S - Matthew 15:22-28 (TLJ):" A Canaanite woman from that area came out and began shouting, "Lord, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon inside her, and she is suffering very much." But Jesus did not answer her. So the followers came to him and said, "Tell her to go away. She keeps crying out and will not leave us alone." Jesus answered, "God sent me only to the lost people of Israel." Then the woman came over to Jesus and bowed before him. She said, "Lord, help me!" He answered her with this saying, "It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs." The woman said, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces of food that fall from their master's table." Then Jesus said, "Woman, you have great faith! You will get what you asked for." And right then the woman's daughter was healed."O - The ethnic tension in this exchange seems quite high; people of Israel, Canaanites, masters, dogs, and tell her to go away. Why did Jesus respond like he did? Is he having a bad day and one more pushy person asking for help has finally shoved him over the edge? Does he really have no care for Canaanites and no concern for a little girl? Since faith and not ethic origins is the essential element in pleasing God, what's really happening here? Maybe he's doing something beyond healing the daughter … maybe he's looking to start the healing process in the social fabric (culture and world view) of the Mom and the Disciples. Helping only "your people" and counting the "others" as dogs was the standard response of group to group. It wasn't just that the Jews consider the Canaanites dogs, the Canaanites "returned the favor" with equal intensity. Jesus’ first three responses to the woman echo the current culture. First he simply ignores, then he isolates and finally disqualifies her. Her faith, like God's kingdom and family, overcomes the hard hearted bias of culture. Having identified how culture (Jewish and Canaanite) would have responded to such a request Jesus responds to her, her faith, her daughter and offers healing to the Mother's heart and culture … and maybe the Disciple's too. In Jesus' family all are welcome; there is always more than enough for all!
A - I used to see this passage as only a "test of faith." Now, having had the privilege of a lot of international travel and first hand experiences with the tensions and bias of culture and world views, I see it very differently. The beauty for me is the way the woman's desire and faith leap over the barriers. She agrees with the Lord's finding … that culture to culture is more than problematic … and then she says the words which start the healing on all levels … "Yes, Lord". This is the response I need to have in all settings and situations. I want my social fabric, my world view and culture to be consistently transformed by the irrepressible life of Jesus. He really does love the whole world and calls me to join him.
P - Lord who loves,
Today I have the privilege of being near you and loving and working with you. You always start at love, lead with mercy and then face the facts of our lives and our world. Thank you for your interest in more than our immediate needs. Thank you for wanting our complete healing and transformation. This is beautiful and you are beautiful. Today, my primary assignment is to love … Lord I welcome you, your love and your will on earth and in me like they do in heaven; unqualified and unrestrained.
Yes, Lord,
Steve
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