ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2023
TEXT: MATTHEW 15:21-28
MEMORY VERSE: “But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, send her away: for she crieth after us.” Matthew 15:23
Jesus Christ, the ONLY begotten Son of God, is Jesus for All Nations and Peoples. During His earthly ministry, He showed compassion and healed people irrespective of race, status, etc. This is exposed in our text (amongst other texts in the Bible).
The woman in our text was a Greek woman, a “Syrophoenician by nation” (Mark 7:26) – a Syrian of Phoenicia by birth, a Gentile. This was enough to arouse racial discrimination not only in Jesus’ disciples’ but in Jesus too. This was enough to deny her mercy and compassion for her daughter. But Jesus erased that mentality and used the opportunity to bring salvation to her and her daughter.
The lesson from Jesus’ action to His disciples was that All Must be reached regardless of their nationality (Matthew 28:19, 20). Again, like the disciples, it is possible to become so occupied with spiritual matters that we miss real needs (of the people) right around us, especially when they are not “our own person” and we feel disturbed or inconvenienced, so we discriminate, we show preference, etc. against the needy. Another lesson is the show of compassion by Jesus. The disciples showed no compassion because she was a Gentile, but Jesus did. The disciples embarrassed themselves as they saw their own hardness of heart melt into compassion for this Gentile woman and her daughter. Our God is a God of mercy and compassion; He shows mercy and compassion to whom He wishes (Exodus 33:19). Do likewise; be like Jesus, be like God.
Whenever opportunities present for soul-winning, we should not discriminate. Salvation is for all.
- Discrimination based on status and ethnicity is rocking many churches.
- Pray that God may grant you the strength of character to delete discrimination from your heart.
FURTHER READING: Ezekiel 18:4a; Mark 16: 15; Romans 9:15
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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ESOCS Devotional 10 February 2023
