sometimes God sends unexpected people our way. either someone we know (maybe just an acquaintance) or a complete stranger, someone that gets past our guard and addresses us directly, someone we cannot ignore. when that happens, be sure that there is work to be done for God’s sake, and for His glory.

in mark 7, Jesus is approached by a gentile woman from a rough area of the country. her people and the jews have historically had issues and struggles. they had been at odds for a long time. but this woman was in need, and there was no other answer but Jesus. her daughter was possessed by a demon, and she knew what Jesus could do…she knew about His authority over evil spirits, and that He could drive them out.

so, even though she knew the cultural struggles that existed between them, she approached Jesus out of faith and raw need. some people may consider Jesus’ response to her plea to be harsh, but He was bringing her to the point of confessing just who He was, and not just looking for a quick fix, not trying for a shot in the dark. so, by addressing their cultural differences, He has her acknowledge that what He has is real and significant, despite the superficial issue of cultural and political affiliations.

i am curious what Jesus’ tone was with her, because i think He was answering her the way she expected to be answered. i do not doubt for a moment that Jesus actually wanted to help her.

Jesus had indeed come first for the jews, they had been groomed for His arrival, and His primary work was with them. His story would spread to the rest of the world through them, just as God told abraham that the world would be blessed through him, the news of Jesus would be presented first to the jew, and then to the gentile. there was never any question that Jesus would help this woman. there was love in His heart for everyone, His sacrifice on he cross was not just for the jews, but for the rest of us as well.

so when the woman makes her response about the dogs eating the crumbs from the table, Jesus is impressed with her answer and faith and happily grants her request that her daughter be cleansed.

we know nothing about this girl’s life. we do not know if she became a follower of Jesus, if he whole family was changed, or if she befell an unpleasant fate later in life. we hear her story, and trust that the work of God done in her life served as an example that guided her toward Him, rather than just ignoring the gift.

when God places those unusual or unexpected people in our paths, we need to trust Him to do the work. we need to understand that we are working for God, and therefore everyone we encounter, expected or not, are loved just as much as we are, and so our treatment of them should be no different than we would desire for ourselves.