He answered, “I
was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. It is not right to take the children’s
bread and toss it to the dogs.
“Yes it is,
Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s
table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman you have great faith!
Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.’ Matthew
15. 22-28 (edited)
It comes as a shock to
hear Jesus apparently refusing to help someone in need because she is from the
wrong race. So, we must ask ourselves, ‘What is going on here?’
Jesus’ Gospel message
was aimed at the Hebrew nation first. His message and new life where to be
brought to the world by the people God had chosen, the promise bearers. It is
too our shame, that many Christians, even today, have forgotten this. Jesus
limited his mission almost entirely to the Jewish people to be sure that God’s
kingdom would flourish.
But the future has an
uncanny knack of breaking into the present. It caught him on the hop. The
nascent Kingdom mission was not yet ready for the outside world yet, that lay
in the future and beyond the cross.
Jesus responds to the
love and faith expressed in the woman’s demands. Does he mean to be offensive
by using a word that the Jews would use to insult Gentiles? I don’t think so!
Jesus is trying to reveal the potential of her faith. She calls him ‘Son of David’
and ‘Master’ and understands his authority. She worships and petitions him.
Jesus recognises that
she has great love, a strong faith, indomitable persistence and a cheerful
outlook. She gave a forthright riposte when she reminds him that, although the
heavenly banquet was prepared for God’s children, there would be enough scraps
remaining for Gentile ‘dogs’ to enjoy. The future was breaking in. Perhaps
Jesus was not ready for the cross, but the woman insisted upon Easter now.
Being a Christian in
the world today often means patiently waiting for the unfolding of God’s plan.
Yet there are those whose faith would still badger and harry God in prayer for
the future to be brought to the here and now. William Wilberforce fought hard
to end the slave trade when others would dely. That is the persistent faith
that Jesus praised in the Canaanite woman.
The Black Lives Matter
campaign has reminded us that our society remains damaged while prejudice,
injustice and fear persist. We need the faith of the Canaanite woman to badger
and harry God in prayer and to be persistent in action to drive this out. While
one life remains trapped in the slavery of past misdeeds, our work in God’s
kingdom is incomplete. Be persistent in mission, be persistent in faith, be
persistent in prayer.
In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
John Oxenham, pseud. (1852–1941)
The Methodist Church provides worship
and devotional resources at www.methodist.org.uk
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