Select Your Language

March 29, 2008

Are You Offense Proof?

Well, I thought I'd do a blog to help communicate with everyone. I've been meditating on the Canaanite woman that approached Jesus with a demon possessed daughter. Jesus response to this poor woman was nothing short of amazing.




  • Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV)
    21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
    23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
    24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
    25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
    26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
    27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
    28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.


Jesus in essence tells this woman that she's not good enough to have Him perform this miracle for her. She's not an Israelite and he's not been sent to her. She, undaunted, persists and humbles herself in the middle of what could be received by most people as a major offense. If anyone in the New Testament has an excuse to get offended you'd think this woman, being called a dog, has the right. She however, risese above the temptation to get "huffy" and "take her toys and go home". She instead persists, takes the dog comment in stride and receives the recognition from Jesus that her faith demands.
My question to you is... are you offense proof? Can you be offended? If you can then you will. This is a very interesting study and I encourage you to submit your pride and agenda's to the Lord, laying them down at the foot of the cross so you can't be offended. Jesus offends the mind to reveal the heart.