St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 25, The Lost Children of God: Their Worship of God.

Our paragraph topic is: (The Canaanite woman) Part 4.

We have to ask ourselves today, "What is it about this Canaanite woman that applies to us?"  Her daughter was beset of demons and she loved her daughter.   For she watched as her daughter did unspeakable things and she was tormented by the actions of the demon inside.  So she sought solutions.  She went to all the known scholars of the time.  She sought all the physicians.  She may have even sought the sorcerers of the time for help.  But none could help her in her quest to rid her daughter of the demon that possessed her.

Then she heard the word.  She heard about the words of Christ.  She heard of his miracles.  She heard of his preachings.  And then she knew.  She knew that he was the one.  She knew that he was the solution because his words carried the power.  His words carried in it the seed of hope.  His words carried in it the truth that filled her heart with the belief that her problem would be solved.  And she knew without a doubt that Christ would save her daughter.

So she came out of her town.  She came out of her village.  She resolved within herself that she would find Christ and she would petition him with her pleas to help her daughter.  She would not be turned, she would not be moved.  And when she found him, she cried out.  She followed him and begged to be heard.  She called to the disciples and asked for their intercession.  She cried out in a loud voice so that she would be heard and they wanted to send her away.  They wanted to turn her around because she made such a noise that no one wanted to hear. 

Christ heard but did not answer.  He understood her need but did not respond.  He listened to her pleas but did not say a word.  He listened to her faith.  He listened to her hope.  He listened for her belief in him as the solution to her problems but did not respond.  And then she was allowed to come before him and she worshipped him.   But she came and worshipped him, saying! "Lord, help me!"

What does this Canaanite woman have to do with us today?  She came to Christ and she pleaded for her daughter.  She would not be moved and she would not be deterred.  She knew that he was the answer.  She knew that her solution was with Christ.  And she believed that he would heal her daughter.  She had resolution.  She had determination.  She had faith.  She had hope that was solid as a rock and would not be changed, for she knew.  Do we know today?  Do we believe today that Christ is our answer?  Do we have the faith that will not be moved?  The Canaanite woman had no answers.  She had no proof.  She had no evidence that would convince her that he would be the one.  After trying all other solutions she heard his words.  And the word filled her with hope.  The word filled her with faith.  The word filled her heart with the truth that Christ was the answer and she came in search of that answer.

The world puts answers before us.  The world tells us that it has the solution to all our problems.  All we have to do is believe that the solution is in the world.  All we have to do is resign ourselves to the world and go to sleep in its solutions.  It tells us that our problems will be solved.  Resolve yourself to the world and you will find the peace of the world.  But you will not find the eternal peace of Christ.  You will not find eternal solutions.  You will not find the faith that tells you of the eternal joy and the eternal peace that comes from Christ.  The Canaanite woman knew.  The Canaanite woman believed.  The Canaanite woman took action and sought him out.  Will you do the same today?  Will you seek him out?  Will you know that he is the solution?  Will you believe?

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 24, The Lost Children of God: He was not sent.

Our paragraph topic is: (The Canaanite woman) Part 3.

The Canaanite woman came out of the country.  She came to plead for her daughter.  She came because she knew that he was the answer.  She came because she believed that he could save her daughter from the demons.  She came because she had faith in the word that she heard about him.  She came because nothing or no one else could help and she had tried them all. 

She cried out to him.  She pleaded with his disciples.  She wept for her daughter that she may know peace.  And Christ answered her not.  But she would not be turned.  She would not be moved.  She would not relent.  She had heard the word and she believed that he could.  She had heard the word of what he had done for others and she knew that he would save her daughter.  She knew that he would help her if only she could plead with him for her daughter.  So she came out of her country and cried out to him to save her daughter.  Christ answered her not.  But he answered and said,  "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Christ was not sent.  He came of his own.  He came to save.  He came to free.  He came to sanctify.  He came to justify.  He came that mankind would be restored to their rightful place before God our Father.  But he was sent by God to lost sheep of the house of Israel.  He was sent by God to bring back the lost.  He was sent by God to restore to the house of Israel, those that had gone astray and were lost.  And to the rest he came. 

The Canaanite woman came.  She came for her daughter.  She came because of the word.  She came because she knew that he would save.  Why do we come?  Why do we seek him out?  Why do we pray?  Why do we plead to him for mercy?  Do you know that he is the one?  Do we believe that he can save?  Do we know in our hearts that Christ is the Son of God and can provide for us?  Do we believe that Christ is the Son of God and he can protect us from harm, can heal our wounds, can bring us joy and peace and happiness?   Or do we seek him that we may know worldly goods?  Do we seek him that we may live prosperously in this world?  Do we seek him that he may provide for us in this world.  For the world is corrupt.  The world is evil.  The world is on the path of destruction.  Do we know this and accept it or do we believe that having Christ with us in this world will redeem us?

Christ died that we may have spiritual life with the father.  For God said that if you eat of the forbidden tree then you must die.  And the spirit of man died on that day that he eat of the forbidden fruit.  But Christ came and restored what was lost.  Christ came and gave mankind new life that we may know spiritual life in him.  He did not come that we would know worldly life.  He came that the life that is within us, the spiritual life, would be restored, the spiritual life would be given back to mankind, if they chose to believe.  For it is through belief that we are restored.  It is through belief that we have eternal life in him.  It is through belief that we are baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  And new life is restored and given.  Christ came of his own to save all mankind.  But he was sent by God to the lost house of Israel that they may be given new life in him. 

Do you believe?  Do you know?  Do you seek because you seek worldly relief?  Or do you seek because you believe that he is the one, that he is the truth, that he is the way to eternal life?  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that we may have life everlasting.  The Canaanite woman believed.  What do you believe? 

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 23, The Lost Children of God: The Cry of the children.

Our paragraph topic is: (The Canaanite woman) Part 2.

And the Canaanite woman came.  And she cried out to the Lord.  And she cried out to the disciples.  And she cried out that all the people heard.  And she did not receive an answer.  For she was desperate.  She was determined.  She would not be moved.  So, she cried and she cried and she cried.  And she did not despair.  She did not quit.  She did not turn around.  She did not allow hopelessness to come in.  For she knew that Christ was the answer.  She knew that he was the one.  She knew that through him her prayers would be answered.  So, she did not relent.  She cried out for her daughter who was beset with by a devil.

And the disciples heard her cries.  The people heard her cries.  And they wanted her to stop.  They wanted her to turn around.  They wanted her to be quiet from all the woes that she felt.  But Christ did not respond.  Christ did not answer her.  Christ only heard her cries and her tears and her pleases for help.  But the disciples wanted her to stop and they sought Christ to send her away but he would not.   He answered her not a word.  And his disciples came up and besought him saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us."

Who cries out to God today?  Who beseeches Christ that their prayers might be heard?  Who will not be moved?  Who will not turn away?  Who will be relentless?  Who believes that he is the one?  Who knows within themselves that their prayers will be answered?  Only those who believe greatly, only those who know that their belief is truth and that no one or nothing will turn them around.  The world would detain us.  The world would turn us.  The world would have us not believe.  The world will test our faith.  The world will question our belief.  But only those who know will not be moved.  Only those who know will not turned from their faith in Christ.  For they know without a doubt the Christ can solve their problems, cure their ills, bring peace, give joy to the heart, bring salvation, and restore happiness to those who believe in him.

The Canaanite woman believed.  The Canaanite woman knew.  For she had heard the words that had come to her of the testimony of Christ.  She had faced the evil that was in her daughter without finding relief.  No one was able to help.  No one was able to cast out the demon.  But she had heard of the miracles of Christ and she knew that he was the one.  Do you know that he is the one??  Do you believe that he can save?  Do you believe that he is the answer? 

We seek answers in the world today.  We seek ways to cure our ills, to solve our problems, ways to provide wealth that we believe will bring us peace.  What do we find?  We find temporary peace, temporary joy, temporary love, temporary happiness, but not the peace that comes from the Father.  Christ knows our desires.  Christ knows our wants and our hearts.  And he answers not a word.  How long will you cry out?  How long will you seek him?  How long will you wait for his answer?  How long will you believe?