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Have you ever experienced being rejected by the very people whom you thought would help you? Have you ever experienced being given the silent treatment, as if you did not exist? It is not as if they don’t know you. The silent treatment, which is the silence of hostility, is like looking at somebody and pretending that you are seeing a wall, not a human being. It hurts. And if you have done that to somebody, ask yourself, “Should I really be doing that if I am a daughter or son of God?” The silent treatment was the first pain that the Canaanite woman had to endure. She was there, people were talking to one another pretending that she did not exist. She was there, people were looking at her face, and yet people were looking through her face, as if she was not there. The silent treatment of hostility, the silent treatment of self-conceit and pride, that was the first pain that the Canaanite woman had to bear.
And yet, she was a “trying hard” Canaanite woman. Even if she was given the cold shoulder, and even if she was hurting inside, she persisted in getting the help she needed. And this time, those around her could not take what she was doing. They rejected her outright, to her face. They said to her, “Get away from here.” Now it is no longer silent treatment, it is outright rejection. It is outright rejection telling her, “Go away, disappear. We deserve a better person than you.” They were not only looking at her as if she was a wall, they were already looking at her as a person. But this person must be sent away, at all cost. And yet this Canaanite woman endured the second pain. She was humble enough to endure the silent treatment, and yet when she had been openly rejected, she still cried and asked for help.
“Help me!” she cried out.
But when she asked for help, it was no longer outright rejection; it was an open insult. She was called a dog. She was called an animal, not a human being. It was an open insult because she was, no doubt, a human being created according to the image and likeness of God, and yet, the Jews were calling her a dog, calling her names unworthy of mention. And yet, she did not give up.
This is the example of humble perseverance. Look at the word “perseverance.” It comes from two very important Latin words: “Per” and “sever,” meaning, “to severe through.” Perseverance means to go through obstacles, to cut away all obstacles and achieve your goal, to hurdle all obstructions, and get to the finish line.
This is perseverance, “to severe through.” And the Canaanite woman had it.
Do you have it too? Isn’t it that when we are given the silent treatment, when we are not given the dignity, the respect that we think we deserve, we withdraw and say, “I better find another place where people will love me.” And then we are rejected outright. The woman had to suffer the rejection of the disciples. They did not even talk to her. What the disciples did was to murmur and drop sarcastic hints. They told the Lord, “Lord, send this woman away.” They did not tell her, “Go away.” They did not even dignify her by telling it to her straight. They told the Lord, but not her, but they made sure that the woman heard. Would you be able to endure that? Finally, if you are called a dog, an animal, less than a human, would you still be able to withstand the insult?
Even if the Lord hadn’t granted the request, the Canaanite woman would still come out a winner. She was already a winner because she endured insult. She endured the dehumanizing silent treatment. She endured outright rejection. And she endured all these humbly and lovingly. Your request may not be granted but if you persevere, if you see through the end, if you see through and hurdle all obstacles, there is no other way for you, but to get the gold medal of perseverance.”
PERSEVERANCE
Mt 15:21-28
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