Matthew 15

Matthew 15:7-9 NIV

[7] You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: [8] “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [9] They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. ‘ 

How many people attend church but don’t actually connect with God?  They go to church on Sunday but are far from God the rest of the week. Jesus tells us to love our enemies but our hearts are filled with hate and fear. We don’t welcome strangers in we lock them out and keep them away. 

Matthew 15:16 NIV

[16] “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.

The disciples spent roughly three years with Jesus but were still clueless about the bees for him to be crucified.  I have spent years listening to sermons and studying the Bible and I feel just as clueless about what god really wants from me. A friend recommended the book God Is Stranger: Finding God in Unexpected Places by Krish Kandiah which talks about the passages in the Bible that seem really strange and I am really thinking long and hard about what it means to be in relationship with god. 

Matthew 15:22-28 NIV

[22] A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” [23] Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” [24] He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” [25] The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. [26] He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” [27] “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” [28] Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

The disciples show no compassion for the woman asking Jesus to send her away. At first it seems that Jesus will do just that. But, the woman has the audacity to rebuke Jesus’ statements and he responds by saying what great faith she has. He ultimately has compassion on her. During these times when so many are trying to enter the US illegally should we be showing compassion?  During this tome of thanksgiving should we show more compassion to those less fortunate?