A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matthew 15:22-28)
Why did he heal the woman's daughter even if she was a Cananite?
Even though Jesus had said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel" he still healed the woman's daughter. Why?The woman displayed great sincerity of heart. She also responded humbly and with wisdom after Jesus chastised his disciples for wanting to send her away.
She pleaded with Jesus to save her daughter. Jesus was pleased with her trust in the Supreme Being and in Jesus' authorization to represent God. As is stated in the Book of Matthew following Jesus’ statement, the daughter was healed within the hour.
This illustrates again that Jesus had little concern over the physical body of those he taught: He had no concern over nationality, race or gender (remember, she was a Canaanite woman, one that even Jesus' disciples were trying to send away). He had come to save anyone and everyone ready and willing to learn the Truth that Jesus was delivering from the Supreme Being.
As he had stated, the healing Jesus displayed was coming from the Supreme Being, as a tool to beckon people back home into God's embrace - back to their original relationship with the Supreme Being. Jesus' intent was to give people the wisdom coming from the Supreme Being.
The word “faith” is being translated from the Greek word πίστις (pistis), which means, "the character of one who can be relied on" according to the lexicon.
This refers to trust: Trusting in not only the Supreme Being's existence. But trusting that the Supreme Being cares about us and loves each of us unconditionally.
Those with a lack of trust in the Supreme Being will define "faith" as confidence in God's existence. This is actually a shallow form of faith. The deeper form is trusting God.
The answer to the second question is the answer to the first question.
We do not see God because we do not want to see God. We have come here to the physical universe and taken on physical bodies ("garments of skin") so that we wouldn’t have to see God:
However, as our loving Best Friend, the Supreme Being does impose Himself upon us. He gives us the freedom to love Him or not because love requires freedom. If we don't want to maintain our loving relationship with Him, He sends us away to the physical world and stays hidden from our view.
Better yet: Do we want to trust those who have sacrificed their lives to please Him?
This is the ultimate meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. It was not some kind of a magical process of saving everyone who accepts that he died for our sins. We still are responsible for our own sins - unless our activities are centered around loving and serving the Supreme Being and others.
But what Jesus did was commit his entire life to the Supreme Being - to help us understand not only that the Supreme Being exists, but that a relationship with the Supreme Being is worth sacrificing for.
While the Supreme Being is not like an impersonal country (He is a Person), the analogy illustrates the element of sacrifice: Why Jesus would be ready to make such a sacrifice on behalf of the Supreme Being?
This illustrates again that Jesus had little concern over the physical body of those he taught: He had no concern over nationality, race or gender (remember, she was a Canaanite woman, one that even Jesus' disciples were trying to send away). He had come to save anyone and everyone ready and willing to learn the Truth that Jesus was delivering from the Supreme Being.
As he had stated, the healing Jesus displayed was coming from the Supreme Being, as a tool to beckon people back home into God's embrace - back to their original relationship with the Supreme Being. Jesus' intent was to give people the wisdom coming from the Supreme Being.
The word “faith” is being translated from the Greek word πίστις (pistis), which means, "the character of one who can be relied on" according to the lexicon.
This refers to trust: Trusting in not only the Supreme Being's existence. But trusting that the Supreme Being cares about us and loves each of us unconditionally.
Those with a lack of trust in the Supreme Being will define "faith" as confidence in God's existence. This is actually a shallow form of faith. The deeper form is trusting God.
Why do we not see God?
Perhaps the question should be: Do we want to see God?The answer to the second question is the answer to the first question.
We do not see God because we do not want to see God. We have come here to the physical universe and taken on physical bodies ("garments of skin") so that we wouldn’t have to see God:
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)We are in the physical world, away from the Supreme Being because we decided to we were more important to us than the Supreme Being. We ate the forbidden fruit - the fruit of self-centeredness - which is "forbidden" in the spiritual realm because the spiritual realm is a place of love and devotion for the Supreme Being - not a place of self-centeredness.
However, as our loving Best Friend, the Supreme Being does impose Himself upon us. He gives us the freedom to love Him or not because love requires freedom. If we don't want to maintain our loving relationship with Him, He sends us away to the physical world and stays hidden from our view.
Why is our faith tested?
Not seeing the Supreme Being renders a test of faith while we are in the physical world. Do we want to trust that He exists despite us not seeing Him with the physical eyes?Better yet: Do we want to trust those who have sacrificed their lives to please Him?
This is the ultimate meaning of Jesus' sacrifice. It was not some kind of a magical process of saving everyone who accepts that he died for our sins. We still are responsible for our own sins - unless our activities are centered around loving and serving the Supreme Being and others.
But what Jesus did was commit his entire life to the Supreme Being - to help us understand not only that the Supreme Being exists, but that a relationship with the Supreme Being is worth sacrificing for.
What can save us then?
Consider a person who goes to war and dies for his country. Why do people do that? They are making a sacrifice because they feel the country is important enough to die for. In other words, their sacrifice illustrates the importance of their country.While the Supreme Being is not like an impersonal country (He is a Person), the analogy illustrates the element of sacrifice: Why Jesus would be ready to make such a sacrifice on behalf of the Supreme Being?
His sacrifice is a symptom of devotion. And by understanding such devotion, we have the opportunity to have a glimpse of the intimate relationship between Jesus and the Supreme Being.
This is what can save us.
Today, however, sectarian institutions and their teachers teach that we simply need to come to church (and give them money) and proclaim that we are saved by Jesus' dying on the cross. This is not at all the message he came to teach. This is why Jesus said:
This is what can save us.
Today, however, sectarian institutions and their teachers teach that we simply need to come to church (and give them money) and proclaim that we are saved by Jesus' dying on the cross. This is not at all the message he came to teach. This is why Jesus said:
“Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)It is not about our own salvation. It's about love. It is about re-developing our relationship with the Supreme Being and then working to please the Supreme Being out of love. This loving service to the Supreme Being is precisely what Jesus taught by his example and by his words.
This was illustrated by his last prayer before being arrested:
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)