Do you really believe what you believe is really real?
This question seems simple and maybe redundant, but is profound when you go deeper into the meaning of faith. Faith is built, brick by brick, step by step, day by day into our being, but the question remains, do we really believe who God is, what Jesus did for us and that His Holy Spirit lives in us? Does fear drive us to deeper faith or keep us from a growing faith? What distracts us from pure, unrelenting faith from the One who created us, died for our sin and abides in us?Do we really believe what we believe is really real?
Matthew 15
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 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.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT FAITH?
Consider this perspective from Warren Wiersbe, Bible Commentator:
Our Lord responded to this woman as He did, not to destroy her faith, but to develop it. Her own replies showed that she was growing in faith and unwilling to let Him go without getting an answer.
When she approached Him as “Son of David,” she was definitely putting herself on Jewish ground, and this she could not do, because she was a Gentile. Of course, this title did reveal her faith in Him as the Messiah of God, for “Son of David” was a name for the Messiah (Matt. 22:42). Since she came to Him on Jewish terms, He was silent. Of course, He knew her heart, and even His silence encouraged her to continue asking.
We cannot but admire the patience and persistence of this Gentile mother. “Lord, help me!” was her next plea, and this time she avoided any messianic titles. She came as a sinner needing help, and she offered no argument.
In His reply, Jesus did not call her a “dog” the way the Pharisees would have addressed a Gentile. The Greek word means “a little pet dog” and not the filthy curs that ran the streets and ate the garbage. “The children” referred, of
course, to the people of Israel.
Jesus was not playing games with the woman, nor was He trying to make the situation more difficult. He was drawing out of her a growing response of faith.She immediately seized on His illustration about the children’s bread, which was exactly what He wanted her to do. We may paraphrase her reply: “It is true that we Gentiles do not sit at the table as children and eat the bread. But even the pet dogs under the table can eat some of the crumbs!” What a tremendous testimony of faith!
It was this faith that Jesus acknowledged, and immediately He healed her daughter. It is worth noting that both of the persons in the gospel of Matthew who had “great faith” were Gentiles: this Canaanite woman and the Roman centurion (Matt. 8:5–13).
In both cases, Jesus healed the one in need from a distance.
Spiritually speaking, the Gentiles were “afar off” until Calvary, when Jesus Christ died for both Jews and Gentiles and made reconciliation possible (Eph. 2:11).
This woman’s faith was great because she persisted in asking and trusting when everything seemed against her. Certainly her race was against her: She was a Gentile. Her sex was against her, for most Jewish rabbis paid little attention to women. It seemed that the disciples were against her, and Christ’s words might have led her to believe that even He was against her. All of these obstacles only made her persist in asking.
THINK ABOUT IT…
The Gentiles glorified Israel’s God, but the Jewish leaders said that Jesus was in league with Satan (Matt. 12:22–24). Our Lord’s miracles did not cause the Jewish cities to repent (Matt. 11:20ff.), yet the Gentiles believed in Him.The very miracles that He performed should have convinced the Jews that He was the Messiah (Isa. 29:18–19; 35:4–6;Matt. 11:1–6). Jesus marveled at the faith of a Gentile soldier and a Gentile mother. Yet He was amazed at the unbelief of His own people (Mark 6:6).
As believers in Jesus, we are “His own”. So let us evaluate our faith with the question we began with today;
Do I really believe what I believe about Jesus is really real?
Dear Heavenly Father,
My faith grows daily, sometimes by leaps and sometimes by inches. Transform me to be all that pleases you and gives you glory.
In Jesus Name, Amen. I believe.
I wonder how many times we have asked our children, “Did you wash your hands?” When they are young, there is also a follow up question, “Really?” “Let me smell.” Actually, I never really asked for the “smell test”, but I did feel their hands to see if they had at least passed through water. Now add grandchildren to this scenario. If I had a dollar for every time I asked…as my father would say…I’d be rich!
It was the topic for Jesus disciples, too. Washing hands was a ceremonial production for the Jewish leaders. It wasn’t about ridding yourself of germs with soap and water, it was all about showing how pure you were for all the world to notice. It was a heart issue more than a hands cleansing as Jesus will pointe out.
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
Jesus told the leaders the Truth. Mike dropped.
Wash your heart, then your hands. All will be well.
How many of us had all the faith we needed when we accepted Christ and chose to follow Him at the time of that decision? What I’m getting at is this; Did we suddenly possess all the faith within ourselves to never fail or fall back to our own devices? The answer for me is a resounding no. My faith had to be built, as the old hymn, Solid Rock says. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.”
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Growing up in a family of hard workers, I assumed that if you worked hard and trusted God, that would be enough. For me, as a child, it was enough. There was always something to eat three times a day. In our time of living, you didn’t question what was put before you, you just dug in after the prayer of thanks. There would be cake and homemade ice cream reserved for birthdays and other special occasions. Life was pretty simple. There wasn’t a ton of finances to manage but there was always enough, more than enough.
Then I went to Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. This would be one of numerous trips I would make to this land of giving, beautiful people who I would work alongside in growing churches and schools. On this first trip, I would learn about the culture which included faith, love, work, humility, honor and hospitality. 
When the meal was served, I noticed I was given the biggest portion in a huge bowl with an enormous metal spoon as a visiting speaker. It was more than enough for me to eat! Lettuce adored the top of my bowl to reveal a whole small fish placed on top of my rice and beans. I was bit taken aback to notice the fish looking at me for fish was whole, roasted, but whole. This was another gesture of honor to me.
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus is grieving the loss of John, gets away to a quiet place to pray and crowds begin to gather as soon as they spot him. They come from the town and surrounding villages to hear him speak and to see him heal the sick. Jesus is more than enough.
Our hearts skip beats and our lungs deplete of precious air when we hear of a precious loved one who has died. For a brief moment we are in shock at the news. We can’t seem to move the limbs of our bodies. Our minds forget how to think and turn to mush. “This can’t be” is our first line of defense in what will begin a cycle of grief. We go into a “twilight zone” until the news penetrates our being and we begin to do life on earth without this person until we meet them again in heaven.
God created us to cope with death of loved ones. God gave us Jesus. Jesus was and is our example of how to live abundantly here always preparing for our forever home with God. Jesus left us with help when He left earth after experiencing AND defeating death, rising again, to go back home to prepare a place for us! In the meantime, Jesus gave us with His Holy Spirit to comfort us and remind us of our blessed hope. Jesus, Savior and Lord, is our hope now and after the death of our temporary bodies. 
What happens when we feel people are taken from earth all too soon? The shock goes deeper still as we try to come up with reasons why they died. But that is not a place to dwell.
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.
Jesus will help us in grief to move forward in our thinking and behaviors as we look forward to our own heavenly home. He will love us in and through the pain. Grief is a condition of coping here on earth without the persons you love dearly. It is reassuring that Jesus knows exactly how we feel and will help us navigate the cycles of grief. We will never forget the people who have gone on before us but we can live productive lives while knowing who we loved is now waiting for us in heaven. 
Dear Heavenly Father,
There is an old saying that probably originated from this passage, “You can’t go back home”. Not all people stay in their home towns. After high school or college, the job market may take them to another city in another state or merely across town.
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
Jesus grew up in the streets of Nazareth. Two things amazed the people of Nazareth: the Lord’s words and His works. However, they did not trust in Him, and this limited His ministry. What caused the people to doubt Him? They were too familiar with Him in a human way, for He had grown up in 
HOLY PAUSE
Dear Heavenly Father,
Matthew 13
Unlike most other gems, the pearl is a unity—it cannot be carved like a diamond or emerald. The church is a unity of God’s created who believe what Jesus did to save us. (Eph. 4:4–6). The church is the product of suffering. Christ died for the church (Eph. 5:25) and His suffering on the cross
47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 
The preaching of the gospel in the world does not convert the world. It is like a huge dragnet that gathers all kinds of fish, some good and some bad. The professing church today has in it both true and false believers (the parable of the weeds)
As believers, we do not search after truth, because we have truth in God’s Son (John 14:6) and God’s Word (John 17:17). We are taught by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) who is truth (1 John 5:6). We search into truth that we might discover more truth. We are scribes—students—who sit at the feet of Jesus 
Are hearers AND doers of God’s Word? 
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Jesus turns to His disciples who have been called from their old life to a new relationship with Him to explain the meaning of the story. They have given up everything to walk and talk with Him. They lean in on every word, seeking what they know has been missing from their lives. They want to hear to understand. They want to see to perceive clearly. They love Jesus. Jesus knows their hearts and knows of their longing. He knows they are ready to hear and understand.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
When we come together to live life on this earth as God’s church, it is not our work to judge who will be fit for heaven and who will not. We must realize we will also live among the weeds of worldview thinking and behaving. But God will take care of the evil’s weeds growing among the believers in His time and in His way. 
31 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
The angels of God will do the weeding when the Time comes.
The Sign of Jonah
42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
1. Prophet Jonah preached to a wicked nation and they repented.
Jesus revealed the evil hearts of the religious leaders and teachers of The Law. We can connect these verses with Matthew 12:24–29. Satan’s “house” is the body of the person who is possessed by the demon. It appears that the demons are restless and seek bodies in which to reside (Matt. 8:28–31). When the demon left, this man’s life was changed for the better, but his life was still empty. When the demon returned, he brought others with him, and the man’s life ended in tragedy.
HOLY PAUSE
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
Even our Lord’s earthly family did not fully understand Him or
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
“…a tree is recognized by its fruit”, Jesus teaches. 
Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus) 