PRIVILEGE

Matthew 15:23-24

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

When Christ came He came to save the whole world but first His ministry was to begin with the people of Israel. Yes truly salvation was for the Jews then from there it would get to the whole world. 

I remember one of my senior relations a long time ago, who used this verse and one other verse of scriptures to taunt me when we discussed about salvation in Christ Jesus, as a little boy then I did not know much but yet I understood that there was a very good reason for the response the woman received. 

So she was a gentile at that time. Was Christ really going to let her go. Well I do not think so, for she was not the only gentile to receive miracle from Christ, I do not know if she was the first. 

Two things we learn from her, firstly "persistence" then secondly "faith". 

The privileged ones did not receive as much miracle as the so called outsiders or gentiles. Remember that even in Christ's earthly hometown He could not do much miracle because of offence/familiarity and lack of faith. 

Listen to what Jesus said:

Luke 4:25-28

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land.

Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon.

And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.

Yes Naaman was a gentile at that time, he travelled all the way to Israel just because a slave girl told him that he could get healing. He almost missed it when the prophet did not give him the desired attention, he did not come out to meet him, he just instructed that he should go wash himself seven times in the Jordan. Though Naaman felt slighted, he still listened to his servants and did. He received His healing. 

The lesson here is: "what are we doing with our privilege?". We who have been saved, are we taking full advantage of what we have in Christ Jesus? Or are we still making the same mistakes the children of Israel did. 

Romans 10:20-21

And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, 

“I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”

But regarding Israel, God said, 

“All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious.”

Some boast, I was born in the church, my father is a priest, I have X and Y titles etc. It does not matter. The question is where are you now, are you in Christ? Are you bearing fruit. 

Remember what is cut off is what is part of, NOT what is outside! SELAH! 

1 Corinthians 10:11-12

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

Never take for granted the privilege of being adopted as part of Christ's family. 

John 1:12-13

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

We take full advantage of our privilege in Christ Jesus we make the most of it. We bear fruit and our fruit abides. 

Help us Good Lord. 

He calls us blessed. 

Love

@the watcher