THE FAITH THAT JESUS COMMENDS

Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 13-15; 28-32; Matthew 15:21-28

No story in the Bible demonstrates the value of faith more dramatically than the story of the Canaanite woman in Mathew 15. This woman cries out to Jesus, asking Him to heal her daughter, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” (v. 22). She becomes unpleasant to the disciples to the extent that they tell Jesus to get rid of her. Jesus says to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (v. 24). She did not stop, she continues to ask Jesus for help. Finally, Jesus says to her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (v. 26). She replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (v. 27). Jesus is amazed at the greatness of this woman’s faith, and He healed her daughter. So, brothers, what do you think is so awesome in this woman’s faith?

I will tell you first, what was not awesome about her faith. This woman did not even think about her own faith. She was not suffering over the sincerity of faith. She did not exercise her will in the matter or made any decisions or choices. We are not told that she dedicated herself for Jesus or that she was on fire for Jesus. This woman’s faith was precisely because of whom she trusted and what she knew.

First, she called Jesus “Lord.” Then she called Him the “Son of David.” She knew that Jesus is God and that He came into the world as the promised Heir of David. She knew that Jesus is the Shepherd for His people; she knew that Jesus is her Shepherd, your Shepherd, my Shepherd, and the shepherd for the whole world. She knew that Jesus came to walk the righteous way to the cross for the forgiveness of sins, she knew that Jesus forgives her sins and the sins of the whole world. This woman heard the Word and believed it.

Second, she was willing to admit her sin. She says, “Yes, I’m a dog. I can easily be a dog if that can get me scraps.” She did not boast or act better than she is. She did not lecture Jesus on His manners, even though Jesus appeared to be a bit rude to her. She did not ask Jesus to reward her for her faith. She was willing to admit her unworthiness. She was like those Lutherans who go to church on Sunday and say, “I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You.” There is no pride here. There is nothing in this woman or in her faith that deserves any attention.

Third, this woman trusts that God has grace for her. She says, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs.” She understood grace. Grace, actually, never comes in crumbs. It always comes complete. God never forgives halfway or heals halfway. His promises are always more than we can possibly need or even anticipate. True faith trusts that there is enough of God’s extravagant love for all of us. Faith grabs and holds the promises of Christ, and will not let it go. This is exactly what happened to this woman. This woman receives what the promise of Christ offers; she receives the grace of God and merit of Christ. Jesus says to her, “Great is your faith!” (v. 28).

Brothers! Even today Jesus is commending those who are willing to say, “I do not deserve.” Jesus is commending those who are beggars in terms of faith. Jesus is commending the poor in spirit; that is, those who know that they are poor, sick, miserable sinners; those who know that apart from Christ, they deserve temporal death and eternal damnation; those who know that apart from Christ they can do nothing. Jesus is commending all those who know who He is; those who know that He (Jesus) is true God and true man begotten of the Father from eternity, and born of the Virgin Mary; those who know that Christ suffered, died, and was buried, and on the third day He rose again from the dead for their Justification. Jesus is commending those who want even the smallest scrap of mercy.

This faith that Jesus commends teaches us that even the lowliest Christian with the smallest and weakest faith is wonderfully blessed. If you know that you are nothing,  that you deserve nothing, that Jesus accepts you by grace, that He is your God and the son of David, that He willingly forgives sins no matter how many, that he has grace enough for all - if you believe all that, then you are to be commended no less than this Canaanite woman.

But, brothers! God’s mercy is big enough for all. For we are all sinners, Jews and Gentiles alike. Israelites, Canaanites; insiders, outsiders; good people, bad people; church people, and people who don’t go to church. We are all sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. This is the reason why Jesus came. Jesus came to be the Savior of all people. And that is what He accomplished when He, the very Son of God, shed his blood on the cross for you. Jesus was making peace with God, dying in your place for you to have everlasting life. We all have been disobedient toward God, but God has had mercy on us all. Forgiveness, peace, life, eternal salvation–this is the free gift of God in Christ Jesus for all of us.

Christ has given us His mercy just as He did for the Canaanite woman. The mission of the Church is to show that mercy for all. Let our chapel be a home and a welcoming centre for all, including the poor, the needy, those who are frustrated, those who have lost hope in life, those parents whose children are suffering from various diseases, those who are divorced or separated, those who are depressed. These kind of people sometimes don’t show their problems. But we, we who ourselves have found help and hope and healing in Christ–we are set among our neighbors to bring them light, to bring them God’s love and mercy, to bring them Jesus. So let us be on the lookout for those people with problems and how we can be a channel of God’s blessing to them. Those people who suffers. Who knows? God may just use us to give them the same mercy and comfort that we ourselves have received. God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen!