A Pearl Clutching Read with the Lord

While reading my Bible this morning, the account of Jesus and the Canaanite woman had me clutching my fictious pearls. It reads,

‘…behold, a woman of Canaan came…and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” ²³ But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” ²⁴ But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ²⁶ But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” ²⁷ And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

After the Lord told the mother He couldn’t do anything for her, I kept wondering why He did? Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of how the Lord kept telling the Pharisees,

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice…’

(Matthew 9:13)

But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice…’

(Matthew 12:7)

That’s when I saw it.

The reason Jesus delivered her demon-possessed daughter is because it was an act of mercy. I was like, “Well, oh!” The Holy Spirit then led me to when that verse was first spoken which was in the book of Hosea, chapter 6 verse 6.

Then the thought came, “Jesus read the book of Hosea?” 

I quickly answered myself and said “Yes”, but it was somewhat embarrassingly because that would mean that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself actually read the book of Hosea.

To know that the Lord and referenced Hosea knowing that book was written by the prophet Hosea who married a prostitute was pearl clutching for me.  

I mean to think that Jesus would read such things.

Then I was reminded of Matthew 11:19 which says,

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

So, the answer to my question is yes. Yes, the Lord did because when you think about it, God did instruct Hosea himself to,

“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.”

Therefore, why would His Son, not sit amongst, be around and read the likes of Hosea. Yet in the church today, most shy away from topics like demon-possession, prostitution, sex trafficking, race, and other topics seldomly discussed.

So, forgive me, my dear reader. I had a moment but I’m fine now, and prayerfully you are too can receive the same mercy He extended to this mother while at the same time having the comfort in knowing that no topic is too toxic or off limits for our Jesus.