Friends,

Yesterday I preached on a difficult text in the Gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus responds initially responds to a woman pleading for his help...with insults.

Thanks to her persistent, dignified, defiant conversation, he seems to change his mind, not just about her, but about the mission he believes God has given him. You can watch the sermon here.

Wait. Did Jesus just... change his mind?

I believe God wants so much for us to drop our scorn that Jesus learns this lesson in public. Jesus learns this lesson in public so that we can see what it looks like to repent, to change our minds, to see the dignity of the human being in front of us whom we have been taught to look down on.

My challenge (challenge!) to you this week is to spend a little time in conversation with God. Ask God to show you where you are like Jesus in this story. Where it’s time to change your mind, soften your heart, see God’s presence in those whom you’d rather not love. And, ask God where you are like this mother in the story, pleading to protect someone or something you love. Ask God to show you where you can lean on the Canaanite mother’s courage, where you can use your persistent, dignified, defiant voice to invite someone in power to change their mind for the sake of God’s love for the whole world.

Here's a little extra inspiration for you, from the Singing Resistance at Brandi Carlisle's Minneapolis concert back in February.

[ video source, https://www.facebook.com/reel/1968157390435530 ]
[ photo credit ]

Tags: Rev Susan, scorn, Persistence, Repentence