Canaanite Woman – A Mother’s Love

“Dear Woman, your faith is great! Your request is granted.” (St. Mathew 15:31)

We are what we are by the sheer love of our mothers. This topic for the month was chosen because it is one of the greatest messages to be pondered upon in this time of Great Lent. We remember this incident of healing of the demon possessed daughter of the Cannanite woman on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent. This year it falls on March 3rd.

A mother’s love cannot be measured. Mothers are ready to go to any extent for the welfare of their children. That is the reason for St. Paul’s advice – “Do not despise your parents when she is old” -(Colossians 3:20). The end result of all the hardships and sacrifices endured by a mother always bears good results.

Here, the Canaanite women is at her most depressed stage of life – a daughter terribly possessed by the demon. Finding no cure, she went to Jesus with great faith, hope, and love. With great anguish, she cried, “Lord help me.” at the feet of Jesus . Jesus accepted her request and healed her daughter instantly by dismantling all the barricades put forth by the then Jewish society.

Jesus’ salvation and healings for all are not limited to the Jews or the selected ones. Till then, the Jews had believed that Jesus was sent only for Israel. And they considered the gentiles are dogs not worthy to sit at the tables with them. Both these contentions was outrightly ruled out by Jesus by testing the needy woman for her faith and answering her. During her ordeal, her mind, eyes and heart were concerned about her daughter’s plight while expecting the healings from the mouth of her Lord and God – Jesus.

Her love for her daughter blinded her from shame, humiliations and arguments. A mother’s love can cross any barrier – that is love indeed and faith in action. She was even ready to be considered as a dog taking food crumbs thrown out from the children’s table. What she needed was the healing of her daughter which was granted.

The faith, love and intercession for the needs of others are always answered by Jesus. He would like us to do so continually. A large crowd was brought to Jesus to be healed and he healed them all. Jesus still heals people who are suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually, and we can be the ones who brings suffering people to him like the Canaanite woman. Whom do you know that needs Christ’s healing touch? You can bring them to Jesus through prayers or through explaining to them the reason for the hope that you have.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Those who are in Christ, are always with Christ and do the mission of intercession. “We are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord” – (2 Corinthians 5:38). So we intercede the prayers of the departed saints just as we ask the prayer requests for living fellow-believers.  So with confidence, we should request prayers of the living saints and the saints with Jesus.

The Canaanite now says to us all, “If you are alive and healed, you must remember that I love you with all the shame and sacrifice and even at the verge of death and mockery “

So do not waste a day by not saying I love you to your parents and loved ones for you may not know when they will be gone. And bring all the prayer requests to Jesus. Let them be healed and delivered.

In this lent Be a mother like the Canaanite woman.

Yours in His Service

Yakob Achen