Freedom From Spiritual Bondages

September 09, 2021

The Lord longs to heal you from bondage.

Freedom From Spiritual Bondages

“And he said to her, ‘For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.’ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.” - Mark 7:29-30

In humility, faith, and expectation, a Gentile woman came to Jesus with one request: cast the demon out of her daughter. For too long, this poor girl had been tormented and held captive by the evil one. There was one hope for her daughter and that hope was in the person of Jesus. So, this desperate mother went after Jesus. She did everything we now read about in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” It started with her search for Jesus, which was followed by her knocking on the door of the home in which Jesus was staying. Even if that door started to shut on her, her words would not be quieted as she asked (actually begged) Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter.

Jesus tested her faith in ways we hope ours will never be tested as he reminded her that she was a Gentile and that he had come for the Jews. Once again, she pressed into him and her faith in him. Jesus could heal her daughter, and she was not going to walk away from him without that healing. Just give me the crumbs, Jesus. I know I am not worthy, but I also know that with you comes the inclusion of the Gentiles. Give me the crumbs.

Where so many Jewish people denied Jesus, this woman recognized him for who he truly was, and she embraced faith in him as the Savior of the world. Can you imagine his joy and pride in this precious woman? Finally, someone truly understood who he was and what he came to do in building, and then expanding, the kingdom of God. How delighted he must have been to heal her daughter. With just a word, the demon was gone!

When the woman got home, it was just as Jesus said. Her daughter was sitting up and in her right mind. She was healed, free, restored. If you look back to the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, that is what he came to do. Take some time to read through Isaiah 61 today and consider how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. Jesus came to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to set the captives free, to open prison doors to those who are bound (See Isaiah 61:1). Jesus came to restore broken people, to restore them from the devastation and bondage of sin, and to free them from the destructive forces of this world.

Jesus healed this young girl of her bondage, and he longs to heal you of your bondage today. Your bondage may look different than it did in that day, but bondages abound even with God’s people. Today is looks like addiction to everything from gambling to food to work. It looks like serving yourself or the god of money instead of the one true God. Though we have been freed from sin through the cross, many of us stay in bondage to sinful patterns and behaviors. Jesus came that you may be free! If you find yourself in any kind of bondage today, cry out to him as the Syrophoenician woman did – ask, seek, and knock – he will answer your cries, reveal himself and his saving power to you, and he will open new doors to freedom and healing.

Reflection:
Have you considered what it means to live in spiritual bondage? Ask the Lord to give you his vision for freedom and healing today. We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

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