Today’s reading ends from the book of Jeremiah. Those who survived the devastation and destruction by the Babylonians will receive God’s grace and rest. God’s message to Israel was His eternal assurance of His love – an everlasting love, anchored in the past and joined to the future. God’s love is evident in creation, in you and me. God’s love is clearly abundant when He sent His only Son to save us.

In today’s gospel, Jesus went to the Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman intercedes with Jesus for her daughter who is demon-possessed. She understood who Jesus was, but Jesus’ own countrymen didn’t know or didn’t accept Him. Jesus did so many miracles in Jewish territory as Gentiles came to Him, but here, Jesus was in Gentile territory. At first Jesus ignores her plea, and then says, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she persisted and when she cried out, “Lord, help me”, Jesus’ heart softened, though He still continued to say, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” It was her great, determined and persistent faith that won Him over when she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Surprisingly, even though Jesus came to save the lost sheep of Israel, it was the Gentiles and outcasts who proved to have more faith in Him. The demons recognized Him as the Son of God. Do I have strong, persistent faith? Do I dare hold Jesus’ hand and walk on water? Do I trust to cast my net on the other side as Jesus commands? And when He says, “follow me” do I respond with loud yes?