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Gospel according to Matthew 15: 21-28 (NIV)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she said. “But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
The scope of Jesus’ earthly ministry was limited: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The benefits of his death and resurrection are, however, unlimited in scope. These gifts are for all peoples and for all time. The Apostle Paul came to understand this when the Lord made him an apostle to the Gentiles. He wrote as much to the church in Rome. Referring to the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as their Messiah, he said, “For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world …” (Romans 11: 15). Yes, they rejected their Messiah, they had him executed, but the consequence of his death and resurrection was the salvation of all who had and have faith in Jesus as the only way to the Father.
The Canaanite woman in the passage above demonstrated her faith in the Lord while he was yet on earth. The crumbs which fell from the master’s table were sufficient for her. Her situation was desperate: her daughter’s demon possession had brought her to the point where she must cling to her only remaining source of hope. It was given to her to recognise Jesus as Son of David. This was a revelation to which many of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem were blind.
Even today, it is often the case that people remain blind to their need for a Saviour until their own circumstances crumble and their own situations become dire. When the “self-reliant” person no longer has any strength on which to rely, that person can then be open to a realisation that there is One far mightier who offers a free gift: a way out of an earthly crisis and a way into a new relationship with the Creator of all.
Did Jesus reward this Canaanite woman because of her “great faith”? From whence came this faith? It was a gift to her from her Creator. Jesus acknowledged the gift which she had been given and responded in love because, in faith, she had asked of him for help.
Are we sometimes too proud to ask for the help of another? Is our situation not yet so desperate that we think we’ll get by in our own strength, applying our own resources to achieve a resolution? What will it take for us to look for and to accept the grace extended in the open hand of the Lord, the great provider?