Christianity Is Going To The Dogs

In the April ’04 issue, David had a fascinating article based upon a recent piece that appeared in the Wall Street Journal.Among other things, the Journal article stated: “With pews hard to fill, a small number of otherwise-traditional clergy are welcoming animals into the flock.”The author then mentioned “pet-friendly” services, house calls for sick pets, and pet funerals.

One Episcopal church in Connecticut has even had a “communion service” in which both cats and dogs were granted the privilege of partaking of a “host” bread (a dog biscuit, we assume; or perhaps Meow Mix).Some churches and synagogues are inviting members to bring their cats, dogs, guinea pigs, and even pet snakes.One Jewish synagogue has a song in which a “pet prayer” is offered in these words: “May God always shield you from fleas.”What about the fleas?Aren’t they God’s creatures too?This is intolerable “flea discrimination.”Surely there must be a passage somewhere that admonishes, “Flee flea-fighters.”

When I hear about this I cant help but wonder is Christianity going to the dogs?

Service in Action Attempts To Take a Break.

It would seem that the reason Jesus did not want anyone to know that He had entered a house was that He was wanted to get some rest for the Disciple and Himself.

(He could not escape notice) The people of this Gentile region knew of Jesus because of His fame and previous ministry to people from this region.

Mark 3:8 CSB

Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.

Mark (19. The Exorcising of a Demon from the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Woman (7:24–30))

7:25 Prostration was an indication of both grief and reverence. A ruler of a synagogue also fell at the feet of Jesus (5:22). The implication of two such different persons doing so is that all should bow before Jesus as Lord (cf. Phil 2:10).

Philippians 2:10 (CSB)

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—

7:27 Jews often used the word “dogs” to refer to Gentiles. Even though it seems out of character for him to have done so, Jesus almost certainly used it in the same way. The obvious meaning is that Jews took precedence over Gentiles during the ministry of Jesus. Even Paul later adhered to a similar principle (Rom 1:16). The harshness is softened somewhat by the use of the diminutive form that could be translated “puppies” and could refer to house pets rather than the scavengers of the streets.

Brooks, J. A. (1991). Mark (Vol. 23, p. 121). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Remember our verse Phil 2:10

Philippians 2:10 CSB

so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—

Mark 19. The Exorcising of a Demon from the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Woman (7:24–30)

Only here in Mark’s Gospel is Jesus addressed as “Lord,” although he is quoted as referring to himself as such in 2:28; 5:19 (?); 11:3. Significantly, a Gentile used this title.

Notice the spirit is called an unclean spirit. This is real uncleaness not the superficial uncleanness of the Pharisees which we encountered last week.

Mark (19. The Exorcising of a Demon from the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Woman (7:24–30))

This is the only instance in Mark of an exorcism or a healing from a distance, although similar cases are found in Matt 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10; John 4:43–53. All of these likely involve healings of Gentiles.

In this passage faith is connected to humility.

Mark has now given us a Gentile man and now a Gentile woman who respond to Jesus in humility and faith. (In Mark 5 the demonic man comes on his knees here the woman fell at Jesus feet) In both cases the problem they are facing that bring them to Jesus is demonic in nature.

Humility is seeing yourself as God sees you and being content with what God has give you.

Faith is like it .... faith is realizing your cant save yourself and asking Jesus to do it for you.

Eating the crumbs with Jesus is better than a 5 course meal by ourselves.

A little bit of Jesus is better than a lot of ourselves.

D.L. Moody was the most famous evangelist in the world in the late 1800s. People came from around the world to attend his Bible Conferences in Northfield, Massachusetts. One year a large group of pastors from Europe were among the attendees. They were given rooms in the dormitory of the Bible school. As was the custom in Europe, the men put their shoes outside the door of their room, expecting them to be cleaned and polished by servants during the night.

Of course there were no servants in the American dorm, but as Moody was walking through the halls and praying for his guests, he saw the shoes and realized what had happened. He mentioned the problem to a few of his students, but none of them offered to help. Without another word, the great evangelist gathered up the shoes and took them back to his own room where he began to clean and polish each pair. Moody told no one what he had done, but a friend who interrupted him in the middle of shining the shoes and helped him finish the task later told the story of what had happened. Despite the  praise and fame he received because of God’s blessing on his life and ministry, Moody remained a humble man.

Charles Spurgon Slide:

John Bunyan, “He that is down needs fear no fall.”

I am glad Christianity is going to the dogs because that means it can come to me.

If you were to see God today you would think of yourself as less than a dog! A worm