Matthew 15:22 A Canaanite woman from the vicinity came to him, crying out loud, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Have you ever been an outsider and known it at the time? I remember when I was in grammar school, I was very skinny and awkward physically. As a result I hated recess games. As soon as they lined up to start picking teams, I knew I was going to be the last one picked. Outsider!
So, I developed a persona to feel like I belonged somewhere. I became the joker, the goof off, the class clown. I made myself the object of so many laughs, but at least I had a place to fit. I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time, but it worked. By High School, my trumpet playing and band membership gave me a place.
We have lived in many places, I think it is twenty six now, so I got used to being an outsider. We had a farewell for our senior pastor at our church this weekend. It was strange being the one remaining rather than the one leaving.
Jesus often went to those who were on the outside and accepted them. Our text tells us about one such journey into non-Jewish territory. Jesus goes to the area where the previous inhabitants of the Promised Land had been driven by the entrance of the Israelites following the exodus from Egypt and their forty year cleansing tour.
The Canaanites were thought to be beyond God’s grace. They were a people despised for their compromises. They were never accepted by the Jews. Early in their history together they had been slaves of the Israelites.
It is to this despised group that Jesus goes. And as He goes a mom is desperate for her daughter. How many moms have been desperate for their children!
Jesus puts her request on hold as he walks along, and she doesn’t give up on her desire for His intervention. Jesus tests her resolve by saying no to her request. He puts cultural roadblocks up to see if she will continue to pursue Him. Not the best way to develop the friendly face we see in paintings.
As I read this passage I wonder about Jesus’ methodology in this instance. Was it necessary to elude to this woman as a dog? How did this advance His Kingdom? But it did. This woman wasn’t dissuaded at all. She continued in her pursuit on behalf of her daughter.
I am wondering how many times people today reject God’s work in the world because it requires them to admit they need help. Part of the process of coming to repentance is that fact that we must admit we need repentance. Our lives don’t match the holy calling placed on us from the beginning.
Was this woman willing to accept Jesus definition of her standing as one who was an outsider, one who needed full restoration? Would she run away when facing her position as one who was rejected by the LORD? Would she allow the prejudices that she had faced all her life to stop her from seeking Jesus?
Well, we know the end of the story. “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” I don’t think there could have been any better words heard that day. This desperate woman’s encounter with Jesus has brought about the deliverance of her daughter, the very thing she sought. She hadn’t let anything get in the way of her pursuit.
What was inside her came out. She knew Jesus could bring about healing, and she stuck with her belief. It manifested itself in her words, the things that came out of her mouth. Her heart was speaking and faith was the message.
The Arnold Journey 