20th Sunday in Ordinary Time-A
I Reading: Isaiah 56:1.6-7: I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain.
II Reading: Romans
11:13-15.29-32 : With
Israel, God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.
Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28: Woman, you have great faith.
The Messiah Teaches What It Takes to Receive Things of God
In
this passage we see the persistent faith with humility of a Canaanite woman and
mercy of Jesus. Canaanites were not just ordinary enemies but ancestral enemies
of the Jews.
We
heard in the readings the work of God to save humankind. The fullness of salvation
came to human beings through Jesus Christ. We are saved because of God’s mercy
and love. It is an incomprehensible mystery that anyone should reject the
salvation which God offers.
Let
us look at how Jesus took to lead the
Canaanite woman to faith in himself. Jesus knew very thought of her heart, and
he knew exactly what was needed to lead her to a personal faith in him. At first
the woman saw Jesus only as the Son of David, a great miracle worker to
liberate people from their ills and problems whether national or personal. She needed
to grow in her concept of Christ. She learnt step by step that Jesus is the
Lord who is to be worshipped (v.25). He is the Master of all lives (or dogs,
v.26-27), and a person must persist and demonstrate humility in seeking him.
1.
Jesus withdrew to Gentile religions (v.21-22)
a.
The border of Tyre and Sidon
b.
A desperate woman approached Jesus
2.
A cry of need (v.22)
a.
She cried for mercy
b.
She cried to the Son of David
c.
She cried for another –for her daughter
3.
A persistence that would not quit (v.23-24)
a.
Despite Jesus’ silence
b.
Despite the objection of the disciples
c.
Despite being undeserving
4.
A spirit that worshipped Jesus as Lord (v.25)
5.
A spirit of humility and surrender (v.26-27)
a.
The need to learn humility
b.
The confession of humility: she accepted Jesus’ verdict of her
6.
A great faith (v.28)
a.
Jesus’ climactic commendation: “you have great faith”
b.
Jesus’ climactic reward: granted her request
Thought:
There is a
difference in the way people seek Jesus and pray.
1. Some
people pray that God might hear. There is no complete faith in God.
2. Some
people pray with persistence or perseverance constantly with a desperate heart
and humility without any doubt in God. This Canaanite woman knew Jesus was her
only hope, so she would not quit. She would not be discouraged by anything-not
by silence or an objection or by an apparent rebuff.
What is great
faith? The steps taken by this woman tell us:
1) It is a
desperate cry of need (v.22)
2) It is a
persistence that will not quit (v.23-24)
3) It is
a sprit that worships Jesus as the Lord
(v.25)
4) It is a
spirit of humility and surrender to the Lord (v.26-27)
5) It is a
faith that receives its request (v.28).
There are
only two individuals whose faith Jesus pronounced to be great: this woman’s and
the centurion. It is worth noting that both are Gentiles (Mt 8:10). We need the
way of desperate seeking to Jesus’ help.
Let us all
trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour; whose only work is to save us. The greater
our trust in him, the greater the wonders he will work in our favour.
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