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- Oct 26, 2007
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But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. "Tell her to go away," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." Matthew 15:23 NLT
It can be a shock to read that Jesus and His disciples ignored the Canaanite woman’s pleas for mercy for her daughter, who was tormented by a demon. They surely knew Jesus could simply say the word to cast out the evil spirit. Instead, they pled with Jesus to use His words of life to send this woman away, not the demon. The fix to their problem should have been obvious. Send the demon away, and the begging for mercy they found “so annoying” would end too.
Although Jesus eventually relented and healed the daughter of the woman in today’s reading, it’s difficult to understand how the disciples couldn’t see the woman’s need for mercy and healing. It’s possible that you may encounter or know someone who is carrying a deep need right now. You may not notice this need, or you may not be aware of it, or you may simply want to avoid it. Whatever the details, you can play a part in the healing of others if you take the time to notice and show mercy for their deepest needs. Perhaps the things you find most “annoying” are what you need to pray about today.
Prayer: Jesus, help me to see those suffering around me, and spur me to show the mercy.
It can be a shock to read that Jesus and His disciples ignored the Canaanite woman’s pleas for mercy for her daughter, who was tormented by a demon. They surely knew Jesus could simply say the word to cast out the evil spirit. Instead, they pled with Jesus to use His words of life to send this woman away, not the demon. The fix to their problem should have been obvious. Send the demon away, and the begging for mercy they found “so annoying” would end too.
Although Jesus eventually relented and healed the daughter of the woman in today’s reading, it’s difficult to understand how the disciples couldn’t see the woman’s need for mercy and healing. It’s possible that you may encounter or know someone who is carrying a deep need right now. You may not notice this need, or you may not be aware of it, or you may simply want to avoid it. Whatever the details, you can play a part in the healing of others if you take the time to notice and show mercy for their deepest needs. Perhaps the things you find most “annoying” are what you need to pray about today.
Prayer: Jesus, help me to see those suffering around me, and spur me to show the mercy.
