TRADITIONS, TRADITIONS!

It’s been said that God is no respecter of persons (75) but acts are more eloquent than words.

Jesus was visiting the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a traditional Canaan region, when a woman ran unto him crying because her daughter was grievously ill, but he acted as if he had not noticed her (76). He certainly was showing how heavy Jewish traditions were inside his thoughts. He did not even want to talk to a Canaanite and continued walking. His disciples were embarrassed for what was happening and asked him to send her away.

He turned back and clearly said: “I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. I am sorry you are not a Jew (77). On a previous occasion another one who was not a Jew came to him. This was a roman centurion looking for help in behalf of his servant who was sick (78). A parallel was drawn: a mother begging for her daughter and a roman centurion asking for his servant. Neither the mother nor the centurion were Jewish but he expressly denies any help to the woman just because she was from Canaan.

Traditions are heavy burden in minds of people.

She insisted, called him Lord, worshipped him and cried for help. She reminded him of her own condition, she was a servant of servants unto her brethren, (58) and he took the opportunity to express verbally what was just in his thoughts: it is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs (79). For the second time, this time not only faking he didn’t hear but also verbally he denies her any help because she belonged to a different type of race. Canaan was cursed while still in the crib. His descendants, the sons of Ishmael were not counted among the chosen ones. Abraham had to send him away in very grievous circumstances (80). Esau lost his birthright because he married women from Canaan (69). The race of these people contaminated God’s people in many occasions, and they had to be cast out.

The Lord was in front of a woman from Canaan and had already said no to her requests twice.

She humbles herself even more and asks for nothing but the crumbs that fall from her masters’ table (81). He then concedes her to be done according to her will and her daughter was healed from that instant.

His personal advise to the Twelve were to avoid the way of the Gentiles and any city of the Samaritans (81a) probably to avoid any predicament like the one he was in.

When I travel preaching He whom I was not lucky enough to meet personally, (but I clearly heard his voice on my way to Damascus), I find people with different and opposite ideas about his character and personality. I hope I can draw a better picture of him, so that we all can be better followers (82).

75. Acts 10: 34
76. Matthew 15: 22-23
77. Matthew 15: 24
78. Matthew 8: 5-11
79. Matthew 15:26
80. Genesis 21: 11
81. Matthew 15: 27-28
81a. Matthew 10:5
82. 1 Corinthians 11: 1