The gospel from Matthew this weekend is a challenging one. Jesus withdraws to the area of Tyre and Sidon, two villages on the seashore. Exhausted from his ministry of preaching, teaching, and especially healing the hundreds and thousands who are constantly coming to him, Jesus is looking for a break, a vacation. His presence is discovered by a Canaanite woman, who is well aware of his reputation. Her daughter is sick, an illness they could not explain, so in the culture of the time, the daughter is described as tormented by a demon. Jesus reacts with impatience, he’s tired. Jesus reacts with an insult, he is human like us. Jesus says his mission is to the children of Israel, not to the Canaanites. The woman persists, maybe like so many of us she has nothing to lose, and Jesus heals her daughter. The healing power of Jesus is for all people, the message is inescapable.
Don’t react in anger to every perceived insult. Maybe someone is desperate like the Canaanite woman, or young and a dreamer like Billy, and don’t even know they have insulted you. Life unfolding is not an insult to any of us.
Don’t look for reasons to exclude someone or some group. God’s message is for all. Jesus demonstrates this in the gospel today. Look for ways to include more people, different people.
Don’t make your needs the center of attention. Tend to the needs of others, the poor, the sick, those without hope. This is the effort God wants us to make. At this time, especially those without hope.
Don’t focus on the insignificant, focus on what is essential. Every effort of the Canaanite woman was to have her daughter healed, she cared about nothing else. Our every effort should be to further the Kingdom of God, to make the message of Jesus real and resounding.