[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Matthew 15:21-28

“Great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28)

We often look at this passage and commend this woman’s tenacity in seeking a healing for her daugh­ter. But look again, and you may see signs that Jesus was being just as tenacious—and for a different rea­son. For lack of a better phrase, we might even say that he was playing “devil’s advocate” in his conversa­tion with her.

Just look at the way Jesus dealt with her. Everything he did here seems to run directly counter to his typical way of dealing with people. First he ignored the woman. Then he let ethnic differences keep him from showing her any mercy. He even compared her to a dog! This is so unlike the Jesus we have come to see in the first fourteen chapters of Matthew’s Gospel. So he must be up to something here.

What is Jesus doing? He is lead­ing this woman on, drawing out the faith that he knows she has in her heart. He is helping her proclaim that faith more boldly—not for her sake alone but also for his disciples’ sake. He wanted them to see that everyone, even a pagan woman, can believe in him. He wanted them to see that everyone is worthy of a full and healed life. So Jesus turned every­thing upside down so that he could teach his disciples and strengthen this woman’s faith.

What lengths do you think Jesus will go to in order to bring you closer to him? If some unexpected things are going on in your life right now or if you are experiencing a few bumps in the road—or even a complete roadblock—try to look a little more closely. It’s quite possible you’ll find Jesus there, calling out a deeper faith and offering you a stronger experience of his love.

Sometimes it feels as if God isn’t answering our prayer. Sometimes it feels as if he’s not even interested in us. But that’s just not true. God is determined to deepen our faith, and there are times when he may use some unorthodox strategies to do it. So whatever you are experiencing right now, don’t give up! Trust that your heavenly Father is with you, walking with you through the entire process.

“Lord, I know that I am not always generous in receiving what you want to give me. Help me to see your hand at work in all areas of my life.”

Jeremiah 31:1-7 (Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10-13

[Salvation]

A Christian Pilgrim

TO APPROACH JESUS WITH HUMBLE AND PERSEVERING FAITH

(A biblical refection on 18^th Week of the Year – Wednesday, August 8, 2012)

Memoria of Saint Dominic, Priest and Founder of the Order of Preachers 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 15:21-28 

First Reading: Jer 31:1-7; Psalms: Jer 31:10-13 

The Scripture Text

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before Him saying, “Lord, help me.” And He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Mt 15:21-28 RSV) 

Jesus and His disciples now leave the area around the Sea of Galilee and proceed northwest to the Mediterranean cities of Tyre and Sidon. This was the locale of ancient Phoenicia (referred to as “Canaan” at the time of Jesus, see Mt 15:22), thus pagan territory. The theme of the passage is aligned with this setting. Jesus’ ministry was directed to the Jews, the people of the promise (Mt 15:24; see also Mt 10:6). Jesus seems to ignore the first entreaties of the Canaanite woman (Mt 15:27). Only the persistent faith of this pagan woman, who recognizes the precedence of the chosen people but who still insists on the portion of the blessings Jesus’ mission brings, causes an exception in the priorities.

In the Gospels, there are only two people commended by Jesus as having “great faith”. One is the centurion who tells Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8,10). And the other is this Canaanite woman, whose persistence with Jesus paid off in healing for her daughter (Mt 15:28). What’s even more impressive is that both were Gentiles, outsiders who would have been considered unclean by most faithful Jews.

Because she was a woman as well as a Canaanite, this desperate mother had  two strikes against her. But that did not stop her. Out of love for her daughter and with faith in Jesus’ power to heal, she did not let these “handicaps” get in the way. She began by addressing Jesus in Jewish terms of faith – “Lord” and “Son of David”. When Jesus made no reply at first, she persisted and asked once more for His help. Receiving yet another rebuff, she cleverly and humbly acknowledged Jesus’ words but boldly pointed out that even she – an alien to the Jewish covenant – could benefit from Jesus’ ministry to the Jews. Finally, Jesus commended her great faith and healed her daughter.

There are two key aspects to this Canaanite woman’s “great faith”. First, she was humble. And second, she was persistent. She readily paid Jesus homage – which a Gentile woman would not have considered necessary – and she was quick to acknowledge her lowly position as a non-Jew in God’s plan of salvation. As for her persistence, this woman was not put off by Jesus’ silence, by the rebukes of the disciples, or even by Jesus’ initial response. Instead, these obstacles only made her draw even closer to Jesus and intensified the earnestness of her request!

Jesus acknowledges the privilege of Israel as the chosen people of God. But ultimately, access to the life-giving power of His mission is achieved only by humble and persevering faith. We ought to keep questioning ourselves: “How persistent/persevering is my faith?”

Now, if you have a need that calls for intercession, let this woman’s humility and persistence/perseverance teach you how to approach Jesus. Don’t worry about how to approach Jesus. Don’t worry about how you can best grow in these two virtues. Every day, we face challenges and trials that give us the plenty of opportunities to learn their ways. If we just keep our eyes open and our hearts pure, we will become humble, and we will end up persisting. Then, we’ll learn that Jesus is always with us, strengthening our faith and hearing our prayers.

Important Note: There is little doubt that this story was an important statement of principle for the Jewish-Christian church of Matthew (note the reluctance of the disciples in Mt 15:23): gentile converts, because of their faith, were to be fully accepted in the church (Mt 15:28) [Donald Senior C.P., READ AND PRAY: GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, Chicago, Illinois: Franciscan Herald Press, 1974, p. 53.

Short Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to draw closer to You. Teach me, Lord, always to approach You with humble and persevering faith. Amen.