Friday, August 15, 2008

Today’s text

Matthew 14:21-28

Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And suddenly out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.' But he said not a word in answer to her. And his disciples went and pleaded with him, saying, 'Give her what she wants, because she keeps shouting after us.' He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.' But the woman had come up and was bowing low before him. 'Lord,' she said, 'help me.' He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.' She retorted, 'Ah yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters' table.' Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again.

Prayer

Two desires meet, and miracles happen. Your heart, Jesus, and the soul of a frightened woman, what have they in common? Only this: a burning desire that creation should live in fullness, in abundance, in wonder, in joy, in wholeness, immersed in the joy of living and loving. Only this.

Her desire echoes your own heart, Jesus. Both of you are transparent (in various degrees, of course) to the Eternal Wonder, the Loving Mystery, revealing the gracious will of eternity for our lives. She knew it; so did you.

Oh, sure, you turned from her. You jousted with clever sayings. You objected that your mission was first to the lost of Israel, not to the dogs doomed to slink about the edges of society.

But how could you turn away a soul who knew what love could do--and demanded it for her child? You couldn’t. She knew what her love was capable of, and she a mere mortal. How much more, then, might mere crumbs of God’s abundance accomplish for her little one?

You saw that, Jesus, and you called it great. But greater still is this: We find in our hearts this same love and desire to be whole and to see your world whole, made so by a love we cannot fathom.

Our hearts, too, are transparent to Eternal Wonder; the seeds of your loving have taken root in us.

So let them grow into something beautiful for you. And perhaps we, too, will shine with the greatness of this woman.

Pr. David L. Miller