St. Matthew 15:21-28/Genesis 32:22-32/1 Thess 4:1-7
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid; when days and nights of anxious thought no help or counsel yet have brought. Then is our comfort this alone that we may meet before Your throne; to You, O faithful God, we cry, for rescue in our misery. For You have promised, Lord, to heed Your children’s cries in time of need through Him whose name alone is great, our Savior and our advocate” (LSB 615:1,3).
And so the Canaanite woman approaches Jesus. She had heard a good word concerning this Man from Nazareth. For we know no one seeks after God; no one searches for Jesus apart from first hearing His Word. For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. And so she lays hold of these promises of Christ – His healing and comfort of the sick and the poor, the needy.
Have mercy on me, O Lord. Kyrie eleison, she cries out. It is true, nothing brings such comfort and peace in time of sorrow and misery as the beautiful language of the Church’s historic liturgy. For it is the cry of the beggar; the fervent plea of the one broken by sin and shame; the one who knows her suffering. Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
At times our Lord answers sharp and sudden to our prayers. At others His response is delayed. But for this poor woman, her prayer goes unrequited. Jesus did not answer her a word. She cries out for mercy and He throws down the gauntlet. Whether is it in His silence or His rebuke, the challenge, the test, the obstacle is set. And like Jacob at the ford of Jabbok, she shall now strive with God. But with the gauntlet comes the gift also.
Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as [children]? “My little ones, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every [child] whom He receives.” If you are left without discipline you are illegitimate children (Heb 12:5-6, 8).
And so she is bold. Her response to being ignored was to keep asking. Her response to being insulted was to fall down and worship Him. Her prayer for her daughter’s demon possession was distilled to simply, Lord, help me.
Indeed our Lord acts strangely. When He ignores her the disciples have pity and intercede on her behalf. This Canaanite woman may not get an audience with Jesus, but surely His disciples had His ear. Are they embarrassed by His silence? Moved with compassion for the woman? Trying to provide some type of excuse, some reason, for His behavior?
Do your friends and family not ask you to pray for them? They have striven with God and it seems as if He has been silent to their pleas. Maybe you, the good church-going Christian, will fare better.
Do you find yourself attempting to defend God’s goodness and mercy when prayers go unanswered and He allows, yea, even sends, suffering and chastisement?
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb 12:11). God does indeed work all things, all things, together for good, for those whom He called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).
But the disciples are helpless to her as well. I was sent only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They, the apostles and the woman, stand before demons as helpless as we stand before cancer, Alzheimer’s, war, poverty. All they can do is pray.
But she would not be deterred. She had the Word. She had His promises. She looked not to her feelings, hurt as they must have been. She did not listen to her emotions; nor did she consider her own experiences. She clung mightily to the everlasting Word. Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, O my God, in You I trust; let me not be put to shame. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember me; for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!
St Mark tells us that she followed Jesus into the house. She falls at His feet and worships! Her cry is now only syllables, Lord, help me.
But again He snubs her. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to dogs. The final blow! Ignored. Rejected. Now insulted; a Canaanite dog, unworthy of the children’s bread.
Yet she does not despair, but agrees with His judgment and concedes that she is a dog; and desires no more than what a dog is entitled: the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Such faith!
She catches Christ with His own words. And He is happy to be caught. He let Himself be made captive. He must comply to her request. And be sure of this, dear Christian: this is what He most deeply desires – not to be let go; to give His blessing. O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly.
With the gauntlet comes the gift also. Is it odd to you that our Lord would give His gifts in this way? Are we so different? Do we not do these things with our own family: our spouses, our children? We say we love them unconditionally, and we do, but we also test their love for us. We throw down our own gauntlets, our own obstacle courses, and when they pass, there is a gift, too – our own response of love.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; the strengthening of your faith. Faith that clings firmly to Christ and His Word, rejecting all contrary experience, ignoring our fleeting emotions; faith captive to the Word alone; grasping Christ, the Son, alone; not letting Him go unless He blesses you, that is, remains true to His Word and promise.
For consider Him who endured such shame and rejection on your behalf. Did He not plead with His Father, If it be possible, remove this cup from Me? Three times He prayed. Ignored. Reproved. And then the gauntlet – the agony and torture, the suffering and shame of crucifixion. The complete and total rejection by God.
Yet for the joy set before Him He endured the Cross, despising the shame (Heb 12:2). He caught God in His promises. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your Holy One see decay (Ps 16:10). The Father vindicated His innocent Son and raised Him from the dead for your justification.
He was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel. It is not right to give the children’s bread to dogs. These are true. And Christ is faithful. He makes the Canaanite part of the house of Israel. He makes the dogs children.
And so you. You come her, kneeling and bowing at the feet of Christ, crying, Lord, have mercy on me. And He says, “You are a poor, miserable sinner.” But you catch Him in His Word. “Yes, Lord, it is true. I am a poor, wretched sinner. But You have promised to show mercy to sinners.” And for His mercy’s sake He pardons your guilt and takes away your iniquity.
He banishes your demons with water and Word. Like Jacob He has changed your name. You are no longer dog. You are child. You are His. He hears your prayer. He throws down the gauntlet and brings with it His gifts also. He strengthens your faith. He loves you. He seats you at His table, dear little one, and gives Himself to you in Bread and Wine. Amen.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
“When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid; when days and nights of anxious thought no help or counsel yet have brought. Then is our comfort this alone that we may meet before Your throne; to You, O faithful God, we cry, for rescue in our misery. For You have promised, Lord, to heed Your children’s cries in time of need through Him whose name alone is great, our Savior and our advocate” (LSB 615:1,3).
And so the Canaanite woman approaches Jesus. She had heard a good word concerning this Man from Nazareth. For we know no one seeks after God; no one searches for Jesus apart from first hearing His Word. For faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. And so she lays hold of these promises of Christ – His healing and comfort of the sick and the poor, the needy.
Have mercy on me, O Lord. Kyrie eleison, she cries out. It is true, nothing brings such comfort and peace in time of sorrow and misery as the beautiful language of the Church’s historic liturgy. For it is the cry of the beggar; the fervent plea of the one broken by sin and shame; the one who knows her suffering. Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
At times our Lord answers sharp and sudden to our prayers. At others His response is delayed. But for this poor woman, her prayer goes unrequited. Jesus did not answer her a word. She cries out for mercy and He throws down the gauntlet. Whether is it in His silence or His rebuke, the challenge, the test, the obstacle is set. And like Jacob at the ford of Jabbok, she shall now strive with God. But with the gauntlet comes the gift also.
Have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as [children]? “My little ones, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every [child] whom He receives.” If you are left without discipline you are illegitimate children (Heb 12:5-6, 8).
And so she is bold. Her response to being ignored was to keep asking. Her response to being insulted was to fall down and worship Him. Her prayer for her daughter’s demon possession was distilled to simply, Lord, help me.
Indeed our Lord acts strangely. When He ignores her the disciples have pity and intercede on her behalf. This Canaanite woman may not get an audience with Jesus, but surely His disciples had His ear. Are they embarrassed by His silence? Moved with compassion for the woman? Trying to provide some type of excuse, some reason, for His behavior?
Do your friends and family not ask you to pray for them? They have striven with God and it seems as if He has been silent to their pleas. Maybe you, the good church-going Christian, will fare better.
Do you find yourself attempting to defend God’s goodness and mercy when prayers go unanswered and He allows, yea, even sends, suffering and chastisement?
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb 12:11). God does indeed work all things, all things, together for good, for those whom He called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).
But the disciples are helpless to her as well. I was sent only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They, the apostles and the woman, stand before demons as helpless as we stand before cancer, Alzheimer’s, war, poverty. All they can do is pray.
But she would not be deterred. She had the Word. She had His promises. She looked not to her feelings, hurt as they must have been. She did not listen to her emotions; nor did she consider her own experiences. She clung mightily to the everlasting Word. Remember Your mercy, O Lord, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, O my God, in You I trust; let me not be put to shame. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to Your steadfast love remember me; for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord!
St Mark tells us that she followed Jesus into the house. She falls at His feet and worships! Her cry is now only syllables, Lord, help me.
But again He snubs her. It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to dogs. The final blow! Ignored. Rejected. Now insulted; a Canaanite dog, unworthy of the children’s bread.
Yet she does not despair, but agrees with His judgment and concedes that she is a dog; and desires no more than what a dog is entitled: the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. Such faith!
She catches Christ with His own words. And He is happy to be caught. He let Himself be made captive. He must comply to her request. And be sure of this, dear Christian: this is what He most deeply desires – not to be let go; to give His blessing. O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly.
With the gauntlet comes the gift also. Is it odd to you that our Lord would give His gifts in this way? Are we so different? Do we not do these things with our own family: our spouses, our children? We say we love them unconditionally, and we do, but we also test their love for us. We throw down our own gauntlets, our own obstacle courses, and when they pass, there is a gift, too – our own response of love.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; the strengthening of your faith. Faith that clings firmly to Christ and His Word, rejecting all contrary experience, ignoring our fleeting emotions; faith captive to the Word alone; grasping Christ, the Son, alone; not letting Him go unless He blesses you, that is, remains true to His Word and promise.
For consider Him who endured such shame and rejection on your behalf. Did He not plead with His Father, If it be possible, remove this cup from Me? Three times He prayed. Ignored. Reproved. And then the gauntlet – the agony and torture, the suffering and shame of crucifixion. The complete and total rejection by God.
Yet for the joy set before Him He endured the Cross, despising the shame (Heb 12:2). He caught God in His promises. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your Holy One see decay (Ps 16:10). The Father vindicated His innocent Son and raised Him from the dead for your justification.
He was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel. It is not right to give the children’s bread to dogs. These are true. And Christ is faithful. He makes the Canaanite part of the house of Israel. He makes the dogs children.
And so you. You come her, kneeling and bowing at the feet of Christ, crying, Lord, have mercy on me. And He says, “You are a poor, miserable sinner.” But you catch Him in His Word. “Yes, Lord, it is true. I am a poor, wretched sinner. But You have promised to show mercy to sinners.” And for His mercy’s sake He pardons your guilt and takes away your iniquity.
He banishes your demons with water and Word. Like Jacob He has changed your name. You are no longer dog. You are child. You are His. He hears your prayer. He throws down the gauntlet and brings with it His gifts also. He strengthens your faith. He loves you. He seats you at His table, dear little one, and gives Himself to you in Bread and Wine. Amen.
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