This may seem like an unconventional view of Jesus'
life & ministry, but I truly believe that the Gospel reading we hear today
is evidence that Jesus indeed changed and grew into his ministry and his
understanding of his mission. In his interaction with the Canaanite woman from
the region of Tyre & Sidon in today's Gospel, Jesus at first does not treat
her very kindly. He initially tries to ignore her requests to heal
her daughter, & then very bluntly tells her that he came only to preach to
the people of Israel, that helping her, a Gentile, instead of helping a Jewish person
would be like taking food away from a child and giving it to a dog. Yet, as the Canaanite woman never gives up, Jesus
is able to recognize her great faith and agrees to heal her daughter. Perhaps, in this interaction, he is brought to a greater
understanding as to his mission & ministry here on earth. Like the Canaanite woman, we also are to be
persistent and tenacious in the way we live out our faith, in the way we search
for the presence of God in our lives, in the way we seek out God's will for
us. May we always live out our faith with courage and
conviction.
No comments:
Post a Comment