Crumbs to the Dogs

The Point of the Gospel

Healing

{Matthew} Two blind men followed Jesus and called to him. “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” (This is more a title that shows belief that Jesus is David’s descendant and the one to come.)

Jesus asked, “You believe I can heal you?” They said yes and he laid fingers on their eyes. “On account of your faith, you will be healed.” He restored their sight and warned them to tell no one, but they spread the story.

A man possessed by a demon that left him mute was brought to Jesus. After the demon had been driven out, the man spoke and amazed the crowd. They said, “We’ve never seen anything like this in Israel.”

But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the power of the prince of demons.”

Deaf and Mute Man {Mark}

Jesus went to the Sea of Galilee into the Decapolis region. People brought him a deaf man who could talk little and begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus led the man away from the crowd, placed fingers into the man’s ears then spit and touched the man’s tongue. He gazed to heaven and said, “Be opened.” The healed man began to speak clearly. Jesus commanded the crowd to tell no one, but overwhelmed and amazed at everything he could do, they talked all the more.

Faith of the Canaanite Woman {Matthew and Mark}

Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon ({Mark} secretly went to a house in Tyre but his presence became known). A Canaanite woman begged him for mercy. ({Mark} A Greek woman fell at Jesus’ feet.)

Jesus ignored her and the disciples said, “She won’t stop pleading. Send her away.”

Jesus said, “I have come only for the lost sheep of Israel. It’s wrong to toss the children’s bread to their dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” the woman said, “but the dogs are allowed the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

{Matthew} “Woman, you have great faith. Your plea is answered.”{Mark} “For such an answer, the demon is gone.” She went home and her daughter was free from the demon.

Personal Thought: I’ve never seen any commentator, books or other media, tackle this passage except to say Jesus intended to show that faith trumped ethnicity. True—but give the children’s bread to their dogs? Wow. While no doubt that was the prejudice of the time (maybe still today?), I have a really hard time reconciling these words to the Savior.  

     

    

Sexual Hang-ups

Sexual Hang-ups

One of my relatives believed it showed a wanton, immoral streak to open her legs any farther than absolutely necessary during intercourse. Another couldn’t imagine wanting to try intercourse with her partner entering from behind her. “You lose all emotional intimacy,” she said, which was code for “wanting sex for purely physical gratification or fun is wrong.”

In some states, ancient laws still declare oral or anal sex to be illegal. I don’t know where to start with religious constraints. What’s with religious strictures against birth control? It interferes with God’s will? Yet they recommend tracking ovulation and refrain from sex during that time. What’s the difference? It’s still you, not God, taking responsibility for not getting pregnant. Didn’t he give us minds to reason things out?

It’s far more immoral, in my admitted liberal but nevertheless spiritual opinion, to decide to bring kids into the world when you aren’t emotionally or financially prepared to take care of them. And I’m not advocating abortion when birth control is free and easily come by, though I don’t want that decision left to the government either. Interesting how few right-to-life activists lobby for better wages, sick time, access to daycare, etc., so parents have a fighting chance to fulfill their duties to their kids.

Changing Mores?

Sex before marriage and unmarried couples living together has become accepted even by older people, though often more in regard to their children or grandchildren. I know many widows who feel disloyal and immoral at the thought of dating let alone having sex with another man. Older men—not so much an issue. They’re better at compartmentalizing sex and emotional relationships and less likely to feel guilty at wanting sex for its own sake.

Many of these women won’t even consider sex toys for self-gratification. Masturbation seems to remain the taboo child of sex. I know few parents who have talked about it with their children in the sex talk, which tends to focus on preventing diseases and pregnancy rather than on feelings or biological needs and how to deal with them.

How many women really know how their sex organs function or even know what they look like? Too many still say down there when referring to them—an automatic sense that sex and body parts relating to it are shameful.

Next week—toys and ideas for the adventurous.

Raising a Dead Girl

The Point of the Gospel

A Woman with a Bleeding Disorder {Matthew, Mark, and Luke}

A synagogue ruler named Jairus knelt before Jesus and said, “My daughter is dying.” (Matthew reports she was already dead.) “Come lay your hand on her and she will live.”

Jesus and his disciples went with the man. ({Mark and Luke} A large crowd also followed.) A woman with a twelve-year bleeding condition ({Mark and Luke} had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors, spent all she possessed, and only grew worse). She came up behind Jesus. Believing she would be healed, she touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak ({Mark and Luke} and immediately felt that her body was healed).

({Matthew} Jesus turned and saw her.) ({Mark and Luke} Jesus realized that power had gone out from him and asked who had touched him. The disciples said ({Luke} Peter said), “The crowd presses about you. Anyone could have touched you.” But Jesus looked for the one who had touched him. The woman fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told what had happened.)

Jesus said, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed you.” ({Matthew} And she was healed. Jesus entered the ruler’s house and saw a crowd and flute players.)

Raising a Dead Girl

({Mark and Luke} Men came from the house of Jairus and told him his daughter was dead and to bother the teacher no further. Jesus ignored them and said, “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” He let no one but Peter, James, and John, brother of James, follow him into the house. People inside the house wailed and cried.)

“Go away,” Jesus said to them. “The girl is only sleeping.” They laughed at him.

({Mark and Luke} After Jesus put the crowd out, he took the girl’s parents and his three disciples to the child.)

Jesus took the girl by the hand and she immediately stood up and walked. ({Mark and Luke} She was twelve years old. Jesus gave strict orders not to tell anyone what happened and told them to feed the child.) ({Matthew} The story spread throughout that region.)

Heterosexual Positions

Heterosexual Positions

Usually, people are most comfortable with the so-called missionary position, face to face, guy on top. There is a variation called high riding where the guy moves forward over the woman’s body so his pelvis rests on the clitoral area. He rocks rather than thrusts, keeping constant friction on the clitoris to bring the woman to orgasm.

Woman on top is still often face to face with the woman controlling the movement. A variation is the woman turned around facing away from the man, which may place more pressure on the front wall of the vagina and that elusive G-spot. Guys like the view.

The man entering the woman from behind her does the same thing pressure wise, except he controls the movement. There are numerous variations of this position—the woman on her hands and knees, face down on her stomach with one leg raised to ninety degrees, sitting on the guys lap, which can be forward or backward.

Positions for Physical Problems

The from-the-back positions are helpful when expanding stomachs—pregnancy, weight gain—or bad backs, etc. get in the way of the missionary position. Another helpful position, when face to face is difficult or when the guy has a smaller penis, is the woman on her side, one leg around the back of her partner and the other on the bed in front of him. He holds himself up on hands and knees. This can be done with the guy standing but some kind of support is needed for the woman’s bottom leg. There are sex swings that hang from the ceiling and strap the woman into position. The guy with the bad back just has to move the swing rather than use his back muscles.

Experimenting

If you’re agile enough, entering from the front or back, both standing, can be interesting. If you’re in the shower, make sure your footing is secure. Draped over furniture, including the bed, one partner standing—usually the guy—is entertaining. It’s adult play time. I’m sure everyone has imaginative stories.

Sorry guys, women like to talk to their female friends about such things to share information and validate that their good experiences and mishaps aren’t out of the norm. If male friends talk about their sex lives, it tends to be more a competition, one-upmanship. Be honest, guys, how many of those stories are truthful?

Next week—what used to be taboo.

Commanding Demons

The Point of the Gospel

Commanding Demons

{Mark and Luke} A man came from the tombs to meet Jesus. No one could hold him, not even with chains. He often tore through them and broke the irons on his feet. He wandered the tombs night and day and cut himself with stones. He had not worn clothes or lived in a house for a long time. Meeting Jesus, he fell at his feet.

Jesus said, “Come out of this man, evil spirit.”

“What do you want of me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear not to torture me.”

“What is your name?”

“Legion, for we are many.”

A large herd of pigs fed some distance away. The demons pleaded with Jesus to send them into the herd. Jesus permitted them to go into the animals, about 2,000 of them. They ran past a steep bank, fell into a lake, and drowned.

The people from the town came out and saw the possessed man, clothed and in his right mind, sitting with Jesus. They were afraid and begged Jesus to leave. The healed man asked to go with Jesus. He said, “Go to your family and tell them of the Lord’s mercy on you.” The man spread the story throughout the region.

{Matthew} Two violent men possessed by demons blocked people’s passage to an area of tombs. They shouted at Jesus. “What do you want, Son of God, to torture us before the appointed time?” (Judgment Day? The rest of the story follows Mark and Luke’s account except the healed men didn’t ask to go with Jesus and Matthew said other men watching the pigs first brought the story to the townspeople.)