Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Pride and prejudice Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA September 7, 2003 Main Scripture text: Mark 7:24-30. We think of Jesus as kind and compassionate healer. And yet, in this text, he appears to insult a woman who came pleading for help for her demonized daughter" "It's not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." Jesus is thrusting his sword into the very heart of prejudice. He is exposing it from all sides. Jews were prejudiced against Gentiles and vice versa. The Jews saw themselves as a people chosen by God for special privilege. A Gentile, therefore, was something beneath a Jew. Not only was this woman a Gentile she was also from Tyre. Jewish historian of the period, Josephus, reported that the Tyrians are "our bitterest enemies." Jesus is prodding at the root of all prejudice -- pride. Pride and prejudice grow out of the same root. Pride is what separates us from God more than any other thing. St. Augustine once said: "Pride stiffens the knees so that they will not bow down and muzzles our voice so that we do not call out in humble supplication." Prejudice toward others does not easily relinquish its hold of the heart. Sometimes it takes a shock or a jolt. Jesus is being deliberately provocative in order to expose the prejudice this woman must overcome to receive from Him, a Jew. How she responds will tell us if she is humbly coming to the prophet of God for help, or if she is pridefully demanding her due. Her response will determine the outcome of this encounter with Jesus. "Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." This is the only time in Mark's gospel that Jesus is addressed as "Lord." Her response demonstrates that she has surrendered, given up, her prejudice and her pride to the Lordship of Jesus. Bernard of Clairvaux, a French monk and mystic writer of the 11th century: "It is the possession of a joyful and genuine humility that alone enables us to receive grace." This woman knows she is unworthy but that doesn't keep her from asking for mercy. She will not give in to her pride that cries out for her to retaliate against this humiliating comment. She thereby releases great grace into her daughter's life. Four things to remember from this text: God uses evil, even demons themselves, for good. Except for the demon the mother may never have heard of Jesus nor sought Him out. Believing in Jesus implies coming to Him in submissive humility. The crumbs under God's table are better than the luxuries of all other tables. God rejects pride and prejudice -- but gives grace to the humble. Supporting texts: Matthew 18:4 | Matthew 23:12 | James 4:6 | 1 Peter 5:6 | Hebrews 12:7 | Luke 11:28 | James 4:10 | Psalm 84:10 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here. (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 030907a: Pride and Prejudice. © 2003 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us