Tag: dogs

Recognizing

Read John 10:22-30

Dogs are terrific animals to have as pets. Their loyalty and bonding with their human families create a sense of security. Each dog has its own personality which becomes visible in a relatively short amount of time after they enter a home. A dog is keenly attuned to his/her human’s voice, routines, and emotions. The dog is able to identify their human even before seeing them with their eyes. Where a cat shows a high level of independence, a dog appears to be very dependent upon the owner.

In today’s passage, we encounter Jesus in the temple courts during the Festival of Dedication. A group of Jews are asking Jesus to plainly state whether he is the Messiah or not. Jesus indicates that he has demonstrated the answer but they failed to believe since they were not his sheep. If they were his sheep, they would recognize him. He continues by telling them that his sheep will receive eternal life and never be taken from him.

Jesus uses the image of sheep because most of his listeners had sheep which they tended or were familiar with owners of sheep. Today, I imagine Jesus would reference dogs instead of sheep because few of us own or are around sheep. The concept of recognizing the owner applies with whichever animal is used.

We are to be Jesus’s sheep/dogs. Jesus has claimed us through the acts of love on the cross. As his own, we strive to recognize Jesus. This recognition develops as we see the Lord in the lives and actions of others. Hearing his voice in the words of other people and seeing his love in the midst of actions taken are how we see and hear him. As we witness and join in these things, we follow the Lord. Being one of the Lord’s own offers us eternal life. We have security in this life and what follows because nothing or no one can snatch us from the Lord.

Persistent Faith

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV)

I am a dog lover. We currently have two dogs who I greatly love and enjoy. Like humans, dogs get used to a routine and pick up on clues which communicate what is about to happen. At meal time in our home, one dog lays on the floor near the table while the other one lays at our feet under the table. The minute they hear us put our silverware down, they both stand up beside us. They know that is a clue we are done eating. Both of them also know that when we are finished with the meal, they are likely to get some scraps or a container to lick out.

After reading the passage for today, our mealtime routine came to mind. Jesus refers to dogs not receiving bread and the Canaanite woman says they at least they get the crumbs on the floor. The woman had come to Jesus seeking healing for her daughter. Jesus tells her that his ministry is focused on the Jews.  But the woman is persistent, as she had been before Jesus talked with her. When Jesus uses the food and dog imagery to illustrate his point, she makes the point that Gentiles deserve even a small amount of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus sees in the woman that she fully believes in his power.  This is more than many Jews acknowledge. He has experienced her persistence in accessing that power. Her daughter is healed because of what Jesus sees in the woman’s understanding of faith.

This is a passage which can make us uncomfortable. First, we do not understand why Jesus appears to be excluding groups of people from his ministry. Second, we struggle with the connection of faith and healing. We struggle with these things in part due to a lack of understanding. The understanding which the writer of Matthew has is that Jesus comes first to the Jews to offer a way of salvation. This way is then extended to all people on Easter morning.

Another aspect of understanding necessary is the writer’s view of the actions of the woman. She has not “bested” Jesus so he relents. Instead, she demonstrates that she has unrelenting faith in Jesus. As a Canaanite woman, she would be seen as an outsider. Yet the boundaries of the Lord’s compassion are shattered by a demonstration of faith not always witnessed in the people Jesus was first sent to and of which he was a part.

This passage’s focus is on the importance of a persistent faith. Faith does not correct all the troubles of our lives. Faith does not promise a problem-free existence. Realizing that during times of trouble, we have someone always walking with us is what faith provides. Not being overwhelmed and giving up is the power faith offers. Trusting that in the end, the Lord will defeat the troubles and heal all brokenness, is what faith is about.

The Gift of Dogs

If you have been reading my blogs on a regular basis, you know that we have two wonderful dogs in our home. There are times that having a dog is just like having a child. You have to clean up the messes that a dog can create, you have to make sure they are fed and let outside, you need to make sure that they get proper exercise, and you are to provide for almost all their needs. A dog can be the most adorable and loving creature on earth one minute and a frustrating trouble-maker the next. This weekend I told my husband that while I may at times think having our dogs can be a hassle, I could never imagine my life without a dog in our house.

As I have thought about the benefits which dogs bring into my life, I have come to truly see them as a true gift from God. I think that a dog is God’s way of giving us a very tangible demonstration of one of God’s greatest traits—unconditional love. I am not aware of any creature in God’s creation which demonstrates unconditional love like a dog.

At times when I have gotten angry at one of my dogs for doing something like knocking a lamp off and breaking it, my dog forgives my anger and comes to show me signs of affection. Dogs can sense our emotions and are always the first ones to attempt to provide comfort when we are sad. No one appears to be more excited to see me when I return home from either a short or long absence than my dogs. Cuddling next to me is the most important desire of my dogs. Through their actions, dogs demonstrate a love which has no bound.

God created dogs and equipped them to be messengers of God’s unconditional love for us. I have heard far too many stories of dogs who have been abused by their owners and yet keep returning to them. This reminds me of how many times God is ignored, blamed, lashed out at, and even denied, yet God returns to me over and over with affection, acceptance, forgiveness, and genuine love.

I give thanks to God for giving me dogs to fill my life with unconditional love. I give thanks to God for providing me a tangible example of what God’s unconditional love is like. I give thanks to God for the love that I experience daily from our two dogs.