Matthew 15:32-39
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As we continue with Matthew’s account of Jesus’ ministry among Gentiles in the Gennesaret, read Matthew 15:32-39.
What began with the persistent faith of a Canaanite woman has now become a three-day outpouring of restoration to the people in and around the Gennesaret. These people are so enraptured by Jesus’ presence and ministry among them that they have been willing to stay even after their food ran out just to be near him.
Once again Jesus poses the dilemma to his closest followers and invites them into his compassion for the hungry crowd. But even though they were witnesses to Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the massive crowd of Jews on the other side of the sea, the disciples somehow don’t connect the dots. It’s highly possible that they aren’t fully invested in Jesus’ ministry among these non-Jews and are having a hard time believing he could care enough for these foreigners to repeat the mass-miracle. They are wrong.
Before you go on, take some time to center yourself. Try breathing in the name of Jesus and breathing out a simple prayer like, “Jesus, have mercy on me.”
When you feel ready, ask Jesus to help you identify a people group that you consider enemies for whatever reason. Once you have that group in mind, imagine Jesus expressing his compassion for them. Notice your emotional reactions and talk to Jesus about them.
Read Matthew 15:32-29 again noting the number of baskets of food left over.
If you were on this journey when we went through Mark’s Gospel, you may remember that there were historically seven nations in the land of Canaan that were considered enemies of Israel (See Deuteronomy 7:1). It is for the descendants of these enemies that Jesus provides both healing and a miraculous meal.
When he fed the Jewish masses on the other side of the sea, the disciples collected twelve baskets of leftovers – one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. With the feeding of these Gentile multitudes, the message of Jesus is again spelled out in the leftovers.
The grace of Jesus is wide and extends to anyone who comes to him in faith.
Get quiet and let your thoughts settle. Just listen to Jesus for a moment or two.
What do you sense Jesus saying to you today?
How do you want to respond to him?
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