Isn't it strange how there are days when life stands still and other days when you scarcely blink and it is gone? Isn't it crazy to think that someday when we're up in heave we will look back at our time on earth and it will seem so miniscule, like not even a second of time... Psalm 103:15-16 "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."
How much of this life do you think we will remember after the first thousand years with Christ? Will we remember what we wore on the first day of high school? Will we remember the tedious hours spent in school and what the largest prime number is? Will we even remember those coworkers that got under our skin every day? I doubt it. But I do think we will be able to see what our willingness to let Christ work through us accomplished. I do think we will know what sharing the gospel with that one person did. Maybe we'll be able to know what praying for that stranger did in their lives. Maybe it will even have had such an effect that you get to meet them in heaven and they thank you for following the Lord's prompting. What if we're able to see all the prayers that people prayed for us and the affect they had? Wow.... What an amazing thought.
On a completely unrelated note, I was ran across these verses this morning:
Matthew 15:21-28 - "Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the vicinity came to Him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 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 beside Him. "Lord help me!" She said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Masters' table." Then Jesus Answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed that very hour."
I guess the first thing that surprised me was how insensitive and cold-hearted Jesus seems to be. He initially refuses to even acknowledge her! As if she isn't even worth that. I guess if we want to be technical, she isn't. None of us are. So if God's grace extended only to the Jews at this point, it would make sense. Jesus would have no reason to treat her as anything besides an unclean sinner with whom it was inappropriate to even associate with. But then I want to bring up the Samaritan woman at the well... She wasn't even pleading with Jesus for healing, and yet He forgave her sins. I guess I don't understand what it was about this woman that repulsed Him so much more than other sinners.... I mean he didn't even talk to the thief on the cross in this manner.... I just found this passage puzzling. But it also made me thankful that we are no longer dogs scrambling for crumbs but children who receive all that they need from the Father.
EDIT:
Okay so I brought this passage to my youth pastor this morning and he provided a much more logical and simple explanation for it. He said that Jesus was imitating the pharisees and their point of view towards Gentiles to make a point. Which totally makes sense.... I mean multiple other times Jesus calls the pharisees out and uses their own twisted words and ideas against them.
~Melody
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