MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from Jesus Is Still Passing By by Bennett Easterling -  A GENTILE WOMAN’S CHILD (Gospel account in Matthew 15:21-28; Matthew 20:29-34) Jesus went to the vicinity of Tyre, where a Canaanite woman came to him pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter has a demon in her, and it’s severely tormenting her.” Jesus gave her no reply. His disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to leave,” they said. “She’s bothering us with all her begging.” Sensitive souls, right? Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent to help the people of Israel, God’s lost sheep, not the Gentiles.” But she came and worshipped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” Again, he protested, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she agreed, “but even puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Her reply seemed to astonish the Lord, blowing away any further thought of refusal. “Woman, great is your faith,” he told her. “Yo

  Excerpt: THE WOMAN WHO TOUCHED JESUS (Gospel account in Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:24-34: Luke 9:43-48)   A large crowd was following Jesus, pressing around him. A woman crept up quietly, trying to touch him. This dear lady had an internal bleeding disorder. For twelve years, she’d suffered under the care of many doctors and spent all her money to pay them. But, instead of getting better, she grew worse. She’d heard of Jesus. So, she pressed through the crowd and slipped up behind him, thinking, “If I only touch his clothes, I’ll be healed.” As soon as she touched his cloak, she felt the bleeding stop. Background This brave lady risked public humiliation by approaching Jesus unbidden. Women of her day were often not treated with dignity. She knew she would likely be ridiculed, but she was enough desperate to choose to face the consequences. The disciples would not be sympathetic. They fancied themselves to be Jesus’ palace guards, shooing the riffraff away, especially women and childre