Passing on the gospel
by Pastor Mathew Ker
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Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon’ (Matthew 15:22).
While I got baptised as a baby, I had no significant Christian influence in my upbringing. There were a couple of times when I had some brief exposure to church, but it was never encouraged in my home growing up.
In my late 20s, I was serving in the army with a young family of my own. One of my colleagues shared the hope he had in Jesus with me. The timing was right, and I was hungry to learn more about Jesus and how he could satisfy a hunger I never really understood.
As we read of the Canaanite woman, her faith in Jesus is extraordinary. So often, we crave the whole meal, with trimmings and dessert, but this unnamed woman was satisfied with the crumbs that fell from the table. In doing so, she asked not for herself but for her daughter to be healed.
What stands behind her request is that someone else – who never appears in the story – told this caring mum that Jesus was someone she could put her trust in. Jesus has the power to heal and save. Go and see him for what you most need.
Jesus will always be the hero of this story, and the faithful woman who had the courage to ask him for help will be the one through whom her daughter’s needs were brought to him. But behind all the characters is the one who shared the good news with a neighbour.
It’s unlikely my army friend could have anticipated the start of a journey that led to my serving as a parish pastor. We don’t know the circumstances behind the person who shared their faith with the Canaanite woman, but it led to a young girl getting healed and a story that has encouraged countless people.
You may never understand how sharing the good news of Jesus Christ’s saving grace will impact the lives of others. You can be confident that God’s Word goes out and does not return empty but achieves the purpose for which he sends it.
Heavenly Father, thank you for those who have shared the hope they have in Jesus Christ. Give me the courage to share what has already been given to me. Amen.
Mathew is married to Sonja, and they are in the process of moving from the Barossa Valley in South Australia to Tabor in Western Victoria. They are blessed to have two adult sons, one married, but, as yet, no grandchildren. Mathew enjoys gardening, cycling, writing letters, and sharing adventures with Sonja.
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