“JESUS COMES
THENCE FOR YOU”
Saint Matthew
15. 21-28
REMINISCERE: 1 March Anno + Domini 2015
Fr Jay Watson
SSP
In The + Name of Jesus
Jesus is The God/Man, the Divine eternal,
only-begotten of The Father, the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. But this enfleshed Immanuel is always in
motion and action for you and His other lambs. “Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts (i.e. the regions surrounding) of Tyre and Sidon.” The Savior is always saving. The Righteous One is always giving out His
righteousness by creating and sustaining faith in His fold. This Grace is all His work and not
yours. He searches out all lost lambs, even as today He came to Freddy, picked him up, and carried him home.
You obstruct and resist the Lord’s movement
and mission whenever you throw obstacles in the way of His blessed feet. When you stuff your ears with the world’s wax
you attempt to block His soothing Word of release. When you pull away, turn away, and shun His
embrace…you make it harder for Him to place those wounded hands around you in
Peace.
Stop it!
Repent! The prayer of this “doing” Christ is the same prayer He
always makes to His Father in Heaven as He constantly intercedes for you as
your great High Priest: “Father forgive
them.” And God always does forgive because you are “In” Jesus and His Father
is your Father, and the prodigal is always embraced by the loving Father and
restored. You might think you can run
fast the “other way,” away from Light
and Life, but the Holy Ghost runs faster. In reality, that famous mid 20th
century American boxer was revealing a truth about Jesus: “you can run but you can’t hide.”
Your sins are the result of your sin. As Adam gave Satan an open invitation to come
into paradise and destroy everything (like a foolish, greedy, dupe inviting a
vampire into a hitherto safe and impregnable home) so too your daily
transgressions allow the devil great feeding grounds…wolves will pick off
defenseless and solitary lambs. True
demonic possession can run the gamut from evil pagan rituals, blasphemies, and
blood sacrifice, all the way to condescending atheism and active self-blinding
of oneself. If Satan can convince one
that God doesn’t exist, he doesn’t have to do anything about his own
identity.
When one does not belong to Christ, then the devil doesn’t have much to do
since all who are not on the bloody path of The Paschal Lamb already are in the
dark cavern with that sulfuric brood.
But once a person is marked by The Sign of Messias’ + Cross, washed in
the Water and Blood from His Holy pierced side, adopted into The Heavenly
Father and made a royal priest—like Frederick—like the 12 year old Canaanite
girl—then Satan starts his nefarious
attacks.
When one is draped in Holy Baptism, and
surrounded by the Company of the Saints in Holy Mother Church—Gospelling out
Christ—keeping one wet—the devils flaming arrows are extinguished. Jesus says “My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them
eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall any man pluck them out
of My hand.” [Jn.10. 27-28] The same hands which He laid upon the little
children! Again says Jesus. “All that The Father giveth Me shall come
to me…and I will in no wise cast out.” [Jn. 6.37]
But prior to Calvary, before the serpent had
his “head” crushed by Christ’s Body
given and Blood shed for your sins, that old ancient foe created much heartache
and horror: “Have mercy on me, O Lord,
Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
Jesus does have mercy. That’s why He came,
comes, and always will be with you. He
had mercy on the 12 year old girl, mercy on Freddy, mercy on all His
children.
It only appears that Jesus “answered her not a word.” He is The Word and His presence always is “for you!” Whether for the mother’s benefit, the
disciples, or yours… all three…The Christ waited, a bit, and by His actions
elicited even stronger faith from the woman by His Holy Ghost “then came she and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord,
help me.’”
She had been visited by The Word of God and
she believed. The Holy Spirit had given
her the greatest gift; a gift even greater than the temporary restoration of
her daughter to health. For with faith, she
believed her sins were forgiven; that her daughter’s sins were absolved as
well, and she worshipped Jesus as God.
And, she held God to His own promise to be good and merciful and to not
abandon His own. And He never does.
His Law stings and then slays. But His crumbs which fall from the table are
not crumbs, but the vey Bread of Heaven which descended from Heaven—the Bread
of Life found in His good news of forgiveness and life everlasting.
The woman’s faith was great because God in
Christ is good…is God…in the Flesh…in the Word…come now to your “masters’ table.”
In The Name of The Father and of The + Son and of
The Holy Ghost
