Monday, February 22, 2010

Lent 2010 #5 - True faith

Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.


THOUGHTS:


"Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (verse 28)

Often we are afraid to ask for help. We fear that we are undeserving or that the help will not be delivered. Yet the woman in this story is a striking example of how powerful our pleas to God can be. Despite not being an Israelite, one of God's chosen people, she had faith that even the "crumbs" of God's grace would be sufficient to cure her daughter.


PRAYER:

Awesome God, may be too have the faith to intently and expectantly make our pleas to you. Amen.

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Thoughts by participants in the Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland

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These devotions for young adults are provided by:
Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University http://www.gmu.edu/org/lutheran
Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~lutheran/lsa/
DC Young Adults http://www.dcyoungadults.org/
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