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‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ –Matthew 15:18
For Children: Share this short video lesson about Jesus as healer with your young children.
For Adults: Even Jesus was impressed by the foreign woman who pursued him for a healing for her daughter. As we know from reading the Gospels, Jesus had his hands full in daily dealings with his fellow Jews. In fact, he withdrew from Jewish territory into Tyre and Sidon precisely to get a respite from that often-thankless battle. No wonder he’s not anxious to respond when this Gentile comes running after him with her needs! Matthew calls her a “Canaanite,” the ancient name for the native Palestinians from whom Israel had taken the land. (Luke calls her a Syro-Phoenician, which is how she might have described herself.)
“Canaanite” was a slur, not much different from how Jesus compares her to a dog begging for scraps. Displaying more love than pride, the woman argues that even a dog gets the scraps if it begs enough.
Jesus rewards her great faith. We can be sure that such faith will be rewarded in the many outsiders who cry out to God today for the compassion they are denied elsewhere.
Who are the 21st century’s “dogs,” demeaned and ignored by those in power? How does the Church respond to these lowly little ones?
LET US PRAY… In these last weeks of summer, Lord, we ask your blessing on this season of rest and relaxation. We thank you for slower hours, gentle conversations, picnics, and time outdoors in your Creation. May we be more appreciative of the beauty around us, especially in the children of God we meet every day. Amen.
While The Gospel at Home takes a break in the summer months, we’ll be drawing our weekly reflections from Exploring the Sunday Readings by Alice Camille.
Image credit: www.LumoProject.com/www.freebibleimages.org
