DID you notice the cultural impact of these words... “a gentile woman”? These were not just words - they meant rejection. First, a gentile, second, a woman. Don’t bother to ask anything of a Jewish Rabbi if you bear that label, yet this nameless woman dared cross the line.
The unpredictable Christ in a very unpredictable climate...a climate where faith grows and shines! Jesus was nice to the Roman Centurion while he was really rude to this woman? Is Jesus a racist or a gracist?
At the end of the story faith shines...an unentitled faith! Jesus said “dear woman, your faith is great, your request is granted”. The “rudeness” of the Master cleared the air of facades and religious semantics...all that’s left is the unentitled faith of a gentile woman.
Notice how God displayed this woman’s faith...calling it great faith. Prayerfully, let us desire this faith; get used to know a Christ we could never put in our box and willingly live in a climate of unpredictability.
The unpredictability of Christ rebukes all our arrogant and false assumptions about Him. To think that Jesus will not disappoint us is a sweeping guess...frankly, He will! Only an unentitled faith can survive this! These are the shining highlights of this unpopular faith:
Pleading, not demanding
Remember, her daughter was mercilessly attacked by the evil one. This required immediate and utmost attention, only Christ (not even his disciples) can cast out the evil one! At the most critical or most blessed moment in life, we tend to be very demanding! This woman kept pleading not demanding!
Persistent, not discouraged
The silence of Jesus; the arrogant dispersal of the disciples; Jesus’ rejection because she was a non-Jew and calling her a dog...these were enough reasons to walk away from Jesus. She did not, she expressed an unentitled faith!
Broken, not bitter
Her Brokenness, not bitterness, is legit! Broken and bitter hearts shed tears...yet the difference is crystal clear when it comes to ATTITUDE! Bitter hearts are full of poison and revenge with an unending demand to be served first or served exclusively...broken hearts know the true spiritual condition and standing before God...and can only cry for mercy instead of demanding anything.
Blessed, not banned
The Lord was impressed by her faith and granted her request. May we have a desire to have this kind of faith. Mysteriously, this faith is something given in grace...an awakening from God that leads us to respond in freedom. Lord, grant us this faith!
• Authentic faith is not entitlement...it’s simple faith in an unpredictable Christ.
• Authentic faith is desperate, dependent, never demanding.
• Unentitled faith impresses Christ and gets the requests granted.
• Unentitled faith is not just about a request granted, it’s about a sinner being saved and the saved living undemanding lives for God's glory.
Abba, help us see the reality of the tendency of our hearts to pressure instead of just plead. In our pain, grant us grace to know our true identity and to embrace whatever crumbs of blessings that fall from your table. Help us exercise this kind of unentitled faith that this nameless gentile woman modelled...pleading not demanding; appealing not antagonizing; broken not bitter. Lord, hear our prayers.
Thanks for reading, I always right straight from my heart.