Have a faith as a mustard seed, Len!

Matthew 15:21-28 (New Living Translation)

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

mustard seeds

21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile[a] woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

Blaise Pascal Chapter

“Jarak tak terhingga antara tubuh dan akal budi melambangkan ketidakterhinggaan jauh lebih tak terhingga jarak antara akal budi dan kasih, karena kasih adikodrati…(itu sebabnya) hati memiliki alasan-alasannya sendiri yang tidak dipahami oleh akal budi.” – PENSEES

O Tuhan, doa Pascal sedemikian agung penuh perendahan diri, membuat kami merasa tak berdaya. Mungkin lebih baik kami mulai dengan lebih lambat. Jadi untuk minggu ini kami ingin memohon agar Engkau menunjukkan kami bagaimana belajar sedikit lebih menyukai orang lain. Biasanya kami menyebut “kasih”, tetapi seringkali kami tidak serius dengan istilah itu. “Tentu saja aku mengasihi orang lain,” demikian kami berkata sendiri. Jadi mungkin belajar untuk sedikit lebih “menyukai” orang lain adalah permulaan yang tepat.

Adakah orang lain dalam pekerjaan yang sangat tidak kami sukai? Tolong kami, Tuhan, untuk makin hari makin menyukai mereka, dan mungkin suatu hari kelak kami akan tekejut bahwa kami sungguh mengasihi mereka. Dan mungkin melalui belajar lebih mengasihi mereka kami akan lebih mengasihi Engkau. Kami memohon ini dalam nama Yesus yang baik. Amin.

Alice in wonderland 1951

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?”

Well put.