A sermon on Matthew 15:21-28

Fr. Mike Paraniuk
HCP columnist

There is a wonderful little girl I know from Children's Hospital. I had in my hand a "pix" which is a small, round container used in the Catholic Church to carry the consecrated Eucharistic hosts to the sick and homebound. 

The little girl wanted to know what was inside the pix. I opened it up and showed it to her. She saw the round, unleavened hosts that were inside. I explained the Catholic belief that the host is Jesus.

Surprised she exclaimed, "Jesus is so small!" 

She unknowingly described a profound truth about our relationship with God. We must approach God as a small child, completely dependent on the greatness of His Love. 

God uses the story of the woman from Tyre begging help from Jesus to explain how to approach God correctly. The people of Tyre, especially the woman, were very wealthy. Tyre held a monopoly on Tyrian purple, a rare and highly valued dye made from the murex shellfish. This purple was so prized that it became a symbol of royalty and immense wealth. The women of Tyre were given a lot of money to make purple garments for royalty across the known world.

This Canaanite woman who came to Jesus was not only wealthy but powerful. She was used to bossing her servants around. Whatever she wanted, she got. Nothing too good for her royal highness. She approached Jesus with the same haughty attitude she showed to her servants. She was big and important. Jesus was small like her servants. Jesus used this encounter to teach her the correct way of approaching God.

What did Jesus do? He ignored her. He "did not say a word to answer her." 

Oh, that really go under her skin. She kept barking orders to Jesus that made her so obnoxious the Apostles wanted Jesus to send her away. Jesus bided his time waiting for her pride to break. Finally, she came down off her high horse and became humble. "But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, 'Lord, help me.'" (Matthew 15:25.)

Now Jesus could work with her "attitude adjustment." He wanted to make absolutely sure that her faith was genuine.  

"It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." 

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." (Matthew 15:26-27.)

I could imagine Jesus chuckling at her witty response. He was more likely happy that she approached God like a small child. She dropped all pretense of being all powerful when she uttered the most humble prayer, "Lord, help me." At that moment, she became completely dependent on God. 

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:3.) 

When I behold little babies whose very existence depends on the loving care of their parents and so many caregivers, I see myself as a small child needing God for everything. The more humble you are, the more God can help you.

Jesus proclaimed the Canaanite woman had great faith because she expected Jesus to heal her daughter not because of who she is but because of who He is, the Lord all powerful. Great faith in Jesus as Lord demands great love from you. 

St. Teresa taught the "Little Way" to approach God. She taught that performing small acts with love and patience can lead to a stronger, greater faith. The cries of a child are the cries of Jesus for you to alleviate suffering where ever you find it.

The greatest act of faith is this. Waiting on the Lord. "Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God." (Psalm 27:14.) 

I encounter so many parents at Children's who must wait for the healing they so desire. Waiting on the Lord is a journey of learning to trust that God's plans are far greater than my own. And while you wait, do small acts of kindness for others who wait.

There are times it feels like God is not hearing you or doing anything. Keep believing that God wants to bless you and work it all out for your good. Blessings...Fr. Mike.

Fr. Mike Paraniuk is a Priest Chaplain at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. His sermons can be heard live over WLRU Radio 106.9 FM on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 

Note: WLRU (Where the Lord is Right for You) Radio 106.9 FM is temporarily off the air due to a recent lightning strike. Fr. Mike Paraniuk said an engineer's visit is scheduled for later this week.