Matthew 15:21-25: a reflection

21Jesus went out from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” 23But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.” 24But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

A Canaanite woman, an outsider to Israel, comes to Jesus in desperation, crying out for mercy because her daughter is tormented. At first Jesus seems to hold back; he does not answer her a word, and when the disciples urge him to send her away, he speaks of being sent to the lost sheep of Israel. To modern ears this can sound cold, but Jesus is drawing out and displaying a faith that will not be turned away, testing and revealing the depth of her trust. And the woman does not give up.

Instead of being deterred by the apparent obstacles, she comes and kneels before him with the simplest and most heartfelt of prayers: Lord, help me. She has no claim of belonging, no leverage, no argument except her need and her trust in his mercy. She will not be sent away, will not stop asking, will not let the silence or the seeming barriers turn her back. Her persistence is not rudeness but faith, a refusal to believe that Jesus would finally turn away a desperate heart.

This woman teaches a persistent, humble faith. When your prayers seem to meet silence, when the way to Jesus seems blocked, do not conclude that he does not care and give up. Keep coming, as she did, kneeling before him with the honest cry, Lord, help me. Her story ends, just beyond this passage, with Jesus praising her great faith and granting her request. Let her example encourage you to keep asking, keep kneeling, keep trusting, even through apparent silence. The One who seemed to hold back was drawing out a faith he delighted to honor.

Lord Jesus, the Canaanite woman would not be turned away by silence or obstacles but kept coming, kneeling with the simple prayer, Lord, help me, and you honored her faith. When my prayers seem to meet silence, keep me from concluding that you do not care. Give me her persistent, humble faith, to keep coming, keep kneeling, keep trusting. I bring you my need: Lord, help me. Amen.