Many times, we don’t follow Christ not because we lack Knowledge, but because we lack the Courage. For us to “Live Jesus” we need to allow His grace to form and inform us. We need to have the courage to allow the grace of Jesus Christ to guide our lives and our decisions.
St. Matthew wrote in his Gospel [chapter 17], “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Faith as small as a mustard seed can move a mountain. The important question is What mountain does Jesus want us to move? The Lord wants us to move the daily mountains we meet throughout our lives, our obligations and burdens.
The Canaanite women appears in Matthew’s Gospel [chapter 15] where she displays deep and total FAITH in Jesus as she pursues the answer to her prayer [her child’s healing]. Jesus seems to be rude and mean to the Canaanite woman. And then she appears to outwit Jesus. But she didn’t outwit Jesus. Their meeting “…challenges us to take a much bigger view of our world & the people who inhabit it.” [Connections, 08-17-08]
The Canaanite woman reminds us that female-male isn’t important in faith, rich-poor or immigrant or native born isn’t important BUT unwavering trust in Jesus & His Gospel is IMPORTANT, not that we have the faith of a mustard seed BUT that we act on, that we live the Faith that we have been given at our Baptism, Faith of a disciple of Jesus Christ, true God & true Man.
This story may help us understand the Courage to be Humble. “Carl Sandburg, in his book Lincoln: The War Years, tells about Colonel Scott who requested a leave to attend the funeral of his wife who accidentally drowned. President Lincoln refused the request. Early the next morning Lincoln came to Scott's hotel room and admitted to the amazed officer, ‘I have had a regretful night and come now to beg your forgiveness.’ Then Lincoln took the officer in his own carriage to the steamship and sent him on his way to the funeral.” [Sermons.com John R. Brokhoff, Jesus ... Who?, CSS Publishing Co., Inc.]
Although he had the heavy burden of the Civil War on his shoulders, Lincoln showed the Courage to be Humble. The Canaanite Woman despite being despised by the Israelites was Humble and Courageous while she persisted in her faith in Jesus. The Canaanite Woman, Abraham Lincoln in different ways lived with TRUST in Jesus, we are called to do the same.
In our culture today, Faith is shunned and ridiculed by many but like the Canaanite Woman and President Lincoln we should TRUST the Lord and live our FAITH with Courage in a Humble Way.
May God Be Prayed.
