A woman asks
Matthew 15 verses 21 to 28
I thought I had got as much as I was going to get from this interaction between Jesus and a Canaanite woman.
Matthew records that a Canaanite woman requested that Jesus heal her daughter. Initially, it seems he ignores her at least he doesn’t acknowledge her. His team are the first to acknowledge her by telling him to tell her to stop following him.
She makes her request known by shouting, “Lord, son of David heal my daughter”.
Jesus still says nothing until he says to her, “I have come for the lost sheep of Israel” or as The Message puts it “I’ve got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.”
He then goes on to say that he cannot give the children’s bread to the dogs to which she swiftly replies, “But even the dogs get the crumbs”. His reply is “Your faith has made your daughter whole”.
After listening to the other four of our community I saw much more than I had seen on my own.
One spoke of their work and how it is aimed at a niche group of people yet others are finding their way to their door. Do they say “No” or respond to the need presented? Another spoke of the goodness of their neighbour and friend although not someone who has expressed a need for faith. The story was recalled of another who professed no faith yet they happily worked in a church bookshop. Another reminded us that God is for all people.
Something was reassuring about Jesus being focused on a particular group of people and expressing concern at someone outside of this group demanding of him. As one said, “Here we see the human Jesus just like us, who gets tired and feels somewhat overwhelmed.”
I was reminded that the very group I was in had opened itself to me. The group is part of a Roman Catholic (RC) Lay order, Christian Life Community, yet I am not an RC. I followed a prompting of the Holy Spirit and found a need met in this group and no one said I couldn’t be a part of it.
There are those people who do not see the division that others of us see. The Canaanite woman just wanted her daughter healed and she believed Jesus could do it. Her need was greater than any fear.
From my reading of George Fox’s journal, I get the impression he believed everyone has the light of God within. The adventure of faith is to allow that light to come to the core.
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Should you wish to read the passage the link is below
My one minute video on the passage
