Today’s scripture: Matthew 15:21-28 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
I picture a typical, traditional religious person of the time observing this interaction and thinking, “Why is she asking Him for help? He said He’s only sent to Israel. And He always obeys God, so He’s not going to overstep His calling and minister to someone — especially a woman — from that God-forsaken place!”
How fundamentally different is this reaction from how many have responded when the issue was fully extending the Gospel to all women, racial minorities, sexual minorities, and others? Yet Jesus had the love and courage to go beyond the easy, predictable formula and arrive at a completely different answer. And, as the woman’s daughter was healed, God rejoiced!
Something beautiful and profound happened to the soul of this woman who the world thought could never get Jesus’ attention. She grew into a spiritual giant. She loved her daughter and Jesus Christ so much that she found a way to God’s heart. She had thought through the details of her faith in a wonderfully deep and meaningful way, and emerged as a deeper, stronger and wiser person than many others who never faced such a challenge. No, the spiritual journey is not easy for anyone, but the enormity of her obstacle enabled her soul to grow into a faith that even Jesus called great! And with that great faith was great humility. Crumbs were fine with her — she knew even they would eternally satisfy her hunger!
This makes me think of my friend Pat, who I wrote about in Welcome to the Kingdom of God. She had been on the outside looking in, too — an alcoholic on a “dead end street.” Yet the woman I knew years later was drenched in humility, strength, acceptance, temperance, kindness, love, and consideration. She had worked through her pain in Alcoholics Anonymous, and had developed a solid circle of supportive friends. Hers was a deep, holistic faith that radiated through her life, enabling her to be aware of the sacred even in what most people think of as ordinary, ho-hum, and boring. Like the Canaanite woman, the steep mountain she had to climb didn’t defeat her, but instead caused her to have a faith that impacted those around her in a profound and lasting way.
Thought for the day: Thank you Lord, that the Canaanite woman and Pat show how a “hopeless” life can be transformed into an exquisite life of faith.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.