Jesus Speaks to Women - Matthew 15: 22-28

As I type these words, we are celebrating Thanksgiving once again, and for that I praised the Lord.  I praise Him for all the blessings He has so generously decided to give me...and above all, I praise Him for His giving of Himself to me and to all of us.  For the gift of His Word that is alive and relevant even these many, many years later...I praise Him for the gift of stories such as today's...the story of a woman who knew she didn't belong; but whose faith and love moved her to the feet of Jesus to find true worship and mercy and a place where she fit in.

I know I have been calling this...series, I guess... "Jesus Speaks to Women."  Today, however, we will witness a moment when He is silent.  Have you ever encounter moments when all you long for is to hear Christ's Words somehow...but...no matter how much you think you are seeking them...the words just don't come within the frequency of your ears?  I know that has happened to me.  I admit, most of the time that I can't hear His voice is because there are so many other voices yelling in my ear, that I can't listen to the ONLY one that matters.  Sometimes, however, there are moments when I am actively trying to tune in...and all I hear is the deafening sound of silence.  There is nothing more terrifying...

Then, this story comes along:  a woman actively seeking the healing power of Jesus only to encounter His silence and seeming disinterest. 

22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 

I mean, really...can't you hear the desperation in her voice?  Lord, nothing is more horrible than to know your child is sick, let alone sick beyond hope.  She probably heard Jesus was passing by, and instantly, I would imagine, without thinking much about the obstacles:  first, she is a woman...that alone is a huge obstacle to being heard.  Second, another biggie, she is a Canaanite woman, which means she was part of an enemy group of Israel.  She had no business coming to Jesus.  She just did not belong there and she knew it.  Fueled by the love of her suffering child, she dismissed any thought of complication and just pleaded...openly and loudly! Only to find the one thing she was fearing the most: silence.

23 Jesus did not answer a word...

Wow...how harsh, don't you think?  Why would Jesus do that?  I mean, I expected it from the disciples.  Of course it is not surprising that they didn't want these woman bothering them, and they, of course, were vocal about their discomfort around her:

...So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us. 

But...Jesus?  I did not expect that reaction from Him...silence?  And then, to make matters worse, when He speaks, He says this:

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 

That would have been enough for me to walk away with my head hanging low and my hopes completely vanished.  But not this woman.  Facing an impossible situation, this woman's moment of decision came and she chose...to worship:

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

Left with nothing else...she fell down on her knees before Him...before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords...and she worshiped.  A simple and completely heartfelt, 100% pure act of worship contained in the plain phrase:  "Lord, help me!"  I can see Jesus turning to her at that moment ... however, He doesn't say what we expect.  He continues to push the situation:

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 

Not what I would hope to hear from Him when I am on my knees, pleading for salvation and help.  But this woman, if she was confused, she sure didn't show it.  She sure didn't waste any time wondering why was Jesus being so mean and harsh.  She didn't waste any time asking "why me?" or angrily asking, "why won't you talk to me!!???"  or being baffled by Jesus' inability to care.  Not her.  She knew who she was.  She knew Jesus owed her nothing.  She knew that she was coming to Him from the outside...she knew she didn't have the right to ask for anything...but she also knew, if not with head knowledge, but with the knowledge that only the Holy Spirit can give, that Jesus was bigger than all the worldly complications that separated them, so she continued, against all odds, she says:  

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 

Jesus is above all odds.  He doesn't follow rules made by men.  He doesn't respond the way we expect many times...most of the time...if He did, what kind of a God would He be?  He is not our puppet.  He knows exactly what needs to happen for us to truly encounter Him.  Often, He speaks in loud actions that are impossible to deny because that's what we need.  Some other times, He speaks in silence...because we need to realize the need to worship...the need to come to Him spiritually naked...the need to believe beyond all hope, because He is Worthy of all of our worship...because He already knows us and reads through all the layers we put on to try to mask our true selves...because He is the One True Hope...

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.  Matthew 15: 22-28

Dear Lord, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, I pray that we learn to be thankful for everything...that we learn to find You in the joy of Your Presence even when we can't even feel Your nearness...that we learn to hear Your Voice even in Your Silence...for it is in our perseverance that we will find Hope, and the Hope in You never disappoints.  Amen!