One of the great drives toward a religion on the part of all human beings throughout the world is for security. We want a divine power that will protect us, give our lives strength and meaning and enable us to get along with life.
But that is only a part of what religious faith is supposed to do.
The other part (and the most important part) is for human beings to get in touch with the direction that God wants for the world and for our individual lives.
The gospel reading for this Sunday ( Mt. 15, 21-28) about the Cananite woman (an outsider) marks a deepening in the ministry f Jesus and in the life of the people of the Church.
She does not belong among the Jewish people. She is an outsider but she is persistent. Jesus (as a typical Jew) referred to her as a dog! But she is sharp and she is determined: “But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table.”
She had him. At this point in time the vision of Jesus was enlarged. His ministry was al for all people: Jew and Gentile alike.
This is where this event in Matthew’s gospel expands and challenges all the Church. The mercy and redemption of the death and resurrection of Christ is for all peoples.
This is why our Christiaan faith is a daily challenge. Are there peoples who we exclude? Do not give fair and equal employment opportunities because they are different?
All cultures have a black history of exclusion to people who are different based on their skin color, the ethnic background or their educational background.
This Sunday’s gospel selection is a bold challenge. God’s heart and vision are so much bigger than our own. We are being stretched.
How do you feel challenged by the insight that this Cananite woman gave Jesus? And what does she give to us about God’s heart?
No comments:
Post a Comment