Inyangokutinyang Pride and Prejudice? Inyang Toyin - TopicsExpress



          

Inyangokutinyang Pride and Prejudice? Inyang Toyin Okutinyang "God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves." - D.L. Moody Something I have learnt from people over the years is that humans are all different and respond to situations differently. However, when individuals come to me lamenting their situation or lot in life, I have found out that if you just let them talk long enough, they will divulge to you what the real issues or problems are and often times without even knowing it. I have also found out that people are essentially the same everywhere. They basically have the same needs, desires and aspirations no matter where you go. They are also the same irrespective of time period, race or origin. That is why we have the same Bible for all and sundry. Truth reveals our pride and our natural responses Jesus had a pretty rough and hard time with the religious people of the day. He unmasked them by telling them to their faces who they really were. He called them hypocrites, white washed sepulchres and even liars. Here is a portion of a statement he made to them. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44 NKJV) They in turn responded by calling Him demon possessed and they picked up stones to throw at Him. Any time someone makes some remarks or evaluation about you that enrages or ticks you off, you can be sure what they have said is either so outrageously false or so solemnly true - never anything in between. What Jesus said about the religious authority of the day was so true and they could not bear the thought of someone as undiplomatic as the Master Himself exposing them without any deceitful tact. Truth may be misconstrued as prejudice, discrimination or abuse On the other hand we have another situation with the Lord Jesus and a woman. 21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. (Matthew 15:21 – 23a NKJV) Jesus it seems is ignoring this desperate mother and appears completely uninterested in paying her any attention. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”(Matthew 15: 23b – 24) Now the chauvinistic prejudice of the male kind rears its head in the disciples and they call on the Lord to send her away empty. “Get rid of this noisy filthy Gentile; she’s just like the rest of them!” they probably thought. Once again it seems the Lord is not even interested in her request as He hasn’t even acknowledged her. He says in essence, “My ministry is to Israel” and one may add in other words, “To my people and you are not one of us”. Doesn’t this sound like unrefined plain old prejudice? How to recognise, accept and work within the confines of truth 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15: 23 – 27 NKJV). Wait a minute; after Jesus said to this woman “I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel”, she falls down and worships Him! “Mumu, mugu!” She would be called a “rank fool of the highest order” if this were playing out today in our society. Jesus would have been called a bigot, racist, prejudiced, abusive, and full of pride by many today in the way He dealt with this woman. And to compound it all Jesus refers to her and her little daughter as “dogs”. Hello! If what Jesus has said up till now hasn’t gotten to her, this is certain to – He called her a dog and that publicly too! It is so remarkable that this woman does not take offence with what Jesus has said so far. You understand Jesus did not go around everywhere with a visible golden halo around His head so everyone could see He was the Son of God. Most people at this point in the interaction would have said “Mr. Rabbi, who do you think you are, talking to me like that”? And they would have given Him a piece of their mind. Consequently, they would have left in a huff and still would have to deal with the tortuous situation of a demon possessed child. When you know you are right there at the place of blessing and the difference it will make in your life, you won’t let anything push you away from there. This is a prime place of opportunity. This woman instead said “yes Lord”. She is acknowledging that “Jesus, You are Lord and You are right. You have told me the solemn truth about myself!” People say the truth could be bitter. However, if you chew on it long enough it will indeed turn out to be sweeter than honey. What a sincerely humble woman. She is not minimizing or making any excuses for her situation or her past. Truly a broken and contrite spirit He does not despise. The Canaanites of which this woman was one, were some of the vilest perverts and amongst the wickedest peoples of all time. That was why God judged them and gave their land to Israel. Jesus in calling the Canaanites “dogs” was speaking spiritually, He was not referring to her race or ethnicity. Dogs were regarded as vile and unclean in the Middle Eastern culture. When you are told the truth, you need to hear it and if it ticks you off, know for sure there is pride in you and you need to deal with it. If you don’t, you have willingly submitted yourself to deception without knowing it. (Obadiah 3) 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28 NKJV). What a turnaround! Jesus honours her now publicly before all. Did Jesus make a mistake and prejudged her earlier? Not at all! He used this woman as an object lesson on what great faith is. When she came to Him, Jesus already perceived that great faith in her. He is teaching here that you could not offend, talk down to, or use what could be construed as bigotry, pride or prejudice to stop or thwart great faith from receiving what it came to God for. How many have left a precious place where God planted them on such account as this? Great faith will never take “no” for an answer, even when it is told “this could not be for you, it is for others”. Great faith always finds a way to receive the blessings. If this woman, born outside of the covenant, could find a way to receive blessings she wasn’t entitled to, how much more we should – we who have been given an open and standing invitation to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy for our times of need. The Lord’s invitation in Isaiah 55:1 NKJV still stands today, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Please share. Inyangokutinyang
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 22:03:05 +0000

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