Sunday, February 17, 2008
Holy Chutzpah
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Sidon was remembered as the home of ancient queen Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31). Matthew does not introduce this woman in the most flattering way. Introducing her as a "woman of Canaan" was the equivalent to introducing a someone as a "Yankee" one hundred forty years ago in the Southern U.S. Any of Matthew's Jewish readers with an ounce of prejudice would despise her. But then she calls Jesus by his Messianic title "Son of David." This is now a Yankee that confesses the Confederacy. She was acknowledging the kingdom rights of the Jews. She was also recalling the kingdom that encompassed Jews and non-Jews.
Someone who else who spent some time in Sidon was Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-24). And in this account, this woman of Canaan shares a particular character trait with Elijah: holy chutzpah. She doesn't take no for an answer. But this is also holy chutzpah. As my children know from the catechism: God can do all his holy will. So if you are going to pray with holy chutzpah, not taking no for an answer, you also must first know you are praying according to his holy will.
This woman approached Jesus with holy chutzpah, and he said of her, "O woman, great is your faith!"
But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:21-28
Sidon was remembered as the home of ancient queen Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31). Matthew does not introduce this woman in the most flattering way. Introducing her as a "woman of Canaan" was the equivalent to introducing a someone as a "Yankee" one hundred forty years ago in the Southern U.S. Any of Matthew's Jewish readers with an ounce of prejudice would despise her. But then she calls Jesus by his Messianic title "Son of David." This is now a Yankee that confesses the Confederacy. She was acknowledging the kingdom rights of the Jews. She was also recalling the kingdom that encompassed Jews and non-Jews.
Someone who else who spent some time in Sidon was Elijah (1 Kings 17:9-24). And in this account, this woman of Canaan shares a particular character trait with Elijah: holy chutzpah. She doesn't take no for an answer. But this is also holy chutzpah. As my children know from the catechism: God can do all his holy will. So if you are going to pray with holy chutzpah, not taking no for an answer, you also must first know you are praying according to his holy will.
This woman approached Jesus with holy chutzpah, and he said of her, "O woman, great is your faith!"
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