|
Title: Universal Appeal! No Is Not An Answer! (15:21-25) In our culture we might consider this woman rude, but ancient Mediterranean judges were sometimes so corrupt that among the poor only a persistent, desperate, otherwise powerless woman could obtain justice from them. Luke 18:2-5: He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she get justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!” Both men and women in the Old Testament and in the Gospels show courage by refusing to take no for an answer to a desperate need. We have seen some Gospels stories already. And looking in the Old Testament, we find some individuals who are very persistent out of their desperation. Take for instance Abraham who pleaded with God for the salvation of Sodom in Genesis 18:22-32. Even though the city was destroyed, Abraham persisted to the end. It is not always that we will get the answers we want. Ultimately, God decides but that should not prevent us from persisting out of a sense of desperation. Limited as humans, we want the good for ourselves as we understand it but God wants greater good for us which we do not understand. We can only walk by faith many a times and not by sign. When we recognize that we have nowhere else to turn, clinging to the only One who can answer us is an act o faith. Jesus’ Mission Is Specifically for Israel (15:26) Jesus had left Jewish territory because the masses crowded him and he needed a short vocation to rest with and teach his disciples (see 15: 21) but at this stage of his mission was for Israel alone. Thus when his disciples ask him to send the woman away (see 15:23), Jesus notes the limitation of his mission (see 15:24: He answered, “I am sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”) Another passage which shows his ministry limitation is Matthew 10:5-6: These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” Yet Jesus did not send her away as his disciples requested. This might have caused the woman to persist with her request. But Jesus responds with equal firmness as his disciples. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) Jesus is not cursing the woman but he is putting her off. It is possible that he is testing her as teachers at that time tested their disciples. If you looked at John 6:5-6: When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” One thing is sure however, that Jesus is certainly reluctant to grant her request and is providing an obstacle for her faith. John 2:4 reads “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.” He is certainly summoning her to recognize Israel’s priority in the divine plan, a recognition that for her will include an admission of her dependent status. Just like the Old Testament prophet Elisha who requires Naaman to dip in the Jordan despite Naaman’s preference for the Aramean rivers Abana and Pharpar in 2 Kings 5:10-12. Ultimately, Naaman acknowledged Israel’s God and land in 2 Kings 5:17-18. The Woman Shows Her Faith (15:27-28) The woman recognizes that Jesus is no mere magician who performs feats for fame or money. By hailing Jesus as Son of David in 15:22 she has already acknowledged him as the rightful king over a nation that had conquered her ancestors (See Joshua 12:7-24; 2 Samuel 8:1-15). Like John’s woman at the well (see John 4:25-29; 6:69), this Canaanite woman publicly acknowledged Jesus’ identity before the disciples who wished her to leave had done so (see Matthew 16:16). Now she refuses to dispute that Jesus’ mission is indeed to Israel first and that her status is secondary to that of Israelites; nevertheless, she believes Jesus will have enough power left over from what Israel does not need or want. Jesus responds to such striking faith. Jesus has enough bread for Israel, but the following narrative reinforces that plenty of scraps remain over for others (see 15:37). Matthew reminds his community that all, both Jews and Gentiles, can approach God only through faith in his Messiah.[Top] |
|
Church of the Ascension, 13
Francis Thomas Drive, Singapore 359339 |