“Let us come to Jesus and be reminded of how utterly dependent we truly are.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – February 3, 2022
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:21-28, ESV
“I can do it myself!” As a parent, these five simple words seem to ring in my ears on a daily basis. My young children, slowly awakening to the world around them and their place within it, claim their independence and agency at an alarming rate. What begins with tying shoes and combing hair quickly turns into who to date, where to go, and what to do with one’s life. And yet the thread is consistent: I am able to be autonomous because increasingly I no longer need your (or anyone else’s) help.
When Jesus invites the little children to come to him (Matthew 19:14), I think he must have had, at least in part, our quest for autonomy and self-sufficiency in mind. Yes, we come to him with childlike innocence and trust, yet we also must not be hindered from coming to him, because like children all of us must draw near to Jesus to be healed of our delusional self-assessment. Let us come to Jesus and be reminded of how utterly dependent we truly are.
Into this malaise, we are invited today to return to the humility and true self-understanding of the Canaanite woman.
Absent from her lips is even a hint of an inflated view of self. In fact, her love and identification with the sufferings of another (her daughter) is so great that she says, “Lord have mercy on me,” seeing her daughter’s anguish as her own. This kind of love and solidarity is only possible when we are entirely free of concern for our own status or social standing, instead filled with an abiding concern for those in need.
Whenever we are tempted to think too highly of ourselves, or simply think of ourselves too often, let us turn to this woman and imitate her words and deeds. In fact, a day should never pass without us, both physically and spiritually, kneeling before Jesus and saying, “Lord, help me.” This is a posture of true discipleship from which we never move on and must constantly embrace. Though we are surrounded our whole life long by temptations towards self-inflation and independent achievement, let us return today to the way of humility, for it is the only path to true and lasting freedom.
Prayer
Father, keep us on the way of humility, aware of our own needs and of the life and healing that is found in Christ alone. Amen.
Application
As a physical sign of obedience to Christ, kneel today in prayer and acknowledge your dependence on our Lord in every area of life.
Related Reading
John 14:6; Colossians 3:12; Hebrews 13:5
Worship Resource
Lauren Daigle: Lord, I Need You
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