Count On Christ’s Mercy for You

Grace and Peace to you In Jesus’ Name, Whose mercies are new to you every morning, Amen!

You can count on Jesus in all things. You can count on Him even when He seems silent in your life. You can count on Him when things seem to be in disarray. You can count on Him even when His Word seems difficult to receive or understand.

That’s the message of our lesson today. In this lesson we see a woman who’s at the end of her rope. She’s a loving mother who had a very sick daughter. The Bible says that “Her daughter was troubled by a demon.” Now people don’t talk like that much today and such a statement seems foreign to our so-called modern ears, but such trouble is still oh, so very real.

Let’s say it plainly. There is evil in the world, there is sin and guilt in the world, Satan is a real foe and when you mess with him, there are terrible consequences. No explanations were needed for the mother in our text. This mother had seen it with her own eyes and she was on a quest to find help for her little girl. Now I’m sure that she tried everything to bring healing to her daughter.

Her motherly love was sure, it was certain, it was as deep a love as this world itself could give, but it wasn’t enough.

But there was hope. Jesus was close by. She had heard of His miracles. She has heard of His compassion and grace. Even more, she knew that He was the Son of David the One Who would bring mercy and peace into this world. Maybe she had heard things about Him, like we sing today:
“Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace, Hail the sun of righteousness! Light and Life to all he brings, born with healing in His wings!”

But when she finally gets to Him, she receives first silence, then the rebuke of the disciples, and even a harsh word from Jesus Himself. Where else is she to go?

Have you ever been in a situation or known a time in your life when you were at the end of your rope, the end of your strength? You know, the time when you had given it your very best effort and it still was not enough. And to make matters worse, the problem is so big and your failures so public that strangers scoff at you and even your friends begin to avoid you. Times like that leave us all wondering if God really cares about what we’re going through. Where do we go then?

Well, learn from the woman in our lesson for today. She says, especially then, you go to Jesus Alone!
“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ But Jesus did not answer her a word.”

One of the most powerful forces in the world today is the committed love of a mother. That’s what we’re celebrating today, too.

The love of a good mom is a pretty special thing. Having confidence that there is one person in this world who won’t give up on you, who encourages you when you are down, or honors you when you are up, that kind of love can literally change things.

George Washington, the great leader of the American Revolution, and the United States’ first President, was known for his courage, his sacrificial leadership and his faith, he said once, “I owe it all to my mother.”

The one word that epitomizes the actions of good moms, then, is love, especially for their children. Someone once wrote: “Mothers write on the hearts of their children what the cruel hand of the world cannot erase.” It’s been estimated that by the time a child reaches age eighteen, a mother has expended some 18,000 hours of dedicated work on their behalf. Out of love, that’s just what moms do.

A certain second grade teacher humorously learned this one day at school. She was teaching some very simple principles of physics. One of the several things she taught about was magnets. She explained the basic principle of magnetic attraction and demonstrated it by using a magnet to pick up some small metal objects. On Friday, though, when she gave the class a test on some of the lessons they were taught that week, one of the questions read: “My name has six letters and it starts with M and I pick up things. What am I?” She was somewhat surprised when more than half of the class answered: “Mother”.

Well, we see that kind of love in our text today and much more. That love of the Canaanite woman was extraordinary. She was willing to do whatever it took for her daughter.

Wow! It doesn’t say exactly what was done. But I’m sure that she tried everything in her power to bring healing and hope to her suffering child. She was willing to go where ever she needed to go. She was willing to talk to anyone who would listen and she is undeterred by criticism or resistance.

Can there be any greater love than this? Well, yes, and that’s the point of our text. Her love, as great as it was, was not enough. Her daughter was suffering and there was nothing she could do about it. It was beyond her capability and beyond her control.

For the deep spiritual, physical, and emotional issues of life, we need something greater than even a mother’s love!

The Bible says that the world in which we live is sinful. And, sin is not merely an occasional false deed or misspoken word, it is a condition of rebellion and self-centeredness that leads to separation from God Himself, even the pains of sickness, struggle, and death are merely its shadows.

In the face of such things, even our loving best is in need of repentance and forgiveness. We sing songs like, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love,” and yet we continually treat each other with contempt and disregard. We need something more than our love. We say that we know the meaning of love, but many of our relationships are as disposable as the world in which we live. We are very much like the young man in love who walked into a photography studio with a picture of his girlfriend. He wanted the picture duplicated. The owner of the store noticed the inscription on the back of the picture and he asked, “Do you want this copied too?” “Yes.” “Are you sure?” “Of course!” Well, it said, “My dearest Tom, I love you with all my heart. I love you more and more each day. I will love you forever. I am yours for all eternity.” It was signed “Diane,” and it contained a P.S.: “If we ever break up, I want this picture back.”

The love of sinful human beings, even at its best, is not enough for the ravages of sin, and death, and the demonic forces that rage in the world in which we live.

Now before you accuse me of selling the power of a mother’s love short, let me just tell you that I’m not the only one saying it, the woman in the text is shouting to all who will listen. At first she shouts, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” But, as she draws closer to Jesus, she kneels before Him and changes her request from a momentary “have mercy on me,” you know, deal with my situation, to something more long standing. She literally says, “Jesus, continually be my help!”

As one who sacrificed everything for her daughter, as one who never went to sleep or rose up from slumber without these concerns on her heart and mind, she is the one telling us today that not only for her and for her daughter but for you and me, too, what is needed for those deep spiritual and emotional issues of life is something that only God Himself can provide.

This mom didn’t need to be convinced that what was needed was something more than she could give. She didn’t need to be preached at that there is sin and evil in the world. She knew that all too well. But even more importantly, she knew that what is ultimately needed is God’s attention, God’s mercy. For God’s mercy is God’s love in action for each of us. And that is the kind of love that can heal, it can forgive, it can drive out the demonic, it can give courage in the midst of struggle, it can even deliver resurrection from the dead. She wasn’t looking for a philosophy or a new self-help guru or a temporary fix. She was looking for Jesus; the Son of David Who came to seek and to save the lost.

That’s the point, today we live in a world still in need of a Savior. The woman in our text
points us to a greater resource than human love. It’s the infinite mercy of God in the
Person and work of Jesus Christ; He is God’s love in action for her and for us; and when she cries out to Jesus, she does so because she knows Who He is and what He can do.

For many people, 1 Corinthians 13 is a favorite Bible passage. It speaks of the character of love. But most people don’t realize, this isn’t about human being’s love. This is God’s love for the world. It reads, “(GOD’s) Love is patient, His love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (GOD’S) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 71t always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. (HIS) love never fails.”

The woman in our text knew that God’s merciful Love was standing right in front of her! The woman came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, continue to be my help!” (But)
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes,
Lord,” she said, “but even the house dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have great faith!”

So learn with me from the woman in our text that the merciful love of God is here in Jesus for you too! Her persistent faith demonstrates that you can count on Jesus in all things!
Think about it. Here was this person who, according to some, was from the wrong side of town, who, according to others in that society, she was the wrong gender to be taken seriously, to others she was of the wrong race, and to others, not part of the Chosen People. Yet, here she is, a woman, who, in spite of all of that, believes that Jesus will ultimately hear her plea and answer her! Who even in the face of Jesus’ puzzling conversation with her, she still trusts in Him alone!

And what about Jesus’ responses? He seems to put her off, to even mildly insult her. Why would He do such a thing? It seems so unlike Him. Some say it was to deepen her faith and trust in Jesus. I say, “No, it was to exhibit her faith, to demonstrate her faith for all to see!” Do you realize that Jesus praises the faith of people only twice in the New Testament, and they are both Gentiles!

Her faith was a shining example for those present and for us today. She was basically saying, “Whatever you do for me Jesus, it will be the best. I can put my trust in you alone. So, I’m committing my life, my daughter’s life to you. Period.”

Contrast that with the Pharisees and the religious leaders that Jesus had just dealt with earlier in the week, they were trying to undermine His work at every turn. Or even contrast her with the disciples themselves who tended to try to harness the blessings of Jesus for their own purposes and goals.

No, faith is confident trust in Jesus Christ no matter what things seem like at the moment. He draws that out of her so that all of us can see that faith in Him is sure! You can count on Jesus in all things! You can count on Him even when He seems silent. You can count on Him when things seem to be in disarray. You can count on Him even when His Word seems difficult to handle. Her humble faith demonstrates her confidence that Jesus would do what was best for her no matter what.

Some people think that the woman’s faith caused Jesus to act. But, that misses the whole point. She knew the depth of the mercy of this Jesus who stood before her. He was the One that David longed to see. He was the One that Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob yearned for. He was the Lord, the Master Who brings God’s mercy to her and to all.

She was bold in her response. She said, “Lord, I have a master who treats me with
mercy!”

“Jesus, you call me a house dog. I’m okay with that because it means I’m a part of Your house, You are my Lord, I’m with You. I’m no stray, I’m not on my own, I’m with you and that’s alright”

You see, everyone in the world has a master. But most people go searching for love, and peace, and happiness in other sinful people or in inanimate things. They try to go it on their own, but they don’t realize that His crumbs are better than everyone else’s filet mignon. She was saying, “Lord, if only Your crumbs, that’s enough for me. If only Your loving touch, I will rest secure. If only Your simple Word, I will be satisfied.”

I wish I could have seen Jesus’ face. He couldn’t wait to bless her trust in Him. Jesus is overjoyed at such confidence in Him. Jesus loves to help His people, to forgive them, to restore them. And through the lives of His believers, Jesus loves to make it known to the world. That He isn’t merely another solution. He isn’t just another helper. He isn’t just another problem solver. He is the One with mercy in His hands and eternal life in His wings for her, and yes, for you!

It’s hard to believe that there could be a greater love than that of the woman in our text She spent years of dedicated service to the needs of her daughter. She exhausted every remedy and took care of the one she loved in the most dire of circumstances. What could be greater than this?

Now, the Bible speaks of an infinitely greater love. One that not only loves friends and family, but even sinners and enemies, One that lives, and dies, and rises so that others might have real life and salvation. It’s the love of God in Jesus Christ, God’s mercy for the world in need. In fact, it makes all those other loves possible.

His is a merciful Love that left the comforts of heaven for you. A persevering Love that walked this earth for you, to suffer the penalties of our sin for you, to endure the scoffing of his enemies and the rejection of his friends, to literally suffer the pains of hell in our place on the cross of Calvary, so that with sin paid for, justice appeased, we all might be reconciled to Him again, so that we might have life and salvation in Him forever.

The cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate answer to the struggles that we all face in this life.

William Farley wrote in his book Outrageous Mercy, “The Cross is our teacher. The cross is a window through which we learn everything we need to know about God, humanity, wisdom, worship, the purpose of suffering, the purpose of life, and a host of other issues. If you knew nothing else but the cross, but you knew it thoroughly, you would know everything essential for this life and the next”.

Because of Jesus’ work on the cross and His rising from the dead for you, the Bible says that you can count on Jesus when He seems silent Even then He is at work for you and for those whom you love. You can count on Him when the world casts its ridicule on you. Even there, take heart It is only momentary for He has overcome the world. You can count on Him when His Word, at the moment, seems hard to understand, know that in the struggles of life, such exposed faith can be a blessing for those who see it in action.

If the little girl in our lesson for today heard about all that her mother did for her, how do you think she would have felt? Do you think such knowledge would have changed her
life? Even more, what do you think about mom and daughter? What would they have felt when they heard about all the things that Jesus did for them, too?

When you hear this Word today, Jesus Christ, by the power of His Spirit, is inviting you to have that same faith of this Canaanite woman. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter where you have been, He is calling you to Himself, to put your faith in Him, to come to His table. Not to receive scraps, but to receive His very best, His forgiveness, His life, His salvation for you. And to live in the strength and hope that only His mercy can provide.

For while having a parent’s love is important in this world, the deep, spiritual, emotional, even physical issues of life need more. There we need God’s mercy, His love in action for us. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
May 8, 2011
Topic: Mother’s Day

Announcer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions about mothers and Mother’s Day. I’m Mark Eischer.

Klaus: And before we go any further, Mark, I think it’s only proper that we offer thanks to God for several special ladies, including your wife, Debbie, and my wife, Pam.

Announcer: And my mother, Lois, and my wife’s mother, who is also named Lois. As our regular listeners know, your mother, Jeanette, was taken home to be with the Lord earlier this year.

Klaus: And is celebrating everlasting life with her mother and so many of our family who have already gone on to that heavenly celebration. So, Mark… what’s before us today?

Announcer: Well, as we’ve already said, this is Mother’s Day and we’ve got a Mother’s Day question.

Klaus: And, let’s hear what our listeners have to say.
Announcer: All right, our listener says, “I’m old-fashioned. Some people don’t think that’s good, but I’m happy being old-fashioned.”

Klaus: No problem with that so far.

Announcer: And he continues: “From myoid-fashioned point of view I have, over the years, become disappointed at what I’ve seen happening to the family. No longer do people take seriously their vows to stay together in “sickness or in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do them part.” The result is that a lot of kids are not being raised, nowadays, by their real mother or father.”

Klaus: Yeah. There’s no question that the traditional family has fallen upon some hard times. Part of that, I imagine, is the misguided belief that God wants us to be happy all the time, and if we’re not, well, many people take that as their cue to bail on their marriage before they give it a real decent chance to work things out. At any rate, I don’t suppose our listener is looking for reasons why the family has undergone those changes.

Announcer: Well, he continues, “The last couple of years, I’ve noticed a change in my pastor’s preaching. On Mother’s Day, for example, he doesn’t talk so much about mothers. He speaks in general terms about all kinds of women, good women to be sure, but not mothers. He doesn’t condemn those situations where the home has broken up or is at risk, he just takes it as a fact of life. ShoUldn’t Mother’s Day be kept special for
moms?”

Klaus: Oh, goodness. Well, let’s try to keep first things first. The first thing that needs to be said is this: Mother’s Day is not a Bible-based holiday. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Christian churches need to remember mothers on the second Sunday in May.

Announcer: It’s something that’s left to the realm of Christian liberty-it’s neither commanded nor forbidden?

Klaus: Absolutely.

Announcer: And the second thing?

Klaus: The second thing is, I have no authority to tell a pastor what he should preach or not preach. A good pastor, he pretty much knows what the Lord wants His people to hear on any given Sunday and in this the local pastor has a far better insight than I will.

Announcer: Well, what do you think the real answer is to the question? Is Mother’s Day a festival to be reserved only for biological moms?

Klaus: Well, that’s the heart of the matter and I can only answer for me and what I personally would do.

Announcer: Fair enough.

Klaus: I, like our listener, am deeply disturbed by what has happened to the traditional family. Further, I believe a pastor can speak to those tragedies. He can offer encouragement; he can inspire, and when necessary, he can condemn all that is sinful.

Announcer: And, what about trying to make Mother’s Day more inclusive?

Klaus: Being a Christian mother is more than having made it through the biological act of childbirth. For example, there are adoptive mothers, moms whose hearts are big enough to encompass the child of someone else and make that child her own. I think such a woman ought to be honored.

There are step-mothers. I have seen some step into a child’s life and love another woman’s child in a way far better, far purer, far more consistently than the biological mother could or would have. That is not always the case, but it does happen, and I would honor such women.

We could also mention grandmothers, aunts, and others who have stepped in when a mother could not or would not do what the Lord might have wished.

Then there are the women who have no official connection, but who minister and reach out and support, and listen and show what real love is to the children of others. I would honor them.

Is Mother’s Day for mothers? Absolutely. But it is also a day to honor all those women who have reflected the light and love of Jesus into the lives of the little ones entrusted to their care.

Announcer: Thank you Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selection for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.

“The Day of Resurrection” performed by Dave Horn. Used by permission.