In the Bible, Jesus’ interaction with several people are given – these are real-life incidents and so they speak volumes to our daily lives. In today’s reading, two groups of people meet with Jesus. Both of them needed Jesus’ divine touch to make the lives of their dear ones normal. The first one- a Syro-Phoenician lady pleading for her daughter. She was not a Jew; however, she showed exemplary faith in Jesus! The second group was the people in the region of Decapolis who brought a deaf and dumb man to Jesus for healing. Both groups show certain qualities that paved the way for the deliverance of the people they brought to Jesus.

Jesus is able to resolve any problem, heal any disease and rectify any complicated situation that we bring to Him! However, our attitude matters!! Please note that in both these incidents, the direct recipients of the deliverance were not pleading with Jesus!! They could not – as the lady’s daughter was demon- possessed and the other man was deaf and dumb. There are many around us who are in this condition – who needs our intervention; our attention to bring their case before Jesus through prayer. But our attitude matters.

The first is one person and the second, a group of people; but both bring the matters of others to Jesus – a symbol of prayer! In those days they brought their needs to the physical presence of Jesus – now we can bring them to Jesus through prayer. Our prayers are important- we need to pray for others too. Jesus healed the demon-possessed girl and the deaf and dumb man— but the manner in which He did them, speaks to us too.

Whatever is the method used by Him, in the end as it is written in Mark 7:37: “He has done all things well.”  The conversation of Jesus with the girl’s mother and the peculiar actions that Jesus did prior to healing the deaf and dumb are seemingly insulting! But they are actually not – they are tests to see our caliber of faith. Jesus elsewhere said, “ If you have faith like a mustard seed….” As one man of God presented it – if we are standing next in the queue for healing prayer from Jesus, after seeing Him spitting on the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:23), will we still wait to receive our healing or would we feel offended and go away? Will we stand the test of perseverance when He seems to be delayed in acting and keep on probing us with questions like He did with that lady?

The final deliverance for the lady came from her answer. The key verse states “Because of this answer…”  That answer revealed her attitude! What was her answer? When Jesus said deliverance is the bread of the children (Mark 7:27) she said, even dogs are satisfied with the crumbs that may fall from the children who are sitting around the dining table (even though the adults may not get up and feed their dogs while they are eating). She was saying that “I am willing and patient enough” like the dog under the table waiting for the children’s crumbs. This answer shows her strong faith to receive deliverance and her perseverance to wait for it until Jesus acted!!

Whatever is His method, whenever is His time, are we willing to patiently wait for Jesus to act? He is ready to answer your prayer! Let us bring many these days to Him in faith that He will act!!

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Thought for the Day:  

“Christ will always accept the

faith the puts its trust in Him.”
-Andrew Murray