Trusting in Jesus

And from there Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. (Mark 7: 24-30)

Jesus is aware that if His family and countrymen, who have received the prophecies in the previous two millennia, find it difficult to have faith in Him, it is even more so for the pagans. In fact, in order to have faith in Him, each of us must love Jesus, the giver of the gifts, more than the gifts themselves. It is only in this way that can we set our hearts free from exaggerated love for creatures above and beyond their Creator. The pagan woman who speaks with Jesus shows us that she is already living this intimacy of faith in the way she responds to Him. Thus, Jesus answers her, even in terms of our most intimate human affections. So, let us strive to be ever more united to Jesus in our hearts.