A Canaanite woman was in dire
distress. Her daughter was demon-possessed (This is real as I have witnessed it
first hand) and no one could help her. Hearing that Jesus was in her
neighbourhood, she hastened her step to meet Him in person.
It didn't matter to her that Jews
of that day
considered Canaanites as the scum of the earth. Funny
enough, she wasn't even a Canaanite. She was, in fact, Greek, born in Syrian
Phoenicia. But it didn't really matter where she was born, for any pagan
was viewed
as a
dog, completely unworthy of attention.
The woman was well aware of how she would be received,
but it didn't discourage her from approaching this group of
men
Jesus associated with. After all, her daughter needed deliverance!
As soon as she was within ear-shot of Jesus, she cried
out in a loud voice: "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is
suffering terribly from demon-possession." (Matt 15:22 NIV)
Surprisingly, Jesus didn't answer.
Why? Why would He remain silent in the face of someone
who so obviously needed His help?
We soon find out, as His disciples come up to him and
urge Him to send her away: "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
(Matt 15:23 NIV)
In other words, the disciples weren't surprised that
Jesus didn't answer her. What surprised them was that He didn't send her away!
In not sending her away, Jesus was, in their minds, giving her attention that
she didn't deserve! She was, after all, a total waste of time!
Jesus' reaction seems to please his disciples: "I was
sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (Matt 15:24 NIV)
Way to go Master! She's the scum of the Earth! Away
with her!
Amazingly, the woman doesn't get discouraged: "Lord,
help me!" (Matt 15:25 NIV)
What's up with this woman?
Jesus' disciples suddenly begin to realize something:
this woman is different from anyone else they've met! Deep down they begin to
recognize that she has something that even they don't have: unstoppable faith!
Jesus continues to play along with his disciples'
rules, thus preparing them for a lesson they will never forget: "It is not right
to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." (Matt 15:26 NIV)
The woman's response would echo in the minds of these
disciples for a long time to come: "'Yes, Lord,' she said, 'but even the dogs
eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table.'" (Matt 15:27 NIV)
Even though she was referred to as "a dog", she does
not get discouraged! Instead she still sees Jesus as her master, and boldly
suggests that He give HER those crumbs from the table, because she knows they
will satisfy her daughter's needs!
Had we been this poor woman, would we have reacted in
the same manner? Or would we have been outraged by the insult? Would we have
stayed? Or would we have stormed off mad? Would we have been satisfied with mere
"crumbs" from our Master's table? Or would we have shot for the moon? The "all
or nothing" mentality?
Maybe this is why our real needs are not met. We are
too consumed by our own desires! We let ourselves become discouraged by our
circumstances! The moment things don't seem to go our way, our faith crumbles!
Jesus shows us our true nature in this encounter: We
lack faith!
No wonder Jesus declared loudly: "Woman, you have
great faith! Your request is granted." (Matt 15:28 NIV) And her daughter was
healed at that very moment.
In all reality, Jesus would never send anyone away.
How can love be love otherwise? "Whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
(John 6:37 NIV) He knew the faith this foreign woman had, and He knew that this
encounter would not only change His disciples for eternity, but it would also
change those like us who read this story!
Our first night in Leysin, Switzerland, seemed to be
in jeopardy. We arrived at our hotel at 8:30 and were faced with a sign on the
door that read: "Closed for the Night"!
No matter how hard we tried to knock on the door, no
one came. In desperation we took our cell phone and called the number to the
place. We were greeted with a rough voice: "I will be right there!"
Ten minutes later a man on a motorbike came to meet
us. He then spent the next several minutes lecturing us about reservations in
Europe. He informed us that if we are going to arrive late, we need to call in
advance, or our reservation would not be honoured. It made us feel very, very
welcome, if you know what I mean!
However, he did show us to our reserved rooms, and
though we didn't feel welcome, we were glad to have a place to rest and an
unforgettable view of the nearby mountains.
We could have stomped away mad and discouraged, but
guess who would have suffered the loss? Not the innkeeper. He had our credit
card information! Instead, our persistence paid off.
It is the same with persistent faith. Who cares how
others treat us? What is really important is that the Most High loves us beyond
comprehension!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.