My mother, God rest her soul, would go to the doctor for an ailment and instead of telling him the symptoms she was experiencing, expect him to take her vitals and somehow know what was troubling her and how to fix it. “He’s not God, Mom,” we’d say, exasperated.
That remembrance tickles me when reading this Sunday’s Gospel about the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus to heal her daughter. Before she even approached him, Jesus, the Son of God, knew her petition and that he would fulfill it. But — a teacher as well — he let the scene play out.
“Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their master,” the Canaanite woman countered (Matt 15:26). Jesus had just tested her, seemingly denying her plea to free her daughter from a demon. (We know it was his disciples he was testing, Jesus once again showing them that he hears the prayers of all.) As mothers do, she persisted despite his rejection of her as not being one of his lost sheep. And her persistence paid off. Jesus acknowledged her great faith and immediately healed her daughter (Matt 15:28).
She wasn’t the only one whom the disciples tried to keep from Jesus. They also tried shooing away the children who ran to him and Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. Time and again, Jesus had to admonish the disciples about trying to keep him from people they considered a nuisance or unworthy of his presence. But Jesus, like all good doctors, welcomed everyone who sought him, turning no one away.
He still does, for we are all his. No one can block us from our master healer. Jesus wants us to rush to him, spilling out our ailments, woes and crises. Turning to him we can be confident he hears and cares about them all. We may not receive instantaneous healing like the child freed from the demon, but he will give us what we need in the manner and time he knows is best. Ultimately, it’s our hearts and souls he wants healed.
Rushing to Jesus, filled with praise and gratitude, we know the days of eating scraps off the master’s table are gone. We look forward to the day when we will eat our finest meal, reveling in the promise that “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines” (Isa 25:6).
And so I pray: Dear Lord, let me pay homage to you with reverence, respect, honor and subordination. Our loving father, doctor, and master, you have freed us from the bonds of the devil and gifted us with eternal life and joy.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.