A nameless Canaanite woman calls out to Jesus from our text on Sunday, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” She is the wrong ethnicity, the wrong gender, probably the wrong socio-economic class in her day and she is even in the wrong geographical location. BUT, Jesus has taken veered from the Jewish countryside that he openly confesses as his “target audience,” has to deal with a person the Jews consider “dogs,” and by a woman who is at the end of her rope. The disciples are not impressed and want to send her away even probably as we become annoyed when bothered by things coming from outside our agenda, outside our box. The woman begs for a “crumb” that falls from the table and that dogs eat, not much, just a crumb. Today we may question if we are in the right location, saying the right words, just an irritant to God, perhaps no better than a dog but the truth is that as we turn to him as our first priority, he listens. “Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’”
We do not see an amazing miracle, an exorcism, that dazzles the audience but we see faith in action outside the boxes we draw for God. Wherever we are today, whoever we are today, and whenever we need him today, Jesus listens and responds as we make God our first priority and not our last resort. Blessings.
On the Way to Wonder 