Walk away

Test... Withdraw from certain situations...

1 After this, Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee [of Tiberias].[b] 2 A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish feast of Passover was near. 5 [c]When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” 6 [d]He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages[e] worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves[f] and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass[g] in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. 12 When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” 13 So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets[h] with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. 14 When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet,[i] the one who is to come into the world.” 15 Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.-John6:1-15

It is indeed true that God sometimes would deliberately put us to the test. But it is not for us to suffer, not for us to fail, not for us to be pained. Rather, to test our virtues. And should we fail or give a wrong answer, God will work out something for our betterment. Remember, a gold will never be a work of beauty and art without exposing it to high degrees of fire. In the gospel, Jesus is so close to becoming a king but He faced the situation by withdrawing and being by Himself alone in the mountain. How will it be for us? What are we going to do if instant fame, money and power are thrust to us in the next hour? Can we walk away from it? Yes, we can! Jesus, the first of Mankind, did it. But again, fame, money and power are not evil in itself. How we deal with it will define its effect in our lives. "But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,[a] and all these things will be given you besides.-Matthew6:33"

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No partiality

Something good comes out from seemingly negative circumstances.

24 From that place he went off to the district of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. 25 Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.[b] For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 28 She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.-Mark7:24-30

During the time of Jesus, the Jews have a very low regard for Gentiles, even calling them 'dogs.' This name-calling is known to the Gentiles, still, they continued with their lives. In the Gospel reading, Jesus in some way indirectly addressed the Syrophoenician woman [and possibly her child and all Gentiles] as 'dogs.' How can this be? Jesus' approach for each and every person is different regardless of one's status or affiliations in life. He was like a teacher to the Samaritan woman by the well. He was a healer to the Samaritan leper. Jesus knows how to weave Himself into our lives. Here, perhaps it is Jesus' intention to put the Syrophoenician woman's faith and love to the test. How far is she willing to go in the name of faith? in her faith in Jesus to cure her child? in her love for her child? Yes, there is a shadow of truth that perhaps a different person would have slapped His Majesty for saying, "Let the children be fed first.[b] For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." Dogs?! Women are considered weak at that time, and second class citizens. All the more worse if she happens to be a Gentile. But here, the woman has shown much courage,grace and faith while undergoing the test. Her faith is coupled with dauntless sincerity, hope, firm resolution that she will not return home with empty hands, and humility that truly touched Jesus' heart. Her story continues to live on to inspire and touch the hearts of many. But her story is not just about the miraculous healing of her child, but in some way, it is also a story of conversion and a testimony that Jesus does not show partiality at all. He comes to save and help us regardless of our religion, race, status, etc.

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