The One Year New Testament
February 7
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Matthew 15:21-28
Matthew 15:21-28
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Reflection
This passage is an example of Jesus’ ministry to non-Jews (see also Matt. 1:5; 2:1–2, 10–11; 8:5–13; 12:18, 21, 38–42; 15:28). Although he makes clear to this non-Jewish Canaanite woman that he came first as the Shepherd of Israel, he nevertheless shows her compassion and heals her daughter as she requested.
Jesus brings good news to everyone, and makes no distinction between people on the basis of ethnic background, social status, or economic bracket. Christians are called to demonstrate this same level of acceptance in our churches and personal lives.
Romans 13:1-7
Romans 13:1-7
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.Reflection
This section continues to apply Paul’s call for genuine love (see Rom. 12:9, and its restatement in 13:8–10). Love for God means respecting structures “instituted by God” (v. 1), such as government. Generally speaking, God provides governments for the sake of preventing bad conduct (v. 2), approving good conduct (v. 3), and administering punishment to wrongdoers (v. 4).
God does not endorse blind submission to every governmental presence or policy. There are plenty of examples in Scripture of God’s servants making the difficult decision to “obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). However, unless the government is requiring us to disobey God, Paul warns us that resisting clear governing authority invites God’s anger and can be harmful to the conscience (Rom. 13:5). Additionally, he clarifies that paying taxes is an expression of respect for government (v. 6).
Believers in Christ should have an open, honest, respectful, and affirming attitude toward governmental authorities (v. 7), as demonstrated by Jesus himself (Matt. 22:21).
Psalm 86:9
Psalm 86:9
9 All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
Thoughts For Prayer
Though Jesus commands his followers to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18), there are sometimes racial and ethnic prejudices that stand in the way of our progress. Ask God to help you and your church overcome any potential barriers that may hinder the gospel’s advancement among the ethnicities represented in your own community.
Missions Prayer Requests More
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March 14, 2025
Supported Workers: Bobby & Julie in Central Asia
Countries:
Please continue to pray for Bobby's Russian teacher as they read through the Gospel of Mark and for her son-in-law, who has ALS, and her daughter. Pray for Bobby as he continues to preach through the Gospel of Mark in Russian. Pray that God would give Bobby and Julie encouragement and patient endurance in his call for them to share the gospel in Central Asia.
Panama (Latin America). Population: 4,527,961 Believers: 19.3%. Proximity to Colombia and the prevalence of offshore finance in Panama mean that drug cartels and other undesirables have a strong presence. Much of Panama’s economy is in service to either these offshore banks or is used to launder money. In 2016, the leak of the Panama Papers exposed massive scales of international tax evasion and fraud facilitated through Panama-based services. Pray for a government that will root out corruption, oppose wickedness, and uphold righteousness. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org
The One Year New Testament Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, used by Permission. NIV Bible copyright International Bible Society.