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| Michael Angelo Immenraet's Jesus and the Woman of Canaan (17th century) |
Matthew 15:21-28.
This is the reflection I shared with my friends at Sanctuary of Peace this morning.
If you’ve ever seen someone having a seizure, you know it can be a very scary thing. In Jesus’ time, people thought that seizures were a sign of demon possession, but now we know they signify uncontrollable electrical impulses in someone’s brain, sometimes requiring medication. Someone I love experiences seizures.
So I can really relate to the woman in today’s story. She feels panicky and scared because she can't explain her daughter's health situation, and is afraid she might die. (I know what that’s like.) The only difference between me and that woman is that medical interventions didn’t exist in those days and only a local healer named Jesus could help her. So she’s crying and begging for help, loudly! (I’ve been there, too in my worries for my loved one, praying, "Please. Please. Please!")
And Jesus? He’s just had a big argument with the religious leaders of his own faith and he probably wants a break from people, period. Have you ever felt like that? So in his fully human nature, he doesn’t answer right away, and his followers take his silence for a “No.” They ask him to send the noisy woman away. They know that since she’s from the area around Tyre and Sidon, she’s probably not Jewish, and so they decide that she’s not someone he should be concerned about.
For a moment, Jesus seems to agree, saying he’s only come for the sake of the lost sheep among his own Jewish people, but in his fully divine nature, he doesn’t send her away. And the woman changes her approach and comes and quietly kneels at Jesus’ feet. Though she knows she’s not one of the people he's been concerning himself with, that she's not one who would sit at his table, she knows that she deserves Jesus’ attention just as much as anybody else. And somehow, she also knows he can heal her daughter, so she’s looking to be included in his care, and she’s not going to take no for an answer. I like that about her!
And Jesus does, too. It's clear that she’s smart, and desperate enough to be a little bit sassy. She speaks her truth, catching Jesus’ attention by using the same supper image that he uses, asking him for the crumbs from the table he's setting for his people, reminding him that though she's not one of them, she deserves his mercy, his care. And though the human Jesus might be tired of arguments, his divine self knows that she’s right and she does deserve his care just as much as the lost sheep religious leaders he was arguing with – because she has absolute faith in him. He praises her faith and heals her daughter immediately.
So where does this story leave you and me?
We all have times and places in our lives when we feel panicky and scared, or just plain worn down and frustrated, and we need help. Today’s gospel shows us that whenever someone speaks truth clearly and from their heart, they are heard, no matter who they are. For us, that can be tough to do when we’re anxious or fearful, but if we take a few deep breaths and soften our speech instead of shouting, we’re going in the right direction.
But even if we’re so desperate that we're loud about what we need, Creator can handle it. We come just as we are, we tell God what’s going on, and God listens – and loves and includes and cares for us all without judgment. I’m quite sure that we judge ourselves -- I know I judge myself -- more than Creator ever will.
So, just as we are, let’s go meet Jesus as he walks through the countryside near Tyre and Sidon.
Sit straight in your chair and take a deep breath in… and let it out slowly and quietly.
Set your feet on the floor and lower your shoulders. Relax and breathe normally, in and out.
Imagine that you are high on a grassy hill, walking with Jesus on a path wide enough for two.
The sun is warm, and you can smell good earthy, grassy smells.
There are patches of wildflowers that catch your eye, and your can hear bees going about their work, and see butterflies floating from flower to flower.
Jesus picks a piece of grass and chews on the sweet white root end of the stem, and you do the same.
As you walk, Jesus asks you how your summer has been. How has it been?
Jesus really wants to know what’s going on with you. He rests his hand on your shoulder as you walk, and the love in his eyes says that you can be who you are and can say anything, and he will listen and love you no matter what.
Is there something that is worrying you right now? Tell him about your concerns and give them into his care. Take a few moments of silence with him...
He smiles and says that anytime you talk with him you are offering a prayer, and that when the time is right, your prayers will be answered one way or another. He invites you to come and talk with him anytime, day or night.
Before you come back to this space, let Jesus know you appreciate him with a smile, a hug, a fist bump – whatever works best for you.
And let’s pray together:
We thank you, God, for the way you always listen to us, day or night.
We offer you all our cares and concerns, knowing that you don’t want us to suffer or feel anxious, but to trust in you and the help you send through the people around us.
Help us to place our lives in your care, and to speak our truth – to ask for help when we need it, and to help others when we can.
Let us be like the Canaanite woman, knowing that you will include us, and unafraid to ask until we receive your help.
Let us be like you, welcoming and including everyone in our love.
Bless us and keep us close to your heart always.
+Amen
