February 13, 2020
Thursday for the Fifth Week for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today
Listen for English
E no take long before one woman wey her daughter get spirit wey no clean hear about Jesus. She come fall for His feet. The woman na Greek, and na Syrophoenician by birth. She beg Jesus make He drive the demon comot from her daughter. He tell her, “Make the children chop first. Because e no right to carry the children food throw give dogs.” Mark 7:25-27
Why Jesus talk to this woman like that? She come meet Am, maybe with fear and trembling, fall for His feet, and beg Am make He help her daughter. At first, person fit expect Jesus to treat her gently and with compassion, ask her about her daughter, and tell her, “Oh, I go surely help your daughter. Carry Me go meet her.” But no be wetin He talk be that. He tell her say “e no right to carry the children food throw give dogs.” Chai! Na so? He really talk that one? Why He go talk that kind thing?
First of all, we need to know say anything wey Jesus talk na from love. E dey show the greatest kindness and mercy. We know this because na who Jesus be that. He na love and mercy itself. So how we go understand this thing wey look as if e dey contradict who He be?
The key to understand wetin happen between Jesus and this woman na to look at how everything end. We must look at how this woman answer Jesus and how their talk end. When we do this, we go see say the woman answer with humility and faith wey deep well-well. Wetin Jesus talk na true. For one way, we fit understand wetin He talk to mean say nobody get right to demand His grace and mercy. Nobody, including the woman and her daughter, “deserve” make God work for their lives. Jesus know this, and through wetin He talk, He give this woman wonderful chance to show her deep faith for everybody to see. His words give her chance to shine like light wey dey show faith, hope and trust. Na this Jesus want, and e work. E work because, as she come meet Am, He know at once say she truly get deep faith. He know say she go answer with humility and trust. Na so the woman do, and because of this, we fit see how her faith and humility show clearly.
Today, reflect on the beautiful faith of this woman wey get humble heart. Try put yourself for her place, and hear Jesus dey tell you these same words. How you go answer? You go answer with anger or vexation? Your pride go wound? Or you go answer with humility wey deep pass before, as you accept say everything wey God dey give na gift wey we no get right to demand? To answer like this fit well be the act of faith wey God dey wait for from each of us, and na the key for His mercy to pour on us as we need am so much.
Lord, abeg, make me humble. Remove my pride comot. Help me to fall for Your feet. Help me to trust You so deeply that my love for You go make You open Your storehouse of grace and pour am on me. Jesus, na You I trust.
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Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
