Today in New Testament class we talked about how we address and deal with difficulties. We can pray and seek for revelation, we can be patient, and we can ask for help from trusted leaders and loved ones. We can rely on the faith that we already have. We then went into three biblical stories that could be challenging to take just at face value.
One that I was particularly moved by was an account found in Matthew 15:21. Jesus Christ was surely at the height of his popularity among the Jews. Many people knew his name and of his miracles such as feeling the five thousand and walking on water. Jesus and disciples took a trip to the area of Tyre and Sidon, which was listed as a place Jesus had visited before.
While there, a woman of Caaan approached them. She asked for Jesus to heal her sickly daughter. The scriptures say Jesus walked away without replying. This is not the usual nature of the Savior, even when interacting with people of different classes or races. The woman again begged for Christ to heal her daughter. Christ replied with a "no" this time. He mentioned how the "bread of the child should not be given to the dog." At first, this could seem very insulting from Christ. If this interaction were to happen in these days, we could guess the woman's reaction. She might run off and tell everyone she knows about how terrible Christ was. Instead, she was passed a true test of faith. The woman replied that often breadcrumbs fall from the table for the dogs to eat. She believed Christ could heal her. Christ was impressed with her faith and healed her daughter.
This story is really special to me because I felt the Spirit very strongly as we talked about. I am so grateful that the Spirit is the true teacher.
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