December 8 - Tyre & Sidon

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Tyre and Sidon. Just a mention of their name would cause a God-fearing Jew to shudder. They embodied a compromised heart toward God and His Chosen People. On one hand, they exported their resources for the building of Solomon’s temple (good). On the other hand, they also “exported” evil Queen Jezebel years later (very bad)! Over centuries, the twin cities became known for their opulence, wickedness and idolatry, eventually leading the Jewish people to sin. Surely, they were a lost cause and God’s judgment would eventually bring justice for their evil. Any Jew with common sense would disdain their very existence.

But Jesus.

Jesus acknowledged the sinful past of these cities – but then criticized good, upstanding Jewish cities more. “If Tyre and Sidon had experienced my ministry like you do, they would have grieved their history. You just yawn.” (Matthew 11, Bontempo translation.) He taught at length about the subject of purity and defilement and then took a retreat to the defiled cities (Matthew 15). While there, he hailed the great faith of a desperate mother who engaged Jesus with a determined argument about why her daughter should be healed. So he did.

Jesus came to our planet as a realist who loves the truth. Today, He acknowledges your past but eliminates superficial barriers to relationship. He looks at your heart.

At least that’s what He taught in Tyre and Sidon.

Pastor Nancy Bontempo
Friends Community - Sturgeon Bay



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