Kingdom Epiphany
Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:21-28
The Lord Most High is . . . the great King over all the earth.
We usually think of kings as men who have political and military power. But King Jesus has a different kind of power. He has the power to take certain things that have gone terribly wrong and put them right. So instead of launching wars, Jesus heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, and casts out demons.
One day a Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon comes to Jesus. She asks him for help because a demon has hold of her daughter. But Jesus says nothing. When his disciples urge him to send her away, he says that he was sent to tend the flock of Israel. But the woman spars with him, insisting that God’s goodness extends beyond Israel. And of course she is right. Jesus commends her for her great faith, and her daughter is healed immediately.
Today is Epiphany, the celebration of Jesus’ being made known to the peoples of the world. In the story of the Canaanite woman, we can see Jesus celebrating this good news too. Though he was sent to “the lost sheep of Israel,” he would soon be sending his followers to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8). And he had already begun showing them that this was God’s intention (Matthew 8:5-13, 28-34).
This may not be an epiphany for you, especially if you already know that God loves the whole world (John 3:16). Even so, it reminds us not to think small when it comes to God’s kingdom.
Jesus, thank you for bringing the good news to all nations, and help us to follow your lead, in faith. Amen.
About the author — Bob Arbogast
Bob Arbogast is the pastor of Celebration Fellowship church in Ionia, Michigan. In his spare time, he plays guitar in a West Michigan blues band. He and his wife Jan have been married forty years and have three adult daughters. Bob has been praying the psalms since 2002.
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