Reminiscere
Rev. Thomas Van Hemert
St. Matthew 15:21-28
Reminiscere
February 28, 2021
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Yet again, Jesus is sought out by someone in distress. Those who are sick need Him. He is the Great Physician. They seek Him out because His fame has spread throughout the region. This time it’s a Canaanite woman who comes to Him. The Canaanite woman’s daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. She left her daughter alone in order to seek help from Jesus. Her innocent little girl shouldn’t be attacked and oppressed by a demon but she is. Demons are real. They’re harmful. They’re in league with the devil. Demons don’t care. The devil doesn’t care. If he could have everyone, he would. He’s tireless in trying to bring down as many people as he can with him. The devil and his demons prowl around like lions waiting to devour prey. Sin attracts them to us.
Jesus has just finished feeding the 5,000 in the wilderness and yet here comes this Canaanite woman, a foreigner, still in need. Here she comes to cause a scene. She throws herself down at His feet, she’s crying out loudly. And not only that, but Jesus initially seems to ignore her. Even the disciples are embarrassed by her. People are staring; they’re murmuring to each other. The disciples not only ask Jesus to send her away but they beg Him to send her away. They’re not only embarrassed for themselves, they’re embarrassed for Jesus. Why should Jesus be bothered by this foreigner? And not only that, but why was she sent to Jesus? Shouldn’t she be with her daughter? Why not let her husband or her friends come to Jesus? Why didn’t she bring her daughter to Jesus like the others who have come to Him to be healed? Maybe she’s tried before. Maybe she’s looked other places. Perhaps she’s sought help elsewhere. And maybe her friends, her husband, and her family are too embarrassed by her to help.
The problem doesn’t seem to get much better. She asks Jesus for help. But He answers, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That is, He was only sent to those who are children of Abraham. The woman, therefore, doesn’t belong. She isn’t an Israelite. She’s not a Jew. She’s a Canaanite—an enemy of Israel. But she doesn’t care. She loves her daughter. Her response and request becomes more pointed to the lowly phrase, “Help me.”
We would expect the Lord to do for her as she desires. After all, earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says quite plainly, “Ask, and it will be given to you; see, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” and also, “Come to me, ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” But He doesn’t speak this sort of message to this Canaanite woman. Instead, He answers, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Yes, Jesus calls her a dog. She’s a foreigner—someone who’s expected to be a pagan, without saving faith, that is, trust in the Son of God. The Canaanites had their own god. His name is Baal. But the woman’s response is profound. She contends with God, “Yes, Lord. Yes, I am a dog. I’m a foreigner. I’m not an Israelite. I’m not a natural child of Abraham. I am not worthy. Yet, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables.” She may not be a Jew by natural birth. She may not be a member of the house of Israel by lineage. But her faith is greater than many Israelites. By faith, she’s welcomed into the household of God.
As is typical throughout our Lord’s ministry, a foreigner is found to have faith in Jesus when so many of His own overlook Him. The saying becomes true time and time again, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Only those who are broken and oppressed by the weight of their sin find Jesus to be a joy and a relief. It isn’t race or ethnicity or ability or worth that brings one into the house of Israel. It’s faith alone. Great was the Canaanite woman’s faith. It was done for her as she desired. Her daughter was healed instantly and the woman entered God’s House.
The truth is that when the Lord Jesus pointed out the fact that this woman was a dog, that is, a foreigner—someone unworthy of the spiritual gifts Christ gives, He was also talking about you and me. Are we all not dogs? As a dog returns to his vomit, do we not also return to our favorite pet sins time and time again? Are any of us truly worthy by our own powers to sit at God’s table in God’s house? No, we aren’t. We are by nature children of wrath. We are not, by lineage or birthright, members of God’s house. But it isn’t by natural birth that we enter in. Like the Canaanite woman, we too, enter by faith. Through faith given to us in our own Spiritual rebirth, we become members of the House of God. We certainly aren’t told to eat off the floor like beggars. We’re welcome at the table. We aren’t given crumbs to eat. We’re given full bread loaves.
Maybe, we would think that we too would argue with God like the woman does. She won’t leave Him alone. She causes a scene and demands that Jesus remember His promises. And in the end, she receives what she asks for in faith. Great is her faith! Like Jacob, she contended with God and with Satan’s demons and she overcame.
Now we would like to think that we’d respond the same as the woman—that we would be brave enough and dare to argue with Jesus and hold Him to His word. But instead of contending with the Lord, we have played with fire our whole lives. We’ve put our marriages and our families at risk with gossip, or with alcohol, or pornography. The grim reality is that the devil and his demons love these things. They love it when you gamble with these sinful vices. If they don’t already torment you with temptation or in other ways, they’re at least nipping at your heels. There’s always a constant threat.
Who knows why and how the demon began to oppress this little girl. We aren’t given the reason. But we do know that demons are very real. They don’t care who they go after and attack. They give no discretion. Demons love the infant and elderly alike. That’s why the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are so important. They’re weapons to wield off demons. But when we willfully engage and feed our sinful desires, we’re inviting demons into our houses and into our lives. It’s a scary reality but that’s the way it is in this sinful world. We’re in the midst of a great spiritual battle. The greater our sin and when we’re careless in keeping our sinful flesh in check, the bigger the crosshairs on our head.
Repent. Turn from whatever oppresses you and cast your burdens on Jesus. He has taken up all your sins, not matter how great, and takes them to the cross. There, He destroys them. He’s put to death with them. He Himself died, so you know your sin is paid for. You cannot overcome your oppressors, but Jesus has. Cast your sins, your concerns, and your sorrows on Him. Bring your troubles to Him and demand that He remember His promises. Come to Him and ask of Him as dear children ask their dear Father. He has promised to forgive you; to cast your sins form you as far as the east is from the west. They aren’t coming back. So also has He promised you bread, not crumbs. He has promised you full loaves, full of forgiveness. This is His testament. He breaks it for you and places it into your mouth. What you receive each week is proof that He loves you and that He is winning and has already won the battle for you.
God remembers His promises. That’s what the word Reminiscere means. Seek Him out in your distress. He will remember you. He always does. Such is His promise.
In +Jesus’ name.
