August 2005 by E. Louise Williams
(Click here for downloadable artwork)

The New Day
Matthew 15:21–28

“Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” —Matthew 15:28a

A rabbi, it is said, once asked his students if they could tell when night ended and day began.

“Is it when there is enough light so that from a great distance you can tell a sheep from a dog?” one asked.

“No,” replied the rabbi.

“Well,” another asked, “is it when from a distance you can tell an oak tree from a maple tree?”

“No, that’s not it,” said the rabbi.

“When is it?” the exasperated students asked.

“It is,” said the rabbi, “when you can look in the face of any human being and see there a brother or a sister. Until then, night is still with us.”

At first, Jesus looked at the woman seeking help and seemed to see only a Canaanite, a Gentile, a person not included in the job description to seek “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman would not give up. She was persistent and insistent in asking for help for her demon-possessed daughter.

It was as if morning dawned. Jesus looked again and saw a woman of great faith—a kind of faith that was absent in many among Jesus’ own people. She asked for a crumb, and she received the whole loaf—praise from Jesus, healing for her daughter, and a life changed forever by God’s amazing grace.

It seemed to be a turning point for Jesus, too. The boundaries were no longer so clear. Sisters and brothers of Jesus could be seen in unlikely faces—even in ours.

In the light of that grace, we go out, ready to cross boundaries, to look for sisters and brothers and to welcome the new day.

For reflection and discussion: When have you been surprised to find a sister or brother in an unlikely place? What are some of the boundaries your congregation can cross to reach out to new sisters and brothers?

Prayer: Gracious God, give us eyes to see your children—our sisters and brothers—wherever we go. Amen.