It was Always More than Israel

I want to respond to this infographic in a way that is clearly thought out and well organized. During the incarnation, Jesus was an observant Jew. His chosen Apostles were Jews. They kept the Sabbath and the festivals and traveled to Jerusalem when required. But the spirit and intent behind making this image and sharing this particular information is misguided. This is from a person taking a very narrow view of the scripture and encouraging others to do the same.

Let’s begin with context. The verse quoted from Matthew 15 takes place between Jesus and a Cannanite (or Syro-phoennician) woman. It is a test of faith which she passes, leading to Jesus answering her request and healing her daughter. When I pointed this out to the original poster, or at least the person I saw post this on Facebook, the conditions and qualifiers came out. Her claim is that anytime Jesus did something for Gentiles it was as an example to Israel. This woman’s daughter was healed, and the centurion’s daughter was healed, yes because of their faith but more importantly as an example to Israel. They were merely object lessons, Jesus was not ministering to them. Examples are not ministry; at least that was the claim. Jesus marveled at the faith of the Roman centurion, commenting that he had not seen such faith in all of Israel. The verse from Mark is his account of the same conversation with the same woman. Jesus didn’t go throughout Israel telling them his ministry was only to Israel. The quote from Luke was just after the birth of John the Baptst, before Jesus was even born. The prophecy of Zechariah, John’s father, was more about the ministry of John the Baptist than of Jesus. And John 4:22 was Jesus’s conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. More on that in a bit.

Continue reading

Look at Jesus (pt 3)

Word of mouth advertising is often more effective than any print, radio or television ad a company can purchase. If someone you know tells you about a restaurant with excellent food or an auto repair place with incredible customer service, that will influence your opinion more than a paid spokesperson or celebrity endorsement ever would. I bought a car from a local guy one time that had a sign in shop that said “If you are unsatisfied with the service you receive, tell us. If you are satisfied please tell someone else.” We are more likely to talk about a business or go online and write reviews about a product if we are unhappy. We just don’t take the time or exert the energy to share when things go exactly the way they are supposed to. A good endorsement goes a long way, especially from someone we know, which is why those are better than any money buy.

Continue reading

Look at Jesus (pt 2)

Read the first comment.

If you stare at an object for several seconds, particularly one that is brightly colored, when you look away you may see a residual image but in the opposite color. It doesn’t last long and the image fades away but for a moment whatever you see is affected by the thing you were looking at before. Sometimes perspectives change with age. Things that used to be punishments – staying at home, not going to a party, heading to bed early – are things you look forward to later in life. That happens to all (or most) of us as time goes by. Then there are dramatic life-changing events; a near death experience, a car accident or a long hospital stay that forces us to reconsider what is important. Ice cream may taste sweeter or the embrace of a loved one may be incredibly significant whereas before those things were just ordinary. Some events in life, for better or worse, profoundly change us.

Continue reading

Look at Jesus

In Matthew 14 Jesus came to the disciples walking on water. Peter said “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Jesus told him to come on and Peter got out of the boat and was walking to Jesus on the water. Then Peter began to notice some other things. Matthew says that when he saw the wind, he began to sink. He cried out for Jesus to save him, which he did, and they got into the boat together.

Continue reading

Parable of the Pickle Jar

Screenshot 2019-03-25 at 2.13.26 PMPickle jars can be tough. A new pickle jar can be tough for an adult to open but to a five year old it might as well be impossible. The jars are sealed warm so that as the contents cool the lid caves in just a bit. That way the button “pops” when you open it letting you know the jar has been locked up air tight since it was packed, giving you the piece of mind that the contents have not been tampered with. While I appreciate the safety feature understanding it doesn’t make the lid any easier to open. There’s nothing a kindergartner appreciates more than Mommy or Daddy reaching their arms around and popping loose that impossible lid. Continue reading