The Monday After...

I know a lot of church leaders and church planters read blogs on Mondays as they try to catch up of other churches (or try to feel better about their...). I also know Monday's are a time when every church leader has a holy hangover... a time when they feel like God let them down because of something that didn't go as planned that weekend. Maybe the numbers were low, maybe the message tanked, maybe the music was off, maybe someone was rude to you and had a conversation they should not have had with you before you got up to preach God's Word. Sound familiar???

Last week God opened my eyes to something I had never picked up on in Matthew. Here is the scene. A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus and the disciples as they are trying to get away from the crowds. I'm sure they all were tired. The woman had a demon possessed child and she kept pressing them to talk with Jesus. Finally they cave in and let her talk with Him. She presents her case and Jesus has an interesting response... Read this:

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

Ouch right? Here she is having traveling all this way to talk with Jesus because she believes He can heal her child and everything seems against her. The crowds seemed against her. The disciples seemed against her. Her race was against her. Her sex was against her in this day and age. EVEN JESUS seemed against her...

So what gives? I believe Jesus was looking for faith. Read on:

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

How many times have you deep down thought everything was against you on a Sunday? How many time, if we are honest, have we thought God was against us??? I believe God is looking for the same kind of response...

Persistence
Belief
Faith

That is what I think God is looking for in those moments. Are we willing to push on even when it seems like everything and even God is against us???

Share your thoughts... Leave a comment.