Matthew 15:21-24 We are all likely familiar with the frustration of waiting in a doctor’s office. We are aware of the patience needed to finally be seen by a physician. While patience is an admirable quality, the “perseverance” mentioned in 2 Peter 1:6 does not translate to be patience. Patience can be understood to be the quiet tolerance of the passing of time. But perseverance is the acceptance of circumstances joined with the active pursuit of change.
As an example of perseverance – the attitude that we must add to our faith, goodness, knowledge and self-control – we have the story of the Canaanite woman. Like the story of the Good Samaritan, there is information implied by the words. The Canaanite woman was not Jewish.
Why does the woman come to Jesus? What was Jesus’ response? What did the disciples want? How do you feel about Jesus’ responses?
There are many different interpretations of why Jesus ignored the woman as he did. He may have been testing her devotion and authenticity. He may have truly wanted to focus on the Jews, but changed his mind. He may have been teaching a lesson to the woman, to the disciples, or to us.
If there is anything we can take away from this story it is the need for perseverance in our faith. The woman was not part of the ministry of Jesus yet she was willing to make herself vulnerable, to risk the rejection she received, by confronting Jesus. She was willing to endure being snubbed by Christ and the disciples to accomplish a greater good.
As Christians we must realize our need to grow in our faith, to move from being good to being great. That requires that we put ourselves at risk. That requires that we move forward, refusing to accept where we are as the end of the journey.
We must have faith and goodness. And to that we must add knowledge and self-control. Then we must add perseverance – the deliberate and sometimes slow movement forward in faith.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you live out perseverance in your faith?
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