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?

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 21 - 22, The Lost Children of God: The Canaanite Woman.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The Canaanite woman) Part 1.  

Jesus left the land of Genesar and traveled to the district of Tyre and Sidon where he stayed and taught the disciples and the people.  The word spread.  The word was spoken of his greatness.  The word was heard by many far and wide that knew him not, but heard of his deeds.  And many came to be a witness, for themselves, of the truth that was taking place in their time.  For others did not believe.  Others scoffed at the idea.  Others ridiculed the word.  Others warned of fake and fraud and forgery and trickery.  And others persuaded the people that no such person existed that could give them hope.  For evil was at work in the land.  Evil possessed the people.  Evil turned their minds and their hearts that they did not believe the Messiah had come.  Their eyes did not see, their ears did not hear and their hearts were closed less the word would enter them and they believed.  

And yet there were those, lost children of God, that did believe.  There were those, the lost children of God, who heard the word.  There were those, the lost children of God, who had a ray of hope when the word entered and sparked new life.  And evil would not relent.  Evil would not pass.  Evil would not yield until the appointed time.  For evil possessed the people and held them within its grip.  And no one knew of the hope that would rid them of the evil. 

And so, the Canaanite woman came.  And so, she was filled with hope.  And so, she knew the truth had come.  She would not be turned, she would not be deterred, she would not relent, she would not accept defeat, she would not give up to the evil that had possessed her daughter and taken over her body.  For she knew that the time had come.  She knew that the Messiah had come.  She believed that he was the one who would defeat the evil that was in her life and the life of her daughter.  So, she came out to meet Jesus and to plead for his help.   And leaving there, Jesus retired to the district of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman came out of that territory and cried out to him, saying, "Have pity on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is sorely beset by a devil."

Does the Canaanite woman cry out today?  Can you hear her crying for her children?  Can you hear her weeping for the lost children of God?  For they are blind.  They are deaf.  They are hungry.  They are dirty.  They have no place to sleep.  They are possessed of evil that turns them away from society to seek their own survival.  And the evil stalks them day and night without relenting.  They know no rest.  Who would weep for them? Who will care for them?  Who will feed them.  Who will give them the true spiritual food that they need to renew the life within.  Physical food will not suffice.  Only the spiritual food that Christ brought will heal, will save, will conquer, and will give new life. 

The Canaanite woman came.  She came because she heard the word.  She came because she believed.  She came because she knew that this Christ was the answer to her prayers and she would not be deterred.  She would not be turned.  She would not be changed.  She knew that her prayers had been answered.  So, she went out to meet him.  She went out to see him.  She went out to know him that her prayers would be answered.  And she cried out to the Lord.  Save my daughter.  Save my child.  Save my beloved, for she is beset by a devil.  Who will cry out for the lost souls of today?  Who will weep for those possessed of evil?  Who will pray for them? 

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 20, Understanding: Awareness

Our paragraph topic is: (Christ explains what defiles a man) Part 4.   

Christ has revealed, to his disciples and the people, understanding of what defiles.  He has opened the minds and the hearts of the people so that they now know, so that they now see, so that they now understand truth.  For this is not the truth of the Pharisees that want the people to hear their truth.  This is not the truth of the world that wants the people to be confused, misled, and blind.  This is the truth that comes from the father of truth through Christ.  This is truth that comes from the creator of truth that knows no lie or falsehood or deceit.  This is the truth that comes to mankind from all eternity, the truth of God.

Christ spoke the words of truth and truth came to the people.  Christ explained the words of truth that there would be no doubt in the people.  Christ elaborated on the truth that all would understand.  And today we read and hear the truth and do not understand, do not comprehend.  He has said to us,   "These are the things that defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

These, defile a man when they enter the hearts of men.  These, defile a man when they come forth from the mouth of men.  These, are the things that are evil,the things that occupy the hearts and men and allow darkness to enter the heart.  For from the heart comes evil thoughts.  For the heart thinks.  The heart believes.  The heart knows.  The heart is.  "I praise thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and prudent, and didst reveal them to little ones."  Become like a little ones and not like the wise and the prudent that profess the knowledge and the wisdom of the world.  Hear the words of the truth of eternity and know that it comes from the father of wisdom and truth.

Let not the heart be opened to evil.  Let not the heart become dark with passion.  Let not the heart know adulteries and immorality.  Let not the heart give false witness or blasphemies.  Let not the heart conceive of murder.  For these are the things of evil.  These are the things that lead down the path of destruction and death.  These are the things that defile, corrupt, and kill the life that Christ came and died that we might have.  And these are the things that the evil one brings to us that we may fall to him.  Yet we live in a world where these things are all around us.  We live in a world where these evils present themselves to us on a daily basis.  We live in a world where these things a accepted as common occurrences. 

But we know not how to protect ourselves.  We know not how to fight against these things.  We know not how to guard our hearts that we may not succumb to the temptations of these things.  For this is not a part of our world.  We are not taught how to avoid these things.  We do not see and hear and understand the truth of the advocate that was given to us.  For Christ came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. 

Receive the life of Christ and open the heart to the advocate that he may live within.  Christ has told us how we may know that we have the Holy Spirit.  He has give us the guide.  He has opened the door that the Holy Spirit may come in.  Yet few accept.  Few know.  Few receive the truth of eternal life that is ours for the asking.  Read the words of the good news.  Study the words of the gospel of the New Testament.  Read it like you read a book and not as a study guide.  Receive the truth of the light of Christ.  Then, you too will know that you have received the light of the Holy Spirit.  And your heart will rejoice in his presence and his consolation.