06.19.2023 Faith of a Foreigner - Spotlight

 Behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word.

As people read the gospels they have a tendency to think that Jesus is always the focal point of the story. This is not always the case. The gospel writers certainly want to tell us about Jesus, what he said and did that will help us believe and trust in him. However, they also understood that Jesus is not always trying to be our example for us to imitate. You cannot do all the things that he did because, believe it or not, you are not God, but Jesus was. Many of the accounts in the gospels move the spotlight off of Jesus and focus on an ordinary person who displays great faith. These are people with whom we can relate and from whom we will learn great lessons of faith. In our section from the gospel of Matthew we discover that the spotlight is on an incredibly unlikely character, a Canaanite woman. One day God will put the spotlight on you for someone to study what great faith looks like. These unlikely heroes will help you be ready when it is your turn.

Heavenly Father, open my heart and mind to learn the lessons You desire to teach me this week. Amen.

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope. ― Thomas Merton