마태복음 15장 21-28

Today’s passage begins with Jesus withdrawing to the region of Tyre and Sidon. As Jesus enters
into this pagan territory, he is met by a Canaanite woman. The Canannite woman is desperate
for the help of Jesus. She doesn’t know Jesus personally, but most likely has heard secondhand
information about who Jesus was and all that he could do, so in her desperation she cries out
for mercy. To our surprise, the Scriptures tell us that Jesus remains silent and doesn’t respond
to her plea.

We can learn two things from this passage. The first thing we see is that God is sovereign and
his purposes and his will for our lives will not always align with ours. There are many times
when God will not respond or act on our schedule or timetable. As Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For
as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts.” Though at first reading, we might think that Jesus is being
unloving and ignoring the needs of the woman, but in the end God reveals once again that
Jesus understands exactly what the woman needs and provided for her in a way that defied
logic and reason.

The second thing that we can learn from this passage is faith with persistence. The woman
could have easily just left discouraged and defeated when Jesus ignores her plea, but she is
even more adamant and persistent by recognizing her place as an unclean gentile and though
she wasn’t worthy enough to be a child at the table of King Jesus, she could at least be a dog
who feeds on the crumbs that the children drop. This show such great humility recognizing who
she was in light of who Jesus was. This was such a stark contrast from the Pharisees and even
Jesus’ disciples. It is no wonder Jesus gives her commendation by saying that she had “great
faith.”
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May our faith be as great as we continue to look to the one and be aware, persistent, and
dependent solely and only on Jesus.
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Prayer: Father God, thank you that you are sovereign over us. Thank you that you are perfect in
all your ways and that your thoughts and ways are far greater than ours. Help us to approach
your table of grace with humility so that we can enjoy the privileges we have as your children.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.