Music to our ears.

Imagine hearing God say to you, “Let it be done for you as you wish.”

“Lord, please pay off all my bills.” …  “Alrighty.  Let it be done for you as you wish.”

“Lord, there are certain politicians, lots of them actually, that are driving our country into the ground…” …  “No problemo.  Let it be done for you as you wish.”

“And Lord, can you do something about that nagging pain in my left knee?” …  “Nothing could be easier.  Let it be done for you as you wish.”

1. Those were cartoonish (sort of, and sort of not…).

How about this – “Lord, my child is suffering.  Please heal her.”

Wouldn’t it be music to a parent’s ear to hear, “Let it be done for her as you wish.”

That happens to be the exact exchange in this Sunday’s Gospel passage (included in the postscript).

This is the account of the Canaanite Woman begging Jesus to heal her daughter, who was being tormented by a demon.  Many parents can relate.  Even the seemingly “ordinary” emotional trials our children face – anxiety, ADHD, OCD, autism, and so on – have a serious spiritual component at their root.  Wherever there is disorder of any sort, there is the action of the enemy.

In the end, Jesus answers the Canaanite Women’s prayer (prayer is just conversation with Jesus – she just happened to do it in person).

What are we to make of the many parents whose prayers seem to go unanswered?  Or all our seemingly unanswered prayers, for that matter.

Even when we think we’ve gotten to the point of understanding that “God always answers our prayers, whether we recognize it or not” – life seems to have a sneaky way of presenting us with a new and urgent challenge, and we have that nagging little doubt in the back of our mind whether God is listening.

This Sunday’s Gospel gives us a good opportunity to reinforce our faith in the truth that God always answers prayers in the way best for us.  And that is the subject of this week’s video (coming out tomorrow) and our follow up messages.

Blessings on your journey with Christ –

Steve and Karen Smith

Interior Life

Postscript:   Mt 15:21-28

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon."  But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.  Jesus' disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."  He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me."  He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."  She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."  Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.