IN SPITE OF ALL OBSTACLES

Dearly Beloved,

IN SPITE OF ALL OBSTACLES

“A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession’” (Matthew 15:22 NIV).

Ideally, a mother can do anything to get something for her children. She can go any length to see that she gets the desired result for her children. This message is about a woman who sought help for her daughter that was demon-possessed. In spite of the obstacles she encountered, she did not give up until she got what she wanted.

Jesus Christ withdrew from the land of the Jews, and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon, possibly to have some rest from the teeming Jewish crowd. A woman from that region came to Him and begged Him. The content of her cry was that Jesus should have mercy on her and heal her daughter who was terribly suffering from demon possession. Her prayer was short. She prayed with humility. She was fervent and modest. She showed respect. Although she was not a believer, she demonstrated total reliance on the mercy of Jesus. What a good example for us today in our prayers to God!

Jesus did not answer her initially. It does not mean that He did not hear her plea or that He wanted to ignore her. He might be testing her faith and persistency. He might even want to teach His disciples a lesson from the event. This was the first seeming obstacle—a psychological obstacle. In spite of the inaction of Jesus, it was apparent that the woman did not give up. She continued to plead for mercy. The reaction of the disciples showed this. They wanted Jesus to send the woman away so that she would no longer disturb them with her supplication. Their words might also suggest that they wanted Jesus to do something tangible for the woman. This was the second seeming obstacle—a social obstacle.

Jesus’ answer was like adding insult to injury for the woman – she was not qualified to receive His mercy! Jesus was sent first to the Jews, then to other people. He came as their expected Messiah. He came to preach the gospel Himself to the Jews only. Afterward the gospel was preached to the Gentiles, but the ministry of Jesus was confined almost entirely to the Jews. He confirmed this in the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20. This was the third seeming obstacle—another social or religious obstacle.

What kind of obstacles are you facing as this year is gradually running to an end? How are you reacting to these obstacles? No matter the obstacle, “if you believe, you would see the glory of God” (John 11:40 NIV). The conclusion of this story next week will attest to this.

In His service,

Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).