How great and tender is a mother's love? How many lessons do we learn from them?
The Woman of Canaan by Harold Copping, public domain
A Mothers Love
A young girl once came to her mother for advice. The daughter had graduated from school with honors, and moved to the city to pursue a career. But she encounter nothing but difficulty. Every time she tried to move forward, it seemed she was pushed back. Every plan she made seemed to fail and every endeavor she undertook bore no fruit.
She was hurt, and frustrated and in despair and went to her mother for advice. She asked her mother if she should just give up, leave the city and come back home. “I'm beaten every time,” she said, “I feel I should just quit.”
Her mother took her daughter's hand looked tenderly into her eyes and said, “my dear, did you ever notice that when the Lord told the discouraged fishermen to cast their nets again, it was right in the same old spot where they had been fishing all night and caught nothing?”
It was a mother’s love that brought the Canaanite woman to the feet of Jesus crying, “Lord, Son of David, Have pity on me.” It was her persistence that made her risk ridicule and humiliation, (she was not of “the house of Israel”) all for the love of her daughter. She came to ask Jesus to heal her child who was tormented by a demon. And though Jesus refused her, three times, she would not take no for an answer. Did He refuse her because she was a pagan or was it perhaps because Jesus saw here an opportunity to praise the faith of one who was considered faithless?
The woman persisted, bearing the insults for the sake of her daughter and Jesus finally relented, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.
What can we learn from this unnamed Canaanite woman? We can learn how to approach God, with humility, and faith, and persistence. God does not refuse anyone who comes to Him truly wishing to enter into His grace.
Questioning God
The word “epicurean” is popularly associated with a person that finds enjoyment in good food. But the word actually encompasses much more than that. An epicurean is someone who pursues a life of comfort, pleasure, and luxury.
The word is derived from the Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicurus taught that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures in life. In this way one would attain a state of tranquility, free of pain and suffering.
Epicurus is famous for four statements attributed to him that seem to deny the existence of God. They are often used by atheists to defend their atheism.
1. Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
2. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
3. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
4. Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
There are several problems with these statements starting with the fact that Epicurus does not define what he means by evil. But the larger problem is that it defines God's behavior by human standards. We are expecting God to act as we would.
For example, the second statement presupposes that if a person can prevent evil then that person should. Why? According to what authority? Further, to expect this from God is to deny human free will. The freedom that God allows us means that we have the freedom to do evil. And could it be that God could use evil for a greater good? The crucifixion is often cited as the prime example of this.
God's ways are not our ways, we cannot hope to understand why He allows us to fail or succeed in our endeavors.
This is the essence of the Book of Job. Job begins a wealthy man but he loses everything, including his health. Doubt creeps in, fueled by the comments from his friends. When Job questions why God would allow this to happen God makes it clear that if Job does not even understand how his world works, how can he understand the mind of God? If we do not understand the creation, how can we hope to understand the creator?
Faith and Perseverance
But we continue because what we lack in understanding, we make up for in faith. With faith, comes perseverance.
We continue to fight the good fight, even when it seems like we are losing, because we have faith that God is leading us to greatness. We may feel we are making no progress, but we must be humble enough to realize that we do not see as God sees.
Even in apostolic times there were those who were disappointed that Jesus had not returned to usher in the new kingdom, at least not I the way they wanted Him to. It was left to Peter to remind them.
"But there is one thing, my dear friends, that you must never forget: that with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not being slow in carrying out his promises, as some people think he is; rather is he being patient with you, wanting nobody to be lost and everybody to be brought to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9)
All are called. And all may approach God with faith and humility and persistence. And all may hear “great is your faith, as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”
Pax Vobiscum
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university
Lily of the Mohawks © Lawrence Klimecki
Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com
Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary visions of sacred art. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org
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