Self-Imposed Prejudice

Mark 7:24-30

      I love murder/crime mystery shows. I can never seem to figure out whodunit, until the big reveal. I fall victim to all the authors rabbit trails and obfuscation. They hook me and I jump. I really love the plots that include some code of some type. But code only helps when you know the code you are speaking. It doesn’t do any good to speak a code if you don’t know what it means. When you meet your contact in Moscow and speak the words, “It is raining in Detroit” and you don’t know that that means to call off the operation, you words have no meaning to you, but may have an unintended meaning to the hearer.

      Have you ever noticed that some people see prejudice under every rock! They seem to thrive on being the victim. Whether anyone is exhibiting prejudice or not, they see to find it everywhere. The words spoken turn into code words, even when the person speaking doesn’t know the code. My guess is that the prejudice resides in the hearer much more than in the speaker. How could it be the speaker if the code isn’t known by the speaker?

      I hear code in the words of Humanists. Humanists are people who deny God’s existence, who seek explanations only in the realm of what can be measured and tested. See Here for more information. When they speak they speak from that worldview. Without any external moral absolutes, they attempt to create a society based on a utopian ideal that humans can actually get along, that there is no ulterior motive, that people naturally want what is best for everyone. I am not sure what world they are living in, but it certainly isn’t our war torn, sin ravaged world of today.

      Our text today deals with a woman who has self-imposed prejudice. We would probably say she has a self-esteem problem. She comes from the other side of the tracks. Her ethnic background spelled compromise in religious matters. She was an outsider in Palestine. She might have spoken with an accent, signaling her outsider status.

      As we read the text it might seem as if Jesus buys into her self-imposed image. He does use an illustration of children and dogs in a culture that did not value dogs. He could have used many others to make His point.

      But Jesus sees faith in her heart. Her daughter has been overpowered by a demon. She has been unable to get her relief. She hears about Jesus’ abilities and she comes, even though He has tried to keep His presence a secret.

      What I see her exhibiting is humility. Jesus tests the level of her humility with his illustration. He does not humiliate her. He meets her at her point of need and heals her daughter.

      Are you humble enough to allow Jesus to test your humility? Or do you require a certain status in society, a voice at the table? Must you have your vote? Must the vote go your way or you rebel?

Dragged Under

Proverbs 16:8

      Justice is the foundation of our society. And yet in recent years justice has not always been served. Justice is slow even when it does happen. But this problem is not a new one, one unique to modern times and to affluent societies.

      Our proverb connects injustice with wealth. Remember, it was written almost 3000 years ago. They had problems with money buying favor with those in authority. Bribes are not a new thing.

      We would be better off if we had less and had justice. A society without justice leads to anarchy. The recent spike in flash-mobs in New York City highlight what happens when justice is suspended. When the decision is made to not enforce laws, the lawless take advantage. The number of racially motivated unprovoked attacks are rising at an alarming rate. The sad thing is the silence over these crimes compared to the outrage over George Zimmerman.

      I think the greater struggle is over living with little. We are now programmed to want more and more, so we put up with injustice, except if we are the object of that injustice. But our proverb values justice, as God values justice. Are you willing to live with little if you knew justice would always be served?

      Too many of us, including myself, turn a blind eye to injustice except when we are directly involved. We don’t want to stand up and be counted because we might become the object of the next attack. Standing up will cost us something, perhaps everything, so we keep our head down. When injustice comes our way, we fight for a time, and then we get exhausted and give up.

      If we would learn to live with little then we would have nothing to lose if we stand up against injustice. Wealth would have its proper place in our lives, subservient to the Master. Remember, we only hold wealth for a moment. It isn’t ours. It passes through our hands and is used to represent the LORD in the world. So don’t hold too tightly, or it will drag you under the water and drown you.