Matthew 15:12-20
Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
It's been a while since we studied the parable to which Peter is referring, but the point is clear: our actions come from our hearts. This is an amazingly simple concept with enormous implications: What we allow ourselves to think about/meditate on, that we will do. If we meditate on good and righteous things, our lives will be good and righteous. Sounds easy. Is hard. I studied this with my 13-year-old girls at camp last week, and I really think they grasped the concept better than most people my age. One of the amazing teachers at camp, Sonny Owens, said something that I thought about all week, and eventually decided on. He suggested choosing a "theme verse" for your life... a verse to constantly meditate on and remember as you make every decision. (His was Phil. 1:21: But for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.) At first it seemed like a daunting task: could I really choose one verse that would apply to every situation in my life, that I could live by consistently and meditate on constantly? But I quickly realized that there was indeed one verse that would do it for me: John 3:30 "He must become greater, I must become less." Simple, but if that verse were truly in my heart every minute and every day of my life, how transformed I would be! Just a few moments (literally) after I made that decision, the morning chapel speaker did a lesson on that very verse. Point taken, Lord. So there it is. As that verse takes root in my heart, it will begin to root out all the evil that still lives there.
What is the theme verse for your life?
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
When I was a kid, I thought that Jesus was a pretty tough bird. It seemed that a lot of what he said seemed awfully harsh. But now I realize that, often, it was a test. We can't see in words the tone in which he made his comments, and we can't hear the way it sounded. I have a suspicion that live and person, it sounded much kinder than it comes across on paper. In any event, he wanted to know how this woman would respond. I also think he wanted his disciples to hear her response.
But what gets me is the amazing courage and tenacity of this Gentile woman. She obviously believed that she was speaking to the Lord Himself. I likely would have given him an embarrassed nod and slunk off to mope. Instead, this woman responded with grace, dignity, and humility. I want to be more like her.
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