We call God many things like provider, teacher, healer, savior, and father. The list is long, please add some that matter to you. Now, consider how each of these things manifests in your life. For example. I see Jesus as my teacher. I know that to be true because he has taught me. It’s evident in his words, his people, and in my heart. I have evidence. What if, God stopped teaching me? How would I respond? Honestly? I don’t know. But, I do know how I would like to respond. We see it in the Canaanite woman from today’s reading.
“Hey Jesus,” she shouts. “I need your help. My daughter is in trouble.”
Silence. Jesus does not even bother himself with her.
As Jesus bickers with the disciples, the woman came before him again. This time, she was kneeling.
At first glance, we may consider her kneeling to be begging. That would be a mistake. Jesus would have quickly called her out on that, saying something like “woman, get up!” Instead, Jesus exclaims the greatness of her faith. She captures Jesus’ attention, not through the quality of her begging but the depth of her belief in who Jesus is. In this context, her kneeling is an act of worship. She falls to her knees because of who she knows Jesus, rather than what he can do for her. She knew, in the very depth of her heart, that Jesus could not walk away from her daughter. It’s not in his nature. That’s faith.
Just like the Canaanite woman, God will never stop teaching me as long as I am searching. Nor will he stop providing, healing saving, or loving. He cannot. It’s who he is. It sounds like it’s time to start worshipping and stop begging.