Remnant Scraps...Believe

~~~ Jeremiah 31:1-7 ~~~ Psalm ~~~ Matthew 15: 21-28 ~~~

The way Jesus reacts to the Canaanite woman in the gospel today

seems out of character for him.

He has withdrawn to the region Tyre and Sidon.

He withdraws to get away from the crowds and those

who want to be healed.

He just needs to take a break and now this woman is clamoring

for him to cure her tormented daughter.

Even the disciples are irritated by her obnoxious presence.

They strongly suggest that Jesus just send her away.

The region of the Canaanite people is today the Gaza Strip in Israel.

At first Jesus resists her request saying...

"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

A rather odd response from Jesus...almost an impulsive response.

Typically Jesus had been so inclusive and now he seems to be

excluding this woman.

It so easy to ourselves in this initial reaction...

you're not my kind, so I do not want to have anything to do with you.

It is easy to see prejudices when it is not our own.

Have you ever noticed how that happens?

You see Baal was the god worshipped by the Canaanites. 

God did not have much patience with those who insisted on

worshipping these false idols.

The god, Baal was one in particular God often spoke

against through his prophets.

The Canaanites were among the wealthy peoples;

the Israelites admired them.

Maybe the Canaanites were even envied by others.

Jesus and his disciples thought it would be a waste of their time

to entertain a conversation with this woman.

Even though she may have had material wealth

she could not drive the demons from her daughter.

Somehow she was able to realize that Jesus had more to offer

than her Baal god. So she risks rejection by reaching out to Jesus.

We live in a society today where it is easy to get caught

in the web of materialism.

But this woman manages to escape the materialistic trap.

She perseveres until Jesus finally listens to her.

She did not accept rejection. She had so much more to gain by remaining

there continuing to ask for the pity of Jesus.

This woman, a remnant of Isreal, had found faith

in what she had heard and saw about Jesus.

God chose the Isrealites to be his own and he loved them.

This woman too believes and wants to be seen for her faith.

She wants to be loved by God, if not for herself at least for her daughter.

Even the scraps that fall from the table are eaten by the dogs.

If she were not worthy to dine at the table of the Lord then

at least she could savor what fell to the floor.

Finally Jesus was moved by this woman and healed her daughter.

Then Jesus said to her in reply,
"O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And her daughter was healed from that hour.

 Once Jesus proclaims healing words there is no wasted time...

it is immediate.

The time we spend in prayer is never wasted.

If you cannot find the right words continue to lift your prayers to God in heaven.

This master, our God, cares even for those who eat the fallen table scraps.

I pray that your faith be as tangible as the faith of the Canaanite woman.

She could have given up and walked away feeling rejected,

but she kept herself present to Jesus.