Faith in the Face of the Savior's Silence
Robert Dawson
Matthew 15:21-28
School is back in for our students and their families. It's always seems to be a struggle for those first few weeks of the school year for parents, faculty and students. Getting back into the hectic routine that defines our lives for 9 months of the year can easily drain you. It takes a little getting used to. You have the extra-curricular activities, fees, homework and test. They are barely two weeks in and the tests have already begun!
I read about one young man who took a clean in ornithology, the study of birds. The teacher has a reputation for being extremely difficult and this young man wants to do well. He studies and studies until he feels like he knows everything there is to know about birds. He goes to class feeling as confident and prepared as he possibly could. He felt ready for anything the professor might throw at him. He walks into the classroom and sees about pictures of bird's feet on the wall. The test is to identify all the birds by their feet!
This guy goes nuts. He shouts out, ''This is crazy. Nobody can take this test!'' The teacher said, ''Doesn't matter. You take it or fail.'' Indignant the student said, ''I'm not going to take the test! Go ahead and fail me!'' The teacher, visibly upset at this point shouts, ''Fine you're failed. Tell me your name!'' The kid stands up, kicks off his shoes, rolls up his pants and says, ''You tell me.'' - John Ortberg
Tests, whether we agree with or understand the methods are a part of life. Even when it comes to our faith, tests are a part of life. Tests are God's method for revealing to us, in real life situations, certain truths about Him, ourselves, grace, sin, salvation and forgiveness.
In our story today Jesus is going to use an unorthodox and somewhat confusing teaching method, one He had used before but not quite in this way. It's a method one person called, ''deliberately induced frustration.''
- Jesus told ...
Robert Dawson
Matthew 15:21-28
School is back in for our students and their families. It's always seems to be a struggle for those first few weeks of the school year for parents, faculty and students. Getting back into the hectic routine that defines our lives for 9 months of the year can easily drain you. It takes a little getting used to. You have the extra-curricular activities, fees, homework and test. They are barely two weeks in and the tests have already begun!
I read about one young man who took a clean in ornithology, the study of birds. The teacher has a reputation for being extremely difficult and this young man wants to do well. He studies and studies until he feels like he knows everything there is to know about birds. He goes to class feeling as confident and prepared as he possibly could. He felt ready for anything the professor might throw at him. He walks into the classroom and sees about pictures of bird's feet on the wall. The test is to identify all the birds by their feet!
This guy goes nuts. He shouts out, ''This is crazy. Nobody can take this test!'' The teacher said, ''Doesn't matter. You take it or fail.'' Indignant the student said, ''I'm not going to take the test! Go ahead and fail me!'' The teacher, visibly upset at this point shouts, ''Fine you're failed. Tell me your name!'' The kid stands up, kicks off his shoes, rolls up his pants and says, ''You tell me.'' - John Ortberg
Tests, whether we agree with or understand the methods are a part of life. Even when it comes to our faith, tests are a part of life. Tests are God's method for revealing to us, in real life situations, certain truths about Him, ourselves, grace, sin, salvation and forgiveness.
In our story today Jesus is going to use an unorthodox and somewhat confusing teaching method, one He had used before but not quite in this way. It's a method one person called, ''deliberately induced frustration.''
- Jesus told ...
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