Sunday January 21, 2024
Theme: “The Lord Jesus Christ comes to our aid”
Text: Matthew 15:21-28
21. Jesus departed from there and withdrew into the region of Tire and Sidon. 22. And, behold, a Canaanite woman, which came from those countries, cried unto him, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; My daughter is cruelly tormented by the demon. 23. He answered her not a word, but his disciples came and said earnestly to him, Send her away, for she cries after us. 24. He answered: I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25. But she came and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me! 26. He answered: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to throw it to the little dogs. 27. Yes, Lord, she said, but the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table. 28. Then Jesus said to her, Woman, great is your faith; let it be done to you as you wish. And immediately his daughter was healed.
Let's remember:
Jesus was only sent to rescue the lost sheep of the house of Israel. By the extension of his love, the nations were included in the momentum of his work. We who once were just little dogs without leashes and without a master; We were welcomed by the master to eat the debris that fell under his table. For a while, we were just eating crumbs. Then the Lord decided to set up a table for us in front of our adversaries. Then, by his help, the Lord God elevated us further. “He raises the poor from the dust, He raises the needy from the dunghills, To make them sit with the great. And he gives them a throne of glory. This is how the Canaanite woman received help from Jesus. If our faith is a little consistent, persevering and fighting, this is enough to receive help from Jesus. Let us take the time to cry out to Jesus with supplications accompanied by declarations of faith. The Lord may be silent for a while but eventually He will speak a word. Even when the world would like us to be rejected by Jesus, His love and compassion will defend our cause. While people will insist that we are excluded from the help of Jesus, this is exactly when we must take the next step which is that of prostration because prostration weakens the heart of God and triggers his help; Jesus is sensitive to this adoration. Amen
Alain Louz.-