Saturday, 19 August 2023

 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 from God

In this passage, we see the persistent faith with humility of a Canaanite woman and the 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 much of her heart and knew exactly what was needed to lead her to 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/wish for healing of her daughter

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 spirit that worships Jesus as the Lord (v.25)

4) It is a spirit of humility and surrenders 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 great: this woman and the centurion. It is worth noting that both are Gentiles (Mt 8:10). We need the way of desperately seeking 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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