Hello God! Are You There?

I have been thinking alot lately about this one story in Matthew 15:21-28 regarding a woman who calls out to Jesus because her daughter is demon-possessed. The reason I have been thinking about this story so much, is that the response Jesus gives blows my mind and puzzles me. It is one of those segments of scripture... that make you think..... "God, do I really know who you are?" Of course the Jesus I know (the one who looks like a CA Surfer dude and hangs on the Sunday school room wall) would NEVER respond this way!

So what is it about this story? Let me break it down....

A chick comes to Jesus in vs. 22.... and cries out that her daughter has been demon possessed. She says, "LORD, Son of DAVID, Have mercy on me."

BUT Jesus does not look at the woman with compassion or anything great like that.... The Bible just says that Jesus remains silent. "Jesus did not answer a word." NOT A WORD! This doesnt sound like my Jesus! Jesus Doesn't ignore the cry of the oppressed!

then it gets worse..... this chick gets straight up rejected by Jesus. After the chick continues to cry after Jesus, Jesus says... "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." WHAT? C'MON JESUS! FOR REAL? I mean this chick is crying for you and you respond with something like that? This was a smack in the face, because this chick was from Canaana and not Israel.

But this chick does not give up, after Jesus gives her silence.... and she is told that the blessing is not for her... she kneels before Jesus. SHE KNEELS! She humbles herself. Jesus then seemingly rejects her again as he says "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
The chick does not get mad, she gets even more humbled and she says.... "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Master's table." In other words she says, "Lord... if you could just give me the leftovers of your great power.... if you could just give me the crumbs of your blessings..... I would be happy with that."

Finally Jesus says, "Woman... you have great faith, your request is granted."

But why silence, God? Why did you seemingly reject a woman who loved you? Why did you wait until she was humbeled and humiliated before you blessed her? I have been there before... Havn't you? You ask God, "why do I hear only silence when I speak to you?" But this passage is not about how inconsiderate our God is.... for the mere fact is this:

God's Silence..... Taught us Perseverence
The Humiliation... Taught us to be Humble
The Rejection... Taught us to Appreciate the Smallest of Blessings

Jesus loves the Canaanite chick... but He could see beyond her need for a miracle, and into the growth that could be created in her. Jesus did not just give miracles so that lives could be easier... His aim was to transform lives.

He wants to transform our lives.