A Story of Faith

The men needed a break. Hounded constantly with little time to rest or even eat, Jesus and his disciples traveled to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon to hide out. But his fame as a healer was so widespread, the Syrophoenician woman learned who he was and pleaded with him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30). He ignored her, but she persisted. You remember the story. She wouldn’t stop her annoying loud crying after him. The disciples were embarrassed. Finally, Jesus told her she had no claim on him. She was a pagan, a gentile, not a Jew. Even though he compared gentiles to household dogs, she wasn’t fazed. She saw through this man of God. She saw love and compassion and she answered his Jewish slur wisely and wittily. Tradition says her name was Justa. Whether her name or not, her story of faith is in the Gospels. Though Jesus told her his mission was to the Jews first, a gentile was healed that day.