Tag: blood of Christ

The Great Lent: A Pilgrimage to Re-discovery.

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew6 Comments

Once again we are entering into the season of divine wash, a journey of forty days to get refreshed in the passion and eventual resurrection of Christ.

Great lent is core to the spiritual life of Christians, especially for the Orthodox believers. It is a combination of solitary march and collective procession looking forward to renewed salvation gracefully showered by Jesus Christ.

The Great lent helps us to renew our relationship with Jesus Christ by way of knowing Him better as well as committing ourselves to His kingdom with gratitude, for the reason that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, Jesus Christ to us (John 3:16). God the Father unselfishly gave His most precious treasure, His son to us. Though we cannot pay it back in the same coin, there is a natural obligation, What shall I return to the Lord for all His bounty to me? (Psalms 116:12).

My soul yearns to know (Psalms 84:2) who this Father Son duo are……..and then I discovered that Jesus had showed me the way (John 14:6) by physically going through the journey of lent (Matthew 4:2).

Therefore, I need not waste my time trying to find a way or develop a tool or instrument to know the duo, as the third member (Holy Spirit) guides me to follow Jesus’s way (lent). I find this amazing trinitarian unity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) the driving force of my Lenten journey.

As was Jesus’ journey, walking on the earth for three and half years, Great lent is an advancement through the toughs and terrains of this world. Concomitantly, we are aided by the Holy Ghost (Matthew 4:1) and holy angels are close by waiting to see us triumphant (Matthew 4:11).

This blog is an attempt to caution the readers about the traps laid by Satan to sabotage our Lenten journey:

1. Richard Dawkins, renowned evolutionary biologist and author of many books is a hardcore atheist, as evident from many of his writings and related activities. He was once asked how should one respond to a person who believes in God. Dawkins’ answer was: ‘mock them” and “ridicule them”. Mocking and ridiculing are a couple of things one may have to encounter in the course of the Lenten journey. Jesus, during His passion was mocked and ridiculed by the Jews, Roman soldiers, and even the thief nailed besides Him (Matthew 27:31, 41; Luke 23:37).

Shaming by way of ridiculing and mocking would be the first of several steps Satan may adopt to dissociate the pilgrims of lent. Satan does not always need hardcore atheists like Dawkins to get this done. Neither does he need to burn midnight oil to find people to do this. It could be from our own family members, friends or wider society. Satan’s goal is not only to sabotage our lent, but he also uses this opportunity to de-civilise the faithful and may even go to the extent of de-humanize them. Jesus has already cautioned about this: They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God (John 16:2).

Even if such extremes may not happen to most of us, still we are prone to mocks and ridicules, from our immediate circles as mentioned above. But this is a  compulsory part of our Lenten journey in the same way as was it with Jesus Christ. Jesus being God still had to go through the hardcore temptations.

So what do we achieve passing through this tumultuous journey?

The benefits are bi-pronged. The first prong is all what we achieve in this life; and the second one is the ultimate reward waiting for us in heaven.

In terms of the immediate achievement, the hardships such as facing and undergoing mocks and ridicules would help us to shed the absolutes and prejudices. Absolutes and prejudices are evident in the words of Satan in his conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden, You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (Genesis 3:4-5). This absolute statement was an attempt to make Eve believe that Satan knows the inside out of God. On the contrary, for the faithful, knowledge about God is not absolute but an ongoing quest. The Bible says, No one has ever seen God (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12); Who has known the mind of the Lord (Isaiah 40:13: Romans 11:34; 1 Corinthians 2:16).

Same as absolutism, prejudice also is demonic as it distances one from the will of God. Saint Peter’s prejudice about gentiles (Acts 10:14) worked against evangelism for which he was called. Hence God dismantled it when he was taken to Caesarea as instructed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:19-20). And we read later in Acts 10 that the walls of prejudice was completely dismantled, representing a milestone in Saint Peter’s missionary journey.

Therefore, by withstanding and surviving the mocks and ridicules as well as many other temptations (this could be both physical and mental), Lenten pilgrimage enables to alternate the course of Christian life towards achieving better proximity with God.

2. By explaining about the potential hurdles, I have not tried to be an absolutist, or else I commit the same mistake against which I took a stand. This puts me in a situation whereby I am in a state of retreat during the lent season. As we know, a retreat is a temporary withdrawal to reflect, think through and re-strategize so as to advance better. This puts our Lenten journey into ‘silent mode’.  Lent is a time to talk less, avoid all loose talks and restrain from similar things. Saint Paul instructed Ephesians, Entirely out of place is obscene, silly and vulgar talk; but instead, let there be thanksgiving (Ephesians 5:4).

John Keats (+1821), an English romantic poet, in one of his poems criticizes Sir Isaac Newton for destroying the beauty of rainbow by analyzing light with a prism, and splitting it into different colours. What this means to us is God and His works are to be experienced rather than to be put under the lens or dissected on the table. Evidence based approach to faith is insignificant in comparison to experience based faith. In fact faith is the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Saint Paul had not seen Jesus but just heard and experienced him, starting from the gates of Damascus (Acts 9:3-6). Saint John talks about things that were heard, seen and experienced (1 John 1:1) but never claimed that he knew Jesus well (though he was the dearest of all the disciples). We also read Jesus’ words to Saint Thomas, ……………blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe (John 20:29).

My intention is to focus on anti-absolutism and drum-beating. The tentacles of social media is so far reaching that it is not difficult at all to see anything and everything related to the divine uncovered and made explicit. Orthodox tradition insists life with Jesus as a divine mystery. This entails there are things, such as our partaking in the body and blood of Christ, that should be treated in confidence. Great lent is a journey to reach and receive the body of Christ which was broken and the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, for our salvation. Therefore, given the tough terrain of lent that a faithful has to tread through, one should not wear the robes of a propagandist (of lent) during the Lenten period. Lent is not a show object nor should one attempt to exhibit as had Jesus cautioned in Matthew 6:16:18.

In the same way as a rainbow pleases our eyes, lent is a spiritual enjoyment. If I attempt to explain lent, I am probably forgetting my most important challenge, to defeat the temptations of Satan. Jesus could have continued with His ministry alongside the forty days fasting. But He did not. He placed Himself in solitude talking only to God the Father. So should we during the Lenten season. Psalms 46:10 tells us Be still, and know that I am God.

As a priest, I shall maintain utmost silence by endeavoring not to set the pulpit on unholy fire by bullying the innocent faithful and hammering them with unbearable guilt and remorse, and simultaneously claiming my lent as the best lent in comparison to the lent observed by my parish members. Rather, my silence should be my sermon, and a guiding spirit to all the faithful.

3. So what do we achieve by observing the Great Lent?

An Orthodox Lenten prayer goes somewhat like this, Oh Lord, if my wrongdoings are taken into consideration, I will not be able to stand anywhere near you. But I depend on and plead for your mercy.

Lent is a vehicle that takes us to God’s throne of grace to receive His mercy (Hebrews 4:16). The mercy that we receive is not because of our zero-defective works but due to God’s great love (Ephesians 2:4-5; Psalms 51:1-2; Psalms 103:8; Micah 7:18). As mentioned in the early lines of this blog, God so loved this world………, that He is gracious enough to cover us with His mercy.

Having said, God’s love cannot grow or flourish in malicious, contaminated and polluted environment. Unfortunately, this world is full of those things and hence filthy. But God has given us the Great lent to attempt cleaning our lives, which would then help clean our environment. Therefore, it could be said that lent is an act of systemic cleansing which is not confined to a few peripheral acts such as restraining from a set of food items but a holistic process.

Lent is central to our spiritual life. The Great lent helps us to make Jesus the joy of our life and our temporary difficulties (such as fasting and abstinence) a peripheral thing. As we read in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, for we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Therefore, Great lent is an attempt to make Jesus central to our lives. The temptations of Jesus demonstrates the preferential option of the centrality of faith over the centrality of worldly life. In fact Jesus’ first response to Satan builds the umbilical cord between the two, faith in God and worldly life, in the sense that life in this world is nutritiously fed by the faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus never negated the significance of life in this world. If Jesus told Satan I am not worried about my life, it would have given devil an opportunity to claim the ownership of the lives of people. In fact, life is a gift of God. It was God in the Garden of Eden that breathed life into the nostrils of the first man, Adam (Genesis 2:7). It should therefore be assumed that Jesus was careful in His conversation with Satan during the temptation.

Lent is a training to equip us to fight back the nefarious designs of the devil, a forty days journey of perseverance, till our faith is entrenched in Jesus Christ, as a conviction rather than a leisure or an extracurricular thing.

Soon after Hitler visited Paris in 1940, Andre Boulloche, a courageous member of French Resistance wrote a letter to his father:

The country can only be saved by a complete moral resurrection, something that will require the works of men of all good will………I think I can contribute a great deal. And if more troubles lie ahead, isn’t my duty present?

As we get ourselves dirty toiling and moiling throughout the year, and moreover Satan has found an opportunity to deceptively benefit from our tiredness by visiting our weakened faculties of life, as the above quote says, it is time for us to stand up, against devil and defend not only our families but our church to pave way for a spiritual resurrection.

In short, the achievement from Great Lent is a renewed self, vibrant family and a Church that re-emerges to witness her spouse, Jesus Christ.

O Holy Lent, come in peace.

Amen.

Possessions and Eternal Life: A study of the conversation between Jesus Christ and the rich man (Part 2)

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew1 Comment

Matthew 19:16-21; Mark 10:17-22; and Luke 18:18-23.

In Part-1 we analysed about inherited possessions. Part 2 is about shared possession. As discussed in Part-1 we are looking into demonic possessions and the origin and continuity of demonic possessions which down the generations becomes strongholds.

Part-2 is about shared possessions. Shared possessions, as the phrase suggests, are the sharing of demons among the living. For example, in Genesis 3:1-6 we read that Satan entered into Eve through the fruit which she ate. Eve is now possessed with Satan or demon (demons are the subordinates, Satan being the head). Eve then reaches out to Adam and shares this possession, and makes Adam too to commit the same disobedience which she committed a moment back. In this way, the demonic possession is shared between Adam and Eve.

Another sharing of possession is seen in Genesis 6:2. Here the sons of God (another group of angels that later joined Lucifer) took wives for themselves from human beings. Thus God’s angels become fallen angels who then enter human beings. Here both the angels and the ‘daughters of men’ are equally the culprits, rebelling against God, thereby sharing evil possessions.

Again, as mentioned in Part-1, Ham saw the nakedness of his father and committed sin thereby being possessed. In Genesis 9:22 it is written than Ham went and told his two brothers what he saw. This act of Ham was demon prompted so as to share the evil by passing on to his two brothers, Shem and Japheth. Apparently, the other two brothers resisted as we read in the following verse.

Esau, son of Isaac and brother of Jacob, is seen entering into unholy alliances, and offcourse demonic, when he took wives from the Hittite (also called Hethite) tribe who were the descendants of Canaan (Genesis 10:15). Thus the demons which descended down the generational line among the Canaanites now found a new family line to share, through Esau. In this way, the promises made to his grandfather Abraham and father Isaac are now being deprived of Esau due to his unholy alliance.

The demons are further seen invading God’s chosen (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) generation’s line by using the tactic of sharing, this time through one of the sons of Jacob. It is written that Judah separated from his brothers and settled independently- obvious that when we leave our fellowship we are prone to demonic attack. Judah was not an exception, as he married a Canaanite and settled in an alien land (Genesis 38:2). The demon/s thus shared by this Canaanite daughter with Judah is/are seen articulating into the worst of actions as detailed later in this chapter (see Genesis 38:13-19).

The above examples suggest the need for alliances and combinations to be holy in Lord’s sight, corruption of which is a sure sign of demonic interference. Saint Paul appeals in Romans (12:1) ‘to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God’. In Leviticus 10:1-2 Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aron offered unholy fire before the Lord. As a result fire came from God and consumed them. The act of these two was in violation to the instruction of Lord regarding incense as detailed in Exodus 30:34-38. In this case, we see an unholy combination of items, where holy items were mixed with impure/unholy items. Any such foreign interference should be treated as demonic, and is corruption. For example, the life of Adam and Eve with God was holy until Satan interfered and corrupted the atmosphere in the Garden of Eden. In Malachi (2:8), the priests are blamed for corrupting the covenant of Levy and weakening laws instructed by Lord. Corruption and weakening happens when sharing occurs between impure and pure. Now, whether it is regarding human relations or the materials handled by humans, it needs to be holy as acceptable to Lord. Saint Peter exhorts to long for the pure spiritual milks so as to receive salvation (1 Peter 2:2). Further, he says that we are called to a holy priesthood, and offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). Hence it could be concluded undoubtedly that those who are holy of God must not handle or interact with unholy things, and similarly, unholy people must not handle holy things. In short, we should be clear about what others are sharing with us- is it demonic or holy.

God’s people are holy, and hence their interactions and mixings must be careful, failing to which there will always be a chance of sharing corruption and impurity- which is demonic. As mentioned above, Judah left the house of Jacob for a gentile wife and hence is cut off from Lord’s favour (Malachi 2:11). Later in his own tribe we see the great King Solomon attracted to many gentile women and marrying them, and eventually falling into the disaster that his gentile wives turned his heart away from God towards other gods (1 Kings 11:3-4). In both these cases, we can see the fall of Lord’s chosen through the sharing of their precious possessions with demonic possessions; for the foreign wives are ‘daughters of foreign gods’ (Malachi 2:11), and hence demonic.

It is important for the true followers of Christ to be cautious about the possessions they share either by giving or by accepting. Jesus said, ‘Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearl before swine’ (Matthew 7:6). A person holy to God cannot unite with un-holiness or else fall is certain. Our body, soul and spirit are united with the body of Christ, hence Saint Paul said, ‘……it’s no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me’ (Galatians 2:20). Being transformed into the body of Christ, we must not allow demonic possessions to be shared into our lives. Paul cautions in 1 Corinthians 6:15-16 if we commit adultery (adultery in Bible also means worshipping idols) a sharing of possessions takes place as holy body and demonic body unites to become one. In such a situation our holiness will be corrupted and destroyed by demonic possessions, for ‘bad company ruins good morals’ (1 Corinthians 15:33). Please also read 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. Our spiritual joy is kept intact when we ‘do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of the scoffers’ (Psalms 1:1). In this way, we won’t be sharing any demonic possessions.

It’s obvious to think, how then a true Christian can survive in this world. In a world full of demonic activities we will then have to leave the world (1 Corinthians 5:10).  However, Romans 12:2 assures that when we are transformed in Christ, we also receive renewal of our minds so as to ‘discern what is good, and acceptable, and perfect’. The gift of discernment of spirits (holy and demonic) (1 Corinthians 12:10) is important for a believer to avoid fall. Saint Paul is strict to instruct ‘Do not even eat with’ the demonic (1 Corinthians 5:11).

It may be worth mentioning here about the demonic possessions waiting to be shared through some sporting and entertainment activities, as an example. For instance, cruel sports involving animals such as bull fighting, cock fighting and dog fighting are demonic in the sense that people who cheers and watches are either demon possessed already or are lured by the demons to share their possessions through bloodsheds as a result of such fights. Similarly, boxing and fighting in rings are demonic as they are controlled by demonic forces to destroy the bodies- again through spilling blood. In the case of Gerasene demoniac it is mentioned that he bruised himself with stones (Mark 5:5). This was a demonic custom, as part of the practice of initiation among idol worshippers and occultists as stated in 1 Kings 18:28. We have around us many such traps with demons waiting to share their possessions. Once entered into a person, the demons start their job of multiplying by inviting other demons into the person’s lives- thus sharing possessions (see Matthew 12:45). A legion (could be between 1000-6000) was present in the poor Gerasene guy (Mark 5:9). This is a bad effect of generational sin as well, that unless delivered a demonic possession may keep multiplying down the genealogical line by means of shared possessions.

One of the bad effects of technological advances is the levelling of breeding ground for sharing evil possession. For instance, mobile and internet technology have accelerated the spread of pornography, abuses, rape and other demonic activities. A person once caught in this web is certain to further indulge in perversions and thereby collecting more demonic possessions through sharing.

A lot more can be written about shared possessions, but let me conclude here, it is better to exercise precaution so as not to fall. However, if fallen, make sure to immediately repent and cleansed in the blood of Christ, for His blood cleanses us from all the sins (1 John 1:9), no matter, how grave our sins are (Isiah 1:18).

                                                                                                                                       to be continued……

 

Obedience, worship and peacemakers: Case analysis of the Syro-Phoenician woman

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew7 Comments

Mark 7:27 – ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs’.

Mark 7:24-30 reports an important incident that occurred during the ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew (15:21-28) also reports this incident and quotes Jesus’s response to the Syro-Phoenician/Canaanite mother.

A brief genealogical background of this woman would help us to better understand the whole context related to this incident. The Canaanites were called Phoenicians by the Greeks, and Syro-Phoenicia simply identifies this region as the Syrian part of Phoenicia, to distinguish from the North African Phoenicia. The origin of Canaanites could be discovered in Genesis 10:15-19. Canaan was the grandson of Noah, and the son of Ham who not only saw the nakedness of his father, but further maligned himself by exposing his father’s naked to his two brothers, Shem and Japheth. By committing this sin, Ham brought the curse on his son Canaan as we read in Genesis 9:25.

Though the sin was committed by Ham, the curse fell on his son Canaan. Exodus 20:5 says that God punishes the children for the iniquity of the parents. This is termed as generational curse descending down through children and grandchildren, continuing until repented. We see the same in the case of Cain as well, where God said to him that ‘sin is lurking at the door’ (Genesis 4:7).

Biblical history reveals that sin continued through generations among the Canaanites. This is why Abraham made his servant to swear by the Lord that he will not get a wife for his son Isaac from among the Canaanites (Genesis 24:3). The curse on Canaanites is sounded apparent in Isiah 23: 1-4, the curse on Tyre and Sidon (the regions where the Canaanites lived). Please also note that Sidon was the son of Canaan (Genesis 10:15). The curses on the Canaanites are further mentioned in Jeremiah 47:4 and Ezekiel 28:21. Apparently, by the time of Jesus, the Canaanites were fully drenched in sin with idol worship and other sinful activities.

Jesus replied to the Canaanite/Syro-Phoenician woman that she did not belong to ‘the children’ (Mark 7:27; Matthew 15:26). By now, I hope it is clear why this woman is not considered among the children. It may not be her fault or sin, but it is a curse continuing through the generations. Let us have a look at as to who is considered as a child of God:

Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). H. G Dr Geevarghese Mar Osthathios of blessed memory describes the cross as a symbol of peaceful relationship in the vertical and horizontal realm. By horizontal realm H.G means peace and harmony among our co-beings in this world; and in the vertical realm- a peaceful relationship between God and mankind.

A true child could be considered as one that has a peaceful relationship with God the Father. Peace with the Father means complete obedience and unconditional surrender to his will. Both these qualities are found in Jesus’ life on earth. Philippians 2:8 states that Jesus was obedient to the point of death. In the prayer at Gethsemane Jesus surrendered Himself to God’s will (Matthew 26:39), demonstrating complete obedience. Even at a tender age of His earthly life, Jesus displayed obedience as is evident in Luke 2:51- ‘Then He went down to with them…and was obedient to them’.

We are made righteous through the obedience of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 5:8-9). Romans 5:19 states ‘by the one man’s (Jesus Christ) obedience the many will be made righteous’. This means that it is through obedience (to God) that we achieve righteousness. Obedience then, could be discerned as an inbuilt attitude towards Christ, in the same way as Saint Paul expresses- ‘…….and we take every thought captive to obey Christ’ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Jesus has shown us through his life and teachings that by complete obedience we establish a peaceful relationship with God, and in turn get marked as children of God (John 1:12).

On the contrary, non-peaceful relationship with God stems from disobedience, which in fact is rebellion (against God). Isiah 14:12-14 tells us how Satan, once a trusted and powerful angel rebelled against God and was thrown out. This incident is further mentioned in Revelations 12:4&7 where Michael the archangel fought against Satan (dragon) and was thrown out.

Obedience is a covenantal relationship with God practiced in the form of worship, whereas, rebellion is disobedience and the breakage of that covenant. Therefore, when we submit ourselves to our heavenly Father in complete obedience we are in a state of worship. In this state, God dwells in us and we in Him (see Revelations 3:20). Worship is the state in which we unite with God. Psalms 22:3 states that God is enthroned on the praises (worship) of Israel. When we are disobedient, we accept Satan as our father, and submitting ourselves as his children (see John 8:44), thereby worshipping him.

We discussed above about generational curses which affected the Syro-Phoenician woman. We may wonder, is there anything like generational blessings as well. Of course yes. In the same way we suffer from generational punishments we can enjoy generational rewards as well. For instance, Levi and his descendants were born years later after Abraham died but still Levi received the blessings which Melchizedek bestowed on Abraham. The Bible says that Levi was in fact present in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek blessed Abraham (Hebrews 7:10). If so, it could be presumed that Syro-Phoenician woman is also entitled for some blessings as she is a descendant of Noah, and we read that Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation, and walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Moreover, he received blessings from God (Genesis 8:21; 9:1). Therefore, it should be apparent that in the same way as Levi was in the loins of Abraham, the Syro-Phoenician woman was in the loins of Noah.

If this is the case, then why was this woman refused to be heard by Jesus. Noah and his children were in complete obedience to God and hence were in a state of worship. But Ham, his son, rebelled later and fell from the state of worship and was cursed. We should not forget that God’s promises and blessings are eternal (see Isiah 54:10) and, God never changes (Malachi 3:6). It is our sins that clouds God’s presence, promises and blessings. As we read in Isiah 59:1, ‘Lord’s hand is not too short to save………….rather your iniquities have been barriers………and your sins have hidden his face from you……’ Ham was blessed along with Noah but later he sinned and invited Lord’s wrath. The later generation of Canaanites continued in the sins and never desired for the Lord. In Malachi 3:7 God says ‘Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me and I will return to you’. The Canaanite woman decided to return to the Lord and Lord accepted her, keeping His promise.

Most of us feel uncomfortable with Jesus contrasting ‘children’ with dogs (Mark 7:27). The reason could be better understood from Revelations 22:15 which states, ‘Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood’. Thus, it could be discerned that dogs are equated to other satanic activities listed in this verse. Therefore, we may deduct and discern that Jesus is actually bringing out all sorts of sins practiced by the Canaanites. The sinful practices of Canaanites made them worshippers of Satan which was exposed by Jesus.

However, here is an exception that this woman though suffering from pathetic sinful conditions decides to walk out of the clan and return to the Lord. The woman in a way is confessing to Jesus about her generational sins and at the same time refusing to return to her sinful past. She rather prefers to be under the table of the children of God and rely on the crumbs. She realised that remaining humble in the presence of Lord is worthier than enjoying the pleasures of sins back home. We see the same approach in Moses when he preferred to be called a child of God and share ill-treatment with the people of God rather than being called son of Pharaoh, and enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin (Hebrew 11:24-25).

Obedience to God is not only during the time of happiness but even when we are in severe hardship. Jesus’s obedience was visible even when He was crying loud and in tears (Hebrews 5:7). This reflects the true and genuine love of children to Father. The Canaanite woman approached Jesus with a strong and unwavering faith. She did not give up at the discouraging words of Jesus as it sounds to others. Instead she discerned in her spirit the essence of Jesus’ words. And, it was meant for her salvation. She accepts her state as a dog due to the demonic stronghold/s (2 Corinthians 10:4) established due to her ancestors giving entry to them. Entry to demons in our lives occur due to many ungodly behaviours (for example see Ephesians 5:3-4; Galatian 5:20-21). It was Ham her forefather through whom demon gained foothold and eventually became a stronghold down the generation. However, now, after the Canaanite woman receiving Jesus, her daughter is delivered from demon. In other words, through one woman the following generation is blessed.

Jesus said, ‘if you love me, you will obey my commandments’ (John 14:15). Obedience to the commandments makes us children of God, transforms us into a state of worship; and true children of God always have peace both vertically (with heavenly Father) and horizontally, which is fellowship with our brethren.

Are you my beloved readers suffering from generational sins which you may or may not be aware of? Now is the time to repent and return to our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 1:9). No matter the gravity and age of sins, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us (1 John 1:7). Let us rely on that holy and propitiating blood of Jesus Christ.

Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.

God bless you my brothers and sisters in Christ.