Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Matthew 15:21-28 God answers our prayers as long as we have faith

At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”
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.

In this passage, Jesus is confronted by a woman who is not a Jew who asks him to heal her daughter. Here Jesus is reluctant to heal her daughter saying "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Jesus' reluctance poses an interesting question, if Jesus is the messiah of all peoples why would he hesitate to heal this woman's daughter? Perhaps this woman helped Jesus clarify his mission and his understanding of his mission. Here she skillfully replies that "even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters"  meaning Jesus' salvation should have a trickle down effect helping all people. This story is so inconsistent with the social teachings of this time period that it is likely referring to a real event in the life of Jesus. What this woman tells us is that God answers our prayers as long as we have faith.

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