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into a house or into a person and the fragrance of His presence, like precious ointment (cf. Song of Sol. 1 :3), will reveal itself to men. 25— A WOMAN HAVING HEARD—Doubtless from those who from that vicinity had gone to Him at the Sea of Galilee (cf. chapter 3 :8) and had seen His wondrous works, perhaps been themselves healed by Him. Those who come into real contact with Christ are ever the truest missionaries. OF WHOM THE YOUNG DAUGHTER HAD . . . SPIRIT—Probably she had heard of His ability to cast these spirits out. CAME AND FELL AT HIS FEET—[She had already addressed her petition to him and He had " answered her not a word’’ (cf. Matt. 15:22, 23).] There are three lessons to be learned here: (1) We should not be repulsed by the first apparent refusal or indifference. (2) The nearer we can get to Christ, the greater our hope of suc cessful pleading. (3) It is from the very dust of humility and self-despair that our most effectual petitions arise. 26— THE WOMAN WAS A GRECIAN—i.e., a Gentile, not a Greek. The Jews divided all mankind into Jews and Grecians (cf. Rom. 1:16). A SYRO-PHENICIAN BY DESCENT—And therefore a Canaanite, one of a race originally devoted to destruc tion: everything was against her. Note that the ultimate grant ing of her petition typifies that God’s mercy will be extended to the vilest and most outcast. [We learn from Saint Matthew that’ she had faith in Christ as the Jews’ Messiah; this of course brought her within the scope of the Covenant.] THAT THE DEMON MIGHT BE CAST OUT—There was no doubt in her mind as to His power to do it, and there was an evident expecta tion of His willingness; two absolutely necessary things if we would have answers to our prayers. 27— LET THE CHILDREN FIRST BE FILLED—i.e., the House of Israel. Salvation was to be offered to the Jew first in point of time; the time for its declaration to the aliens was not yet come. This was not so much a blank refusal as a post ponement. NOT MEET TO TAKE THE CHILDREN’S BREAD—Of course He knew that there was “bread enough and to spare” in the Father’s House, for Gentile as well as for Jew, but He would further exercise her faith and perseverance for our benefit and example. UNTO THE DOGS—He mentions, however, not the wild pariah dogs of the street, but the “little dogs,” the pets of the household. Here is token of success to the eye of faith; at least she is not reckoned to be outcast quite. 28— YEA, LORD, FOR EVEN THE DOGS, etc. (not “yet the dogs”)—The yea is the yea of acceptance—“Yes, I am will ing to be a dog, for then thou must give me at once the dog’s privilege and the dog’s portion.” She entangles Him (as He wished to be entangled) in His own speech. She accepts the very lowest place of contempt, and her very humility appeals for blessing (cf. Jas. 4:10). THE CHILDREN’S LITTLE CRUMBS—The crumbs that the children let fall as they eat (the word is in the diminutive and cannot refer to pieces of bread). She asked but the smallest share of blessing, and to get it she was ready to accept the lowest place. 29— BECAUSE OF THIS WORD, DEPART—It was the willing submission to accept His disposal of her that really gained the blessing; it is when we say (and mean) “Thy will be done” that we obtain power with Him. THE DEMON IS GONE OUT—Note that His power was exercised though He was not visibly there; this could not have been the case with a mere man. We do not need His visible presence in order to be blessed—“If we could only see Him as they did of old” ; but such sight is not necessary to faith, nor for healing. 30— HAVING GONE TO HER HOUSE, etc. She accepted His word as conclusive, without evidence; THAT is faith! The woman was thus tried ere her request was granted, doubtless for the strengthening of our trust and as an example to us of persevering prayer. Christ saw that her faith could bear the trial, or He would have dealt otherwise with her (cf. 1 Cor.
Divine Broadcasting B y W illiam O lney London, England
We call “broadcasting” the thought o f man, But since the time when our world began, A Voice divine has sounded abroad And through various means comes the Word of God: It comes through nature, and alt mankind Through earth and sky may the message find: As clearly as though ears caught the sound, Comes the witness, through air and sea and Ground — That behind all life, all seasons, all time, Sits a sovereign Lord, on a throne sublime. It speaks through conscience; the Voice within Declares the truth about law and sin; O f lowly obedience we owe, And that guilt is more threat’ning than we know. It comes again in the written Word; The Sacred Page the means afford To bring to men’s spirits the gracious tone O f pure wisdom and love upon the throne; A szveet “broadcasting” o f pardoned guilt Through the precious blood on the cross-tree spilt. So not to a favored few is brought “BroadcastingsV o f what some long have sought; But they who listen find certainty In NATURE , and CONSCIENCE, and BOOK —all three Bring Positive Truth from the living Lord, Who for ever and ever must be adored. 22—COVETOUSNESS—The word in the original denotes more than the desire for a thing; it intimates a “snatching” of the thing; i.e., the getting, or the desire to get it, unlawfully. [The tenth commandment does not forbid us to desire some thing which is our neighbor’s—we often cannot help doing that, and God never commands the impossible—but it forbids us to desire to possess it at his disadvantage, or to have an ill will toward him because it is his and not ours.] INIQUITIES— i.e., all active forms of wickedness. DECEIT—Not so much actual untruthfulness, as inward craft and cunning; verbal truth does not always satisfy the divine Law (cf. Psa. 51:6). AN EVIL EYE—The disposition to rejoice at another’s misfor tune or to grudge his prosperity (cf. Deut. 15:9; Matt. 20:15). BLASPHEMY—The outward act is here used to denote the inward ungodly disposition. ARROGANCE—A contempt of others as beneath one: not considered a sin by most people, or even a fault, but highly displeasing to God (cf. Prov. 16:5). THOUGHTLESSNESS—i.e., levity—carelessness as regards spiritual things. This is in contrast to the former sin: the blas phemer does consider God, but rejects Him; the aphron ignores Him entirely. It is mentioned last because it is the worst and most deadly of all sins, though not so considered by men: there is more hope of the blasphemer than of the man who totally ignores God and spiritual things. 24—INTO THE COASTS OF TYRE AND SIDON—i.e., into the immediate neighborhood, not into the towns themselves, for they were Gentile and He Himself was sent only to Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24). WOULD HAVE NO MAN KNOW—He desired rest and seclusion; like us He got tired and weary. COULD NOT BE HID—He never could or can; let Him enter
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