Bible
Study: Numbers 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26A-29A, 34-35. / Matthew 15:21-28.
Recently I read about a man who was
discharged from the hospital after having been treated of an infection that
prevented him from passing urine. Upon seeing his hospital bill, he exclaimed; “You
mean all these years I have been passing urine freely and God never sent me a
single bill?” This statement which comes from the heart reveals the mind-set of
a man who has suddenly learnt to be grateful. He did not complain about the
bill being too high rather he simply realised that if God were to charge him
for all other bodily functions, he just wouldn’t have been able to pay.
In life, there is no such thing as a
bad day. It all depends on your perspective – it all depends on how you chose
to evaluate your external situation; whether you prefer to focus on the
negative side or look on to the brighter side. If you believe your situation is
helpless, it remains so no matter how much you complain to others or cry. In fact,
there are times tears are not needed; there are times when the multiplicity of
tears only amounts to waste of time and energy; there are times when tears are
not only irritating to people around you but irritating even to God!
Ordinarily, one would assume God is
moved by tears especially when we consider the examples of great men and women
in the Bible who went to God on their knees in tears. But then, “crying” is not
the only formula for effective prayer as we can see in today’s first reading.
After hearing a devastating report from the men who went to spy out the land of
Canaan, the children of Israel could not hold back their tears. They cried like
babies all day and even at night, people were wailing at the top of their voices.
They made God angry with them by their tears.
Twelve men were sent to spy the land,
only two Caleb and Joshua could see that their cup was half-FULL. For the
others, it was the case that their cup was half-EMPTY and because these were in
the majority, the crowd believed them. The fact that a particular opinion is
popular does not necessarily make it true! We are not to base our faith on
popular acclaim, we are not to pattern our life according to WHAT PEOPLE SAY
because there are more LIES out there than TRUTH.
In the Gospel passage, we encounter
another classic example of the power of perspective. Here comes a woman trying
to seek the attention of Jesus to request for a miracle. At first Jesus ignores
her completely. He did not even say a word to her even though he clearly heard
her loud cries. She did not take it as an insult (like most women would do
especially if she was older in age than Jesus). She kept calling out until the
disciples of Jesus had to appeal that Jesus should send her away for her
obvious “NOISE.” As if to add salt to pepper, Jesus made a statement that would
only require a very high level of maturity on one’s part not to be interpret it
as an insult – “it is not right to take the food of children and throw it to
the dogs.”
At this point, she could have walked
away but she didn’t look that negative side, she saw only the brighter side,
she imagined herself as a dog desiring to eat food belonging to children and
she quickly realised that it was only possible if scraps of that food fell from
the table. She had the right disposition. She had the right perspective. She didn’t
look at her cup as almost empty, she saw it as almost full and because her gaze
was only in this direction, she got her reward. “O woman, great is your faith.
Let it be done as you wish.”
STOP CRYING TODAY AND ASK YOURSELF “HOW
CAN I BENEFIT FROM MY CRISIS?”
The world’s greatest inventors,
artists, musicians, political leaders etc. were ordinary people like you. Check
out their lives, they had their own fair share of troubles, difficulties and
challenges. The only difference is that they refused to see “problems”, they
saw “opportunities.” Behind every seemingly negative experience you have ever
had (or are currently going through), behind every “bad” condition you find
yourself which you wish never happened, there is always a great value, a great
opportunity, a great lesson, a great idea, something to make you a better
person. If nothing good could come out of it, then God wouldn’t allow it happen
I bet you! Don’t look at the giants, Goliath was a giant, look instead at the
size of the God you worship.
Let us
pray:
Lord
Jesus, I resolve to wipe away my tears and start seeing my circumstances as
stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks towards attaining your perfect
will for me. Amen.
Good morning.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.
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