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“Jesus went away there, that is, from Gennesaret, and He departed into the district of Tyre and Sidon.”

᛭ INI ᛭

(5. Oops!: This Gospel text is problematic for us.)

Our Gospel’s a difficult text. One reason it’s hard is because we’re shown how unloving Jesus’ disciples were. They don’t want Jesus to help this Canaanite woman. They simply tell Him: “Send her away! She’s bothering us!”

The reason she needs help is also hard for us—her “daughter’s severely oppressed by a demon.” That means her daughter is demon possessed! That’s hard because we don’t actually believe demons are real. We certainly don’t behave like they are, pray like they are, or desire Communion like they are. (See Christian Question #20 about that…) And we certainly don’t believe they’re at work in the world, fighting against Christ through all governments and indoctrinating our children in our public schools and universities. Christians can, of course, serve in government or schools, or attend. You’ve just got to be aware of who’s really working against your children and the good you’re trying to do for your neighbor.

Since we really don’t believe or behave like demons are real, we also don’t believe or behave like “angels and archangels and the whole company of heaven” are real or with us around the altar. Since we don’t believe or behave like demons or angels are actually here or working or even real, that leads us to believe and behave like the LORD isn’t here or working or maybe even real…

(4. Ugh!: Jesus is the biggest problem!)

But the biggest problem with this text is Jesus! He doesn’t act in any way like we expect Jesus to act! This woman keeps crying out for help: “O Lord, Son of David, have mercy upon me!” And “He didn’t answer her a word!” The disciples were asking Him to send her away. His response? “I wasn’t sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That’s not her; she’s a Canaanite! Finally, she gets in His way keeps on saying, “Lord, help me!” “It’s not right,” He says, “to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Let’s just say that, in Jesus’ day, that’s the opposite of a politically correct title for a non-Jew…

We’ve got to wrestle with what Jesus is doing. What do you do when Jesus isn’t acting very Jesus like? Judging by our standards of what’s right and good, Jesus isn’t very right and good here… In the 90s the phrase “What would Jesus do?” was popular, but the idea behind doesn’t quite fit with what we see Jesus doing…

What do you do when it looks like Jesus is against you? Maybe the woman’s experience fits your own. What do you think about Jesus when He doesn’t seem to answer you? In the midst of trouble, or waiting for a diagnosis, or at the bottom of another bottle, or in a rocky marriage, or bad harvest, dead-end life, or at a graveside, the doubt creeps in: “Maybe, Jesus is against me, like He was for that woman.” “Jesus thinks little of me…” With such doubts, many live with just a lip-service faith in some far off “god.”

(3. Aha!: The Lord Jesus is on the hunt—for faith!)

But look at the text again: Jesus is on the move. He’s on the hunt! In our text, His hunting ground is the region around Tyre and Sidon. He’s moved on from Gennesaret, near the Sea of Galilee. After our reading, He goes hunting around the Decapolis, 10 Greek cities Southeast of the Sea of Galilee. Complete opposite direction! What’s He hunting for? He’s hunting for faith!

When He hunts for faith, He’s also uprooting unbelief, and pruning doubt. Hunting, uprooting, pruning—all externally rough and violent! So, is the testing of faith. As Paul lays out today in Romans 5… So, after it was all said and done Jesus cries out: “O woman, great is your faith!” The disciples on the other hand are exposed for their lack of love, their fruitless faith, their cold, callous contempt.

**Though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 1:6–7)**

The Lord’s always hunting for faith—not just around Tyre and Sidon, not just around the Decapolis, not just in Galilee, or Jerusalem, or Jericho, or wherever else Jesus traveled 2,000 years ago. It’s everywhere He goes through His disciples, who take His baptism and teaching all He’s commanded to the ends of the earth. He’s on the hunt for faith in Bremen today. What will He find?

(2. Whee!: The Lord creates the faith He’s hunting for.)

The Good News is that the Lord creates the faith He’s hunting for! He’s not popping in to see if you’re worthy enough or bold enough or faithful enough to obtain His mercy. (Might as well take up hunting unicorns…) Instead, He creates the faith He’s hunting for. This Canaanite woman already has faith in Jesus. That’s why she seeks Him out! But how’d she have faith?

Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel we’re told:

Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel …, and healing each and every disease and ailment among the people. So, the news about Him spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. (Mt 4:23–24)

Tyre and Sidon are in Syria! So, this woman heard the Good News about Jesus, what He was doing to save, and she believed that Gospel. “Jesus is in my neighborhood! When Jesus shows up somewhere, He saves! He’ll do it for my daughter, too.” She trusted that Gospel; she trusted Jesus! “He’s silent, but here!” “Yes, I’m not Israelite. He’s the Christ of Israel, who’s He’s here in Syria!” “Yes, I’m a dog, Lord. Whatever you say, that’s true! I’ll take some scraps.” His Word says what’s real, and faith believes His Word! To the title of “dog,” her faith says, “Yes, Lord.” To the title of “sinner,” our faith says, “I a poor, miserable, that is, destitute sinner.” Same thing! Jesus isn’t belittling you, just giving a true diagnosis. Faith believes it—believes Him!

There’s NO “heavenly illumination of the Spirit,” NO faith in Jesus, “without the preaching of God’s Word.” “God” does NOT “draw people to Himself and enlighten, forgive, and save them without means, without hearing God’s Word, and also without the use of the holy Sacraments.” (Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Art. II: Free Will, § 13)

The Lord creates and recreates faith, that is, strengthens it, through the Word! Not just the woman—you, too! That’s what the Lord continually does for you—Christ’s watery Word of Baptism, His pastoral Word of Absolution, salvation-oriented not obedience-oriented Sermons, His Biblical Word, His wafery and vinous Word of Holy Communion! In fact, wherever and whenever His Word is magnified, Spirit worked faith will abound and grow. Wherever and whenever they’re minimized, short-changed, not believed, faith will be scarce and shrink. There’s an abundance of testimony in the Gospels and Acts that bears that out…

(1. Yeah!: THE LORD’S ALWAYS ON THE HUNT FOR FAITH TO DELIVER HIS CRUMBS TO FAITH.)

The Lord doesn’t hunt for faith to see if you measure up. He didn’t hunt for faith to see if the woman or His disciples measured up. In herself, in themselves, in ourselves—no one ever measures up! Besides the fact, Jesus already knew she had faith… His treatment of her, again, exposes not a problem with her or Him but His disciples… No, Jesus has another goal in mind:

THE LORD’S ALWAYS ON THE HUNT FOR FAITH TO DELIVER HIS SCRAPS TO FAITH.

The woman believed that. She had big faith not because it was big and bold in itself, but because her faith was in a big Jesus who could do big things even with scraps. Same with our faith in Jesus. Our faith in Jesus isn’t big because we’re big and powerful, but because faith trusts Jesus who’s big and powerful to save. He saves even with scraps! With seemingly insignificant and offensive things. A horrible and shameful suffering and death on a cross—your salvation! Plain water, a sinful man, simple bread, cheap wine—a Holy Baptism, a Holy Absolution, Holy Body and Priceless Blood, each for your forgiveness, life, and salvation. The scraps true faith craves! Because they are Jesus’ answer in each and every trouble, trial, temptation, and sin!

To say that the Lord’s Word or Baptism or the Supper of His body and blood will shrink the Church is a confession of unbelief! To say that the Supper won’t strengthen faith but create weak faith is a denial of all Christ’s promises! *Whoever sows sparingly will reap sparingly. (2 Cor 9) Those who sow to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal 6)

Jesus is on the hunt! On the hunt for faith. For no other reason than to give salvation.

THE LORD’S ALWAYS ON THE HUNT FOR FAITH TO DELIVER HIS SCRAPS TO FAITH.

His scraps save—always!

᛭ INI ᛭