God doesn't fit in a box!

Scripture tells us a story of a Canaanite woman, a woman on the outskirts, a woman who has no chance of finishing first (Matthew 15:22). She comes to Jesus and cries, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”

And what does Jesus do? Jesus doesn’t do a thing – he says nothing at all! This is not the Jesus we know. Jesus offers healing all the time. The disciples urge Jesus to send her away, to rid them of this Canaanite woman shouting at them. She’s loud, she’s annoying – please get rid of her. And then Jesus explains to her: “Listen – it is not fair to take the good food from the Israelites and give it to the dogs – to you, a Canaanite woman.” She stands up to Jesus and says, “Remember that even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table.” (vs. 27)

Jesus hears her cry and admires her faith. She is able to say to Jesus, “Even I am worthy your love.” Jesus heals her daughter.

This story is out of the norm. It can make us reread asking, “Did this woman just change Jesus mind?” “Is that REALLY possible?” I mean, throughout scripture there are numerous stories of people doubting God and saying, “Really, you are going to use me?” Moses, Jeremiah, Job, Jonah, the fisherman… but there are not as many stories of the outcast saying to Jesus, “But remember, even I am worthy your love.” This story provides a twist that can stop us in our tracks. It is a disruption that can make us think.

Disruption can be difficult for us in the church. I can’t think of the number of times I’ve heard comments on my blog description. If you haven’t noticed, I use the pronoun “her” for God. If you’ve questioned it – that’s the point. If it stopped you in your tracks and made you pause – that’s the point. Sometimes we need a little jolt out of our norms. Our God – The Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is beyond gender. God’s love is for both the Israelites and the Canaanites. God’s love seeps outside of our ideas of worthiness.

I am thankful for the Canaanite woman’s story. It can be a reminder that the moment we have God figured out and in a perfect pretty box, God rips a hole in the box and gushes out, revealing a love even more powerful than we can imagine.