When we are desperate. Matthew 15:21-28
Matthew 15:21–28 The woman in our story is desperate. She is a Gentile yet she comes to a Jew, and not just any Jew. She recognises him as Messiah, 'Son of David'. She is shouting. She is going to get his attention She keeps on shouting even when Jesus' followers try to get rid of her. She persists when Jesus says nothing: 'But he did not answer her at all' (v23) She even persists when Jesus tells her bluntly that he was not sent for people like her. He calls her a dog. To put it in context, this is a rabbinic exchange: sharp but opening up the conversation and not ending it. It invites a response. What I love about this woman is that there is no attempt at self-justification. She does not bristle at what could be taken as a racial slur She does not argue for rights. She asks for mercy. She simply recognises that she is coming with nothing and she is asking for gift. Yesterday I was speaking with someone who was struggling to understand why the Ch...