When the going gets tough, you don’t just give up, do you?
When challenges and obstacles block the road, do you forgo your dreams?
And, when things don’t turn out as you imagined, do you resign from ever doing anything again?
In today’s Gospel lesson, we hear the story of the Canaanite woman, who just wanted her daughter healed. Yet she faced one of the greatest obstacles one can imagine: Christ himself!
Yet, this mother did not give up, which demonstrates this passage’s Good News. Through faith, God will bring healing even in the most desperate situations.
Great Ideas Turned Sour
It seems we’ve all had times in our lives when we’ve been so frustrated we just want to walk away.
Perhaps you had a good idea. No, not a good idea—a great idea, one that would transform everything.
You you start to really think about your idea. How to implement it, how things will be transformed for the better.
And, as you think about it, you get more and more excited. “Everyone’s going to love this,” you say to yourself.
But, then, when you present your idea, your hopes are dashed.
Your boss just doesn’t see the potential, or someone else is championing their idea instead.
It becomes clear. Your great idea will never get off the ground. Your hopes have been dashed.
The Idea!
The Canaanite woman also had a great idea.
Her daughter is deathly sick and she’d heard of Jesus and how he had the power of healing the sick.
An idea is sparked.
She’ll go and seek out help from Jesus. “Yes,” she probably thought, “This will work.”
At first, Jesus ignores her.
But then, he calls her a “dog.” And, to make things worse, he insinuates that helping her would be unfair!
“It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26 RSV)
What an insult!
It’s true that in the eyes of Jesus and his disciples, her people were outsiders. But, this insult seems unjustly deserved.
But she doesn’t back down.
She won’t let obstacles get in the way.
Instead, she demonstrates tremendous faith.
“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27 RSV)
This impresses Jesus.
“O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” (Matthew 15:28 RSV)
And, her daughter is healed.
So, what does all this mean for us today?
Where did this woman’s faith come from and how do we acquire such faith?
The Canaanite woman knew that Jesus wasn’t your average, ordinary person. You just don’t approach a stranger and ask them to heal your daughter.
Jesus’s reputation had obviously preceded him.
It’s the same in our case.
Jesus isn’t a stranger. We haven’t accidentally stepped into church. We aren’t worshipping someone we know nothing about.
We know Jesus to be the Son of God.
We know that Jesus has trampled down death by death. We are no longer enslaved to the powers of this world.
We also know that Jesus has transformed and recreated humanity when he took on our flesh.
Not only have we been freed from the tyranny of this world
This is freedom!
Think about it
We no longer have to fear evil, death, or corruption
So, if we no longer have to worry about the powers of this world, why not live in a new sort of way
Why not live with the sort faith that the Canaanite woman demonstrates?
After all, through Christ, there’s nothing stopping us.
To acquire the faith of the Canaanite woman is to trust in the redeeming power of Christ.
Obstacles in Your Life
So, perhaps you face obstacles in your faith life?
Maybe it seems, at times, that one “storm” after the next is preventing you from praying, reading scripture, attending Bible study, or coming to services.
But, you’re not going to let the cares of this world become obstacles that keep you away from Christ, are you?
Of course not.
The Canaanite woman gives us encouragement to keep at it.
We’re urged to continue the Christian walk and, with faith, ask Christ for the crumbs that only he can provide.
Scripture promises us that God’s Word works power for us to be transformed.
It’s in this that we place our faith and, like the woman in Sunday’s Gospel lesson, we discover how God’s love overcomes obstacles and heals.
So, I’m wondering . . .
What changes do you need to make in your life to overcome obstacles that prevent you from drawing closer to Christ?
How will you demonstrate your faith in Christ, even in the face of adversity?
How will you be healed through faith?
Father Dustin as Black History month comes to a close I wanted to hold up the strong black women who mold me into the person I have become. Almost all of the women including my mother raised children without a father at home most worked multiple jobs to put food on the table. Through all of their struggles it was their faith that carried them through. I am grateful for not all the above named women but all women who entered my life
Faith is a beautiful thing! God bless all those women who demonstrated great faith for you!
Thanks for sharing.