just think if she walked away offended. Who would pay the price for her offense? Her daughter would pay the price not her.
Your willingness to stay tethered to Jesus even when you hear something offensive shows you are not just here for you. If you come to Jesus just for you and walk out when you don’t like what you hear you’re actually walking out on your children. Let me clarify the term “walk out.” We can actually remain in a Kingdom family showing up every week but still “walk out” in our hearts. Will you remain when you hear something you don’t like for the next generation? He is in the processing of making all things new in us and sometimes that is a painful process, but we are being made into His image, so the next generation has the “right” image of Jesus. We are here for them.
