A Moment for Mission
Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith. It will be just as you wish.” And right then her daughter was healed. —Matthew 15:28, CEB
Thanks to generous support of the World Service Fund, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women develops and strengthens women for leadership in The United Methodist Church.
The Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 lives in a world in which she had little power and scant ability to control outcomes. She was overlooked and marginalized. So, she became used to having to be persistent and loud to get anything, to be heard and seen. She, no doubt, had been the subject of abuse long before the incident that Matthew records, so she shrugged off the name-calling and leaned into the image provided. “Even the dogs,” she said. She was willing to exist on crumbs because it meant that she and her child would eat and live a little bit longer.
Jesus commends this woman’s faith, in the end. Elsewhere, he applauds persistence, and perhaps that is what he sees in her, the faith that won’t let her give up even when pressed down by those in power. Her faith grows out of both a desperate need and the willingness to challenge authority. The runaway train that threatens to sweep her away is not, in the end, more powerful than her strength of will. Is it fair? Of course not. But she and we come to ask not for fairness, but for mercy. (Adapted from Discipleship Ministries.)
Women in the church continue to face unfair situations and GCSRW is called to challenge United Methodist general agencies, institutions and connectional structures to a continuing commitment to the full and equal responsibility and participation of women in the total life and mission of the church. The goal is for women to share fully in the power and in the policy-making at all levels of the church’s life.
Children’s Message
Tell the story of the Canaanite woman from Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28. Highlight key points including the disciples’ comments, Jesus’s initial response, the woman’s persistence and Jesus’s eventual affirmation of her faith.
The United Methodist Church has an organization called the Commission on the Status and Role of Women to make sure that everyone is treated with fairness, respect and equality. All people, of all genders[r1] , have unique gifts and contribute to the church and the world.
“At first, the disciples and others thought that only certain people were important or deserving of Jesus’s attention. It’s hard to imagine, but they wanted to keep others, like the Canaanite woman, away.
“But the Canaanite woman showed great faith, persistence and love for her daughter. She did not give up and continued to seek his help.
Jesus recognized the woman’s faith and helped her. We are thankful for organizations like the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women who are working to create a church where everyone is valued and treated equally.
Offertory Prayer (From Discipleship Ministries)
Creator and architect of the universe, we want to believe that your love for us means you will go before us on life’s path and clear the way, making it easy to travel, but our experience doesn’t always bear that out. We know you see a bigger picture than we do. As we bring you our offerings this day, we affirm your presence with us in the pits of despair as well as in the palaces of plenty. We give with gratitude, in Christ’s holy name. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
Thanks to generous support of the World Service Fund, the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women develops and strengthens women for leadership in The United Methodist Church. Reflect on this Bible study produced by GCSRW that connects the experience of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 with insider/outsider experiences we face today.
Imagine that you are the Canaanite woman. What might you feel as you see the crowd and someone tells you that the crowd is gathered around a man who is called the Son of David? (Pause) How do you feel when Jesus ignores you? (Pause)
When the man’s disciples try to send you away and you hear Jesus say that he was sent only for the people of Israel you almost give up hope, but then you have a new wave of courage. Can you convince him to help? (Pause)
How are your emotions now? (Pause)
Now, leave the land of your imagination and think about your life. When have you had a similar experience where you were an outsider? (Pause)
Did you feel that God didn’t even have time for you? How did you overcome that feeling? (Pause)
The Canaanite woman did not miss this opportunity. Have you ever missed an opportunity to constructively challenge the “insider-outsider” paradigm? The woman’s persistence had constructive results. Sometimes we need an opener that enables us to see and name elements that are destructive, such as an exclusively sexist, colonial and racist interpretation of mission. The woman got her heart’s desire by pushing the issue. How has that happened in your life?
Download “Women Called to Ministry,” a six-session study exploring our understanding of women’s roles in The United Methodist Church, produced by the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.