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.
Matthew 15:21-28

There was a long hate-filled history between Jews & Canaanites.

Jesus is teaching two different groups of people simultaneously.

Jesus acts in such a way that indicates that He is up to something.

Bottom Line

Poor posture cannot be corrected until misalignment is addressed.

Evil cannot be redeemed until it is exposed.

Action Steps

Create some space with Jesus to prayerfully reflect on the following:

• Who do I have a hard time loving?
• Is there anyone or any group that I despise?
• Where might my prejudices be blocking God’s love in my life?
• Practice: Create space to review each day and identify any negative feelings that bubbled up toward someone else. Then ask the question: What do those negative feelings reveal about my posture?