"And [Jesus] answered, 'It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.' She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.' Matthew 15:26-27
I'm sure it's happened to you because it has happened to me. You are out somewhere, maybe in a restaurant eating, or at the grocery store, and you come across that person that you almost can't stop staring at. In your eyes, they define the word "weird" or "strange". I can't tell you what that looks like to you, since it is different for each of us, but you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about.
As you observe that person (that's a nice way of saying that you are staring at them!), what are the thoughts that go through your head? Maybe something like, how could they do that to themselves, if they happen to have certain decorations on them. Perhaps, how could they go out in public dressed that way (one my wife sometimes probably asks about me). It could be any number of things, mostly guided by what we think is normal, and when we see someone straying from that, we may wonder about them.
While we are thinking such things about them, there's something that is noticeably absent from our thoughts. That absence is the question, how can I be a little Christ to that person? Yes, even that person! Even that person that defies your sense of what is normal. Yes, even that person who defies your sense of decency. Yes, even that person toward whom you have a great deal of distrust.
The woman in the story from the verses above was a descendant of the original inhabitants of the promised land. They were overthrown by God and the Israelites because of the greatness of their sin. And yet, even in this instance, our God reached out to one of them who demonstrated faith in Him. Yes, even that person. And yes, even that person that you are wondering about. Maybe that thought is one that we could try to get into our heads, rather than a focus on asking why they would do what they do.
I'm sure it's happened to you because it has happened to me. You are out somewhere, maybe in a restaurant eating, or at the grocery store, and you come across that person that you almost can't stop staring at. In your eyes, they define the word "weird" or "strange". I can't tell you what that looks like to you, since it is different for each of us, but you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about.
As you observe that person (that's a nice way of saying that you are staring at them!), what are the thoughts that go through your head? Maybe something like, how could they do that to themselves, if they happen to have certain decorations on them. Perhaps, how could they go out in public dressed that way (one my wife sometimes probably asks about me). It could be any number of things, mostly guided by what we think is normal, and when we see someone straying from that, we may wonder about them.
While we are thinking such things about them, there's something that is noticeably absent from our thoughts. That absence is the question, how can I be a little Christ to that person? Yes, even that person! Even that person that defies your sense of what is normal. Yes, even that person who defies your sense of decency. Yes, even that person toward whom you have a great deal of distrust.
The woman in the story from the verses above was a descendant of the original inhabitants of the promised land. They were overthrown by God and the Israelites because of the greatness of their sin. And yet, even in this instance, our God reached out to one of them who demonstrated faith in Him. Yes, even that person. And yes, even that person that you are wondering about. Maybe that thought is one that we could try to get into our heads, rather than a focus on asking why they would do what they do.
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