3 August 2016 - more than enough

[ Today's Readings ] 

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.

What if the LORD had simply healed her daughter at first? We can't know, of course. But maybe it would have led only to a brief celebration and then back to business as usual. Instead Jesus does not act immediately. He waits will she persists.

“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

He does not answer at first. But neither does he send her away. He waits. She persists. He then says something to her that challenges her.

He said in reply,
“It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs.”

Will she let her pride stop her from coming to Jesus? Will she interpret this to mean that Jesus holds Canaanite women in the same regard as his contemporaries? Is she a dog, after all? Is she any less than the lost sheep of Israel? Is she not, in the end, deserving of this?

She realizes that she is not. Or at least, she can act with that humility.

She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters.”

She does not question the plans of the LORD. If his first priority is Israel then so be it. She does not deserve anything. But she knows that even if the LORD is giving first to Israel he has plenty to go around. So in her humility she persists. She asks not because of who she is or what she deserves but rather because she knows that Jesus has enough.

Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.

The LORD promises to restore his people.

Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.

As we receive these promises let us do so with the attitude of the Canaanite woman. If we see others who are apparently getting more we need not be disheartened. It isn't a matter of who deserves it more. We leave the planning and distribution to the LORD. But we ask for what we need and trust that he has enough to satisfy us. 

Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the LORD’s blessings.

There are so many good gifts that the LORD has for us. He gives them, not for their own sake, but in order to draw us to himself.

Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”