“My House will be called a House of Prayer for all Nations.”
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28
Fr Nelson Lobo OFM Cap
FIRST READING: R. Scott Richards wrote in his book, “Myths the World Taught Me” that every one of us starts life as a little savage, selfish and self-centered. We want what we want when we want it. Deny us these once, and we seethe with rage which would be murderous were we not so helpless. We are, in fact, dirty; no morals, no knowledge, no skills; children born delinquent. And if permitted to continue every one of us would grow up a criminal – a thief, a swindler, or a rapist. That’s what we all are except that God, by his grace and mercy, intervenes in our life by the power of His word for help and salvation, for positive change.
The first reading tells us “for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” It’s part of the joy of the Gospel. None of us are excluded – not for our past, not for our family history, not because of our caste or creed or culture. God’s promise is that we’re all welcome, that we all belong, by virtue of our faith. Sinners all, made righteous in Christ’s blood; and in this gracious righteousness we look at others in new ways. We see them as we are, another sinner for whom Christ died, another one lost who needs God’s grace, a potential brother or sister in God’s house forever.
God’s plan is to gather still more besides us whom he already has gathered. And the joy of it is that he would use you; once lost but now found and fashioned into tools of the Spirit to gather even more – people of every walk-in life, peoples of every nation in the world – He would use to gather them all to the joys of knowing Christ Jesus and the eternal blessings that spill forth from His Church, His House of prayer.
SECOND READING: The church at Rome had some inter-cultural and inter-racial difficulties between the Jews and the Gentiles. Some of the Jews looked down on the Gentiles because their ancestors had not been part of covenant God had with His people in the Old Testament. So, a major part of the Letter to Rome focused on this conflict. In the first few chapters Paul addresses to the Jews saying they sinned just like the Gentiles had. And they needed God’s grace and mercy just as much as the Gentiles did. Paul addresses a ticklish question that some might have asked: “Did God reject his people?” “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?” Paul says – NO! God hasn’t rejected His people. No – they haven’t stumbled so far that they can’t be restored. God Never Forgets His People! That’s the MAIN MESSAGE of this chapter.
GOSPEL: An unnamed Syro-phoenican woman/mother came to Jesus pleading for help. Her situation was quite complicated and delicate. She had a problem-her daughter was demon possessed. She had great pain – she was grievously vexed – both mother and daughter. She was dealing with a power beyond herself – it was supernatural, suppressive, and satanic. But she has a plan. She heard about the power of Jesus. She is going to meet Jesus no matter what. In her desire for healing her daughter she has a simple cry – to catch the Lord’s attention and a sincere cry from the heart. But she encounters unexpected hurdles:
(a) The silence of the Saviour – her test – do you really know who I am?
(b) The selfishness of the disciples v. 23 “send her away, for she crieth after us”
(c) The sinfulness of her past v. 24 “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Paul says Ephesians 2 v. 12, she was without hope, without promise, and without God in the world
Inspite of her hurdles she decided not to give up. Continued to pray and plead. Her pleading was short, humble, fervent, desperate, rational, respectful, worshipful, persevering, determined, and full of faith and humility. This impressed the Lord. The Lord answered her prayer. Her request was granted. Her daughter was healed.
CONCLUSION: Prayer is the umbilical cord of intimacy with the Father. Prayer is the lifeblood of the believer. Robert Murray McCheyne once said, “What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.” The father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, wrote, “If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.” God invites all to his house to pray and to worship. Let’s forget our differences and our backgrounds and pray and worship the Lord as one people of faith. Amen!
