Persistence

Wednesday’s gospel was from the book Matthew 15:21-28.  There are many aspects to this story that fascinate me.  Adn yet again, I will humbly try to briefly explain this story, but strongly suggest you read it on your own.

Jesus and His disciples are leaving the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Out of nowhere is a Canaanite woman calling out for Jesus.  The disciples encourage Jesus to send her away. However, Jesus reminds the disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  The woman speaks with Jesus asking Him to remove the demons from her daughter.  When Jesus questions the woman, she is persistent in her request.

 The first aspect of this story that fascinates me is the fact that the disciples, the men closest to Jesus, were not acting in a very Christian way.  They encouraged Jesus to send her away.  It comforts me that even the men closest to Jesus did not always act in the way God wanted them to.  It just proves the point that we are all sinners and that being a Christian is ALWAYS going to be hard work.

Another point, that I find fascinating, is the faith of this Canaanite woman.  Here is a woman, who probably most of her life, was of no faith.  How did she know to go to Jesus?  Even after Jesus, questioned her, how did she know that Jesus would heal?  Sure, she probably heard the stories of Jesus through the grapevine, but how did she come to believe?

In my many years of Bible study, I have come to rely on the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  The best example I can give is this:  When you do something wrong, and you immediately feel bad doing whatever it is you have done, that is the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  So somewhere, not told in this story, God had to of placed the Holy Spirit on the Canaanite woman’s heart.

But what most fascinates me is the woman’s persistence.  She asks Jesus to help her and Jesus replies, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  Once she hears this response, she does not give up.  “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their master.”

Being a leader, I feel it is my responsibility to have vision, and with vision comes decisions.  Some decisions I make are easy, yet others are difficult.  Whatever decision I make, easy or difficult, you can bet that there is somebody that does not like the decision I have made.  Sometimes, it is difficult for me to take the criticism.  Sometimes, after receiving the criticism, I want to back down, and I am not sure, a few years ago, I would have done just that.  Being persistent can be difficult, however, it can also reap the rewards of the Canaanite woman, for Jesus says, “Oh woman, great is your faith.”

Today I pray to God that whatever I do, I do to glorify Him.  I ask that He give His grace to all those who read this, that they have the persistence of the Canaanite woman, to continue to seek and grow toward Him.