There is something about a sibling that can bring out the worst in us. We might not mind losing, but when it is to a brother or sister, then it’s an entirely different story. We might become more competitive than we normally are. Our patience can seem to be even less with them. They also seem easier to fight with. Jealousy can creep up much easier with them too. Perhaps that is why Proverbs says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Martin Luther learned this saying quite well as the last act before he died was being sent to settle a fight between two brothers. While he was successful in settling the feud, he died a few days later. As they were going through his possessions, they found a scrap of paper in his pocket that read these words: “This is true. We are beggars.”
It is interesting to think that of all the things that Luther wrote about and did throughout his life, that this thought was on his mind before he died. This is probably because he saw how true it was as he wrote and preached about God’s grace. God’s grace helped him to see that before Him, he truly was just an undeserving, pitiful, and poor beggar. He had nothing in him that would have God desire or listen to him. As we look at the Gospel reading today, we see how Luther’s observation is entirely true. We are beggars before God.
Jesus begins our text by withdrawing and going into the Gentile territory of Tyre and Sidon. Just previously, He had offended and upset the scribes and Pharisees with His words, and found it best to leave and lay low for awhile. As Jesus is in this Gentile land, He is approached by a woman with a request. This was woman was a Canaanite. The Canaanites were an idolatrous people that were Israel’s ancient enemies. They did not believe His Word nor follow His Laws. When the people of Israel entered into the Promised Land, they were supposed to wipe them out because of their idol worship. A Canaanite would certainly have no claim on God when compared to a Jew.
But this woman is rather unique. She gives Jesus an unlikely address as a Canaanite. She calls Him, “Lord,” acknowledging His Divinity and believing Him to be God. She also calls Him, “Son of David,” believing Him to be the Promised Messiah and Savior of Israel. But she can’t possibly believe this, right? She can’t possibly mean this. Perhaps she is echoing something she heard about Jesus. It seems highly unlikely that an idolatrous Canaanite woman would confess something like this.
With this address, she makes her request. She begs, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.” She asks Jesus to help her poor daughter. Her daughter is horribly oppressed and afflicted by a demon. What a helpless and hopeless situation. When your child has a cold, you can give them medicine, or take them to the doctor. You can make them rest, or feed them foods like soup to help them heal. But what do you do with demon possession? Can you even do anything? You really can’t. She goes to the only person that can help, Jesus.
Matthew records what happens next. He says, “But He did not answer her a word.” Jesus hears this lady begging for help, but doesn’t do a thing. She pleads for her daughter, her pride and joy, to the only One that can help, and He doesn’t say a thing. He doesn’t even say a word to acknowledge what she said. He is silent!
How would you respond in her place? Would you yell at Him in anger? Would you throw up your hands in frustration, and turn around? Would you grab His robe, and continue to plead with Him? Might you try to persuade Him with some cash or promises?
How would your faith be in this? Would you lose heart? Would you no longer believe in Him? Or would you keep your trust in Him?
The woman in the text seems to do the latter and keeps begging Jesus to help her daughter. She is making a scene and won’t stop crying out. She does it so much that the disciples beg Jesus to do something. They say, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” They want Jesus to heal her daughter so that she can leave them alone. They don’t want to hear her anymore.
Jesus responds with these words: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He essentially says, “No. I only came to help and save God’s covenant people. I only came to save those of Israel.” What crushing words. Hearing “no” is never an easy thing, especially when it comes from God.
But the lady is persistent. She comes and kneels before Jesus. Her faith and trust in Him does not seem to waver. The Greek word for “kneel” is also the same as worship. She comes to the Lord’s feet and begs again, “Lord, help me.” The woman doesn’t try to bribe Him, or tell Him something that she will do to make Him change His mind. She asks on the basis of His goodness and mercy. Jesus won’t say no, right?
Our Lord does though. He sticks to His answer and uses an imagery to help prove His point. He says, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” He is right. The dog does not have the same place as the child. At dinner, the dog doesn’t sit at the table and have the juicy and grilled steak while the child sits on the floor and eats mysteriously canned meat. Jesus will not take what belongs to Israel and give it to her. He won’t take the children’s bread and give it to a dog.
At this point, what would you do? She has already heard the answer “No” three times. It seems quite evident that her daughter will not get better or the help that she needs. It looks to be the time to fly the white flag or to throw in the towel.
This woman doesn’t do that though. Her faith does not waver, and she responds with an imagery of her own. She replies, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters’ table.” She won’t give up. Notice that she doesn’t argue with what Jesus says or try to prove to Him why He should help. She doesn’t say, “I’m a good person, you should do this!” Or “If you help, I’ll become a Jew and be the best one ever!” Instead, the woman believes in Jesus’ mission to Israel’s lost sheep, but she also believes in God’s abundance, which also provides for the dogs that are under the master’s table.
This amazes Jesus. There aren’t too many things that amaze the Lord of the Universe, the One Who has seen it all, but this does. He says, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed.
This woman is quite remarkable. She was persistent despite the constant rejection she faced. She continued to approach Him in faith and clung to the Lord’s mercy and goodness. She never pointed to herself and the things that she did, or could do. The woman never tried to bribe God with a “good work” or resorted to sweet talking. She didn’t try to barter with a gift or promise. She had absolutely nothing to give or offer. She had nothing. She was a beggar in every sense of the word.
But what about us? Are we beggars before God? Do we base our requests on who we are or on what we have done? Do we try to goad God into helping us by saying things like, “If you help me, I’ll go to church every week, and join a board!” Or “If you do this, I promise I will never do that again!” In times of trial and trouble, do we lose heart and faith in God? Do we hang on to His promises and Word or do we cast them aside and look elsewhere for hope and comfort? The reality is that we do these things. The reality is that this life and world reveals that we are truly beggars before God. We have nothing to offer or give Him. We only have sin and brokenness. We are poor, pitiful, and helpless beggars that are clothed in sin and misery.
Our God is good and merciful to poor, pitiful, and helpless beggars like you and me though. Our God clothes us in Christ’s righteousness through the baptismal waters that make us His children. Through faith in Him, we have a spot at His table, where we are fed with His body and blood given for the forgiveness of our sin. We are His sheep that He rescues, cares, and searches for. We are part of the true Israel, a people based on what Christ has done for them and not on geography or ethnicity.
As His people, as His children, we approach Him through Jesus. We don’t need to bring anything or do anything, because Jesus has done it all for us through His life, death, and resurrection. Our God hears our prayers, petitions, and pleas on behalf of Jesus. He hears the prayers offered in His name, and He will answer them in His own way and time as is best for us. In trials and troubles, He holds on to us with His mercy and love. We are beggars before God, and that is absolutely okay when you have a loving and good God like ours. Crumbs aren’t so bad. IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN.
