0
0
During Jesus’ journey towards Tire and Sidon, a Canaanite woman he encountered asked Him to heal her daughter of an evil spirit. He, however, seemingly dismissed her request in silence and continued on his way. As the woman continued in her plea, the disciples asked Jesus to grant her wish, as she continued to call out to Him. Jesus replied that he was “sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 15:24), and that the woman continued to plead, he told her: “It is not good to take the bread from the children and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15 , 26). In response to his words, he heard that even “puppies eat of the crumbs that fall from their tables” (Mt 15:27). At that moment, Christ decided to fulfill her wish. “Oh woman, great is your faith; let it happen as you like! ” (Mt 15:28).
What made him change his mind? Above all, the faith and humility of a Canaanite woman who did not hesitate to plead for his help and stubbornly follow him for the sake of her daughter. She believed in him, but was also full of humility not only towards God, but also towards other people. For she recognized that it was the Judeans who had priority in salvation, and she did not try to convince Jesus of her or her daughter’s great uniqueness. This is what made Jesus change his mind.
Nowadays, when we try to get something from someone, we often try to present ourselves in the best light possible. We say how special we are and how better than others. We sometimes praise ourselves without moderation and everyone can easily relate stories in which someone has tried to improve their image by comparing themselves to another, showing, for example, that he works better than her, often without realizing that he is striving for his own image. target at the expense of the other person and does not always have to be what he thinks.
Our strange tendency to over-observe another person and their actions and then conclude that we are better than them does not always lead to good. Because can we say that we are doing good, building our self-esteem and the way people around us perceive us on the rubble of someone else’s reputation?
It would seem that this is what today’s times require of us – striving for success at all costs, assertiveness and the ability to “sell yourself” regardless of whether we hurt someone else. We also know many people who we can say that they managed to create a positive image of themselves, to make themselves authorities in various fields using marketing tricks, and in fact, under their cover of deceptions and lies, there was a void. However, this is not the way.
First of all, let’s be ourselves, improve ourselves, but also don’t be afraid to admit that someone may be better at something than we are. Let us remember our sins and do not try to whiten them by comparing them with others, because it does not mean that sin will cease to be sin. Let us practice the humility of a Canaanite woman and admit that others may come first and that our attitude will also be appreciated.
Does today’s Gospel tell us that faith and salvation are for everyone? There are no better and worse, and everything depends only on ourselves. We decide about our life and how we act in it, and the road to salvation is not a “rat race” in which the best will win.
Number of views:
153
