And the world loves to point out to you silly, backwards thinking Christians, this exact place, proving their point that God is not very loving, even to those who believe and pray to Him.
So, yes we strive with the world, but what does it mean to strive with God? When we hear of this Canaanite woman being called a dog and when we just sang that our only comfort is meeting before the Lord’s throne; We don’t feel very comforted or cared for in the things we pray about.
If you rely simply on the fact that God is almighty, then your only comfort is finding the strength to carry on within yourselves. If God isn’t coming because He doesn’t have time or can’t be bothered, then you are all alone and no backup is on its way.
If your first course of action is to rely on some sort of almighty plan, that doesn’t include Christ, then again you are out of luck. You will have to somehow find the courage to face the long wait in line of when it is your turn to benefit from the plan.
In all these respects, the world is quick to come to your aid. Your own government, with your support, will be at your beck and call, making laws to ease your financial situation, lift your social status, and give you special benefits if you just fall down and worship.
Very much unlike Jesus, in this portion of the Gospel, the world offers the world. Just depend on your and others humanity, which comes to your aid instantly. Put out a cry for help and millions rush to “advocate” for you and “raise awareness”. Fly the right flag and the tax man and FBI man stay away.
Repent. The lure and draw of worldly satisfactions is inescapable and you quickly substitute God’s Word for short-term relief. And who could blame you? You should expect that a God of love would alleviate all and that right soon.
Where we get our answer is not where we expect. We expect to hear “just bear with it” or “dig deep”, but the “yes” from the Lord we, and this woman, are looking for is further on ahead. Indeed, there is one other place where Jesus was silent before someone, in such a manner.
Isaiah prophesies that,
“…like a sheep that
before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.” (53:7)
so he opened not his mouth.” (53:7)
As Jesus is falsely accused in His farce of a trial, He does not answer to any false accusations cast His way. He simply stands there, not saying a word and allowing the will of His Father to be done.
Now, this silence was in front of those who had Him crucified, perhaps we could call them His enemies. Yet, bringing that back to this Canaanite woman, this means that she was also a false accuser and, thinking of God’s silence in the face of our own prayers…
Repent. In your sin, you falsely accuse Jesus of being Who He is not and saying what He has not said. In God’s plan or His almighty-ness it appears as if He couldn’t care less about us.
But, as was rightly pointed out to me be an inmate, this is not about the woman at all. Even Isaiah tells us that this is about Christ and His suffering and death for us. For it was Jesus who was silent before God and man and has prevailed.
Yes, the answer to this woman’s cry for help and all of your prayers is the Son of God Who forgives sins. In our rebellion against God, we want Him to be instantaneous and do our will, when it was the Father’s will to crush His only begotten Son.
In the Almighty power of God, Jesus dies and rises again from the dead. In God’s plan for your life, this living Jesus now gives to you His gifts in His Church. These gifts are grace, mercy, and forgiveness all of which depend on the Giver and not any hopeless situation we find ourselves in with an instant or a silent God.
The world wants to shower you with gifts of wind-blown smoke and mirrors. Jesus wants to take you into Himself that you might be saved. He wants to give you a Faith that can withstand life, death, false accusations, and even silence from God.
For in that silence God’s answer is Yes in Christ. Yes, this woman’s daughter will be healed as will every daughter. Yes, your failings and sins will be taken away, perfectly in Jesus.
It was Jesus Christ, the Son of God that this woman needed and all she needed. It was the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world that the Pharisees and High Priest needed and all they needed; the man that has striven with both God and men and prevailed.
God has answered all prayers with Jesus, on the cross, so that the world would be saved through Him. An invasion of demons does not stop the Blood of Christ. A swath of instantaneous gratification does not limit the power of the Gospel.
The same faith that this woman has been given is also yours. For in striving with man, Jesus has shown that not even lies and death can hold Him. And in striving with God, Jesus has satisfied God’s wrath against sin and has paid for light, life, and salvation.
Your friends come to support you, but then they leave. Your government rushes to your aid, but flee when the money and support run dry. All earthly helpers fail and comforts flee, but Christ renews and regenerates, even His enemies.
“And you, who once
were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has
now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy
and blameless and above reproach before him;”(Col.1)
Jesus is silent before sin, death, and the devil in order that He be the crucified God. Jesus is silent before us in order that the cross shine that much more brightly, for as we tread the waters of Lent, being convicted of sin, we must have a Savior who is capable of more than just an exorcism here and there.
We must have a Redeemer who is able to take on all demon possessions, false hopes, and lies and stand out as the truth. We must have a victorious Lord that can not be held even by death and He must then include us; He must incorporate us into His very Body.
The woman’s daughter was healed in order that she and all those around her would know that Jesus is the Lord’s Christ to do just that; to be crucified and sanctify the waters of Baptism, the words of His Gospel, and His Body and Blood. These sacraments, now being a more clearer and fuller answer to prayer than any exorcism or miracle could be.
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