Miscommunication

 

In today’s Gospel there is an interesting and confusing exchange that goes on between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. She was an outsider.

In the account of this story we don’t understand everything about the situation. Many people spend a lot of effort and time trying to explain away Jesus’ response in these verses, yet as they remain, people interpret them differently.

 

Anyone who has written enough emails, or text messages knows the danger of miscommunication. Many times, what is received and understood is rather different than what was intended. Sometimes we interpret harshness or even malice where none was meant. Yet when this happens we rarely see ourselves in the wrong!

Here a person with a desperate family problem is begging Jesus for help and his response could have easily been interpreted as scorn or hate. She chose to look past that for the saving power and healing that she needed.

How many of us have felt harmed by someone? How many times we have heard some word or phrase and felt offended and felt our pride hurt?

In an age when there is so much offence given and taken, we need to ensure that we  should really know God’s desire for us: we can overcome our human feelings that drive us away from God and from each other even when we may have arguments in the church.

When we feel upset we can keep our focus on what is truly important, the saving power of Jesus, the love of God that overcomes all sadness and calls us all beloved children of God and gives us life in all its fullness.

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.