A while ago I wrote a blog that encourages people who are hurting to reach out to Jesus for healing and reach out to people who can also provide resources like mental health counselors, trusted friends, and family. However, Christ will often go out of His way to meet us. Of course, it’s still up to us to take that last step and ask for help. An excellent Bible story that represents this is found in Matthew 15:21-28.
“21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from the region and cried out to Him, saying ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ 23 And He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she cries after us.24 But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ 25 Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord help me!’
26 But He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ 27 And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour. 29 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.”
Notice how in verse 21 it says that Jesus went out and departed to the region. Then in verse 29, it says that Jesus departed again. The only thing in between these verses is the story of a Samaritan woman, pleading for help for her daughter. So Jesus went all that way just for this woman? Isn’t that amazing?
However…by His attitude, He doesn’t seem like He wants to help this woman. He ignores her, but this is an object lesson for His disciples. He wants to show them that there are others outside of Israel who believe in Him, who have faith in His mission and power.
Sometimes it feels like Jesus is ignoring us when we ask for help, doesn’t it? We cry and plead for His mercy, for His help. To deliver us out of the situation we’re in, to be healed from what afflicts us but our prayers seem to go unanswered. The Bible tells us though that God hears all of our prayers, 1 John 5:15 says, “And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked for.”
Jesus Himself says this “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7,8.
Christ tells us to seek, to ask, to knock, and He tells us to do so fervently. Although the parable of the Lost Coin in Luke 15:8-10 is speaking about people who repent, it can be easily applied to anyone who is seeking God. Of course, we have the story of Jacob who wrestled with God and would not let Him go until He was blessed.
And Jesus is not unsympathetic. If you feel like He doesn’t hear you, remember that Jesus has been where you’ve been. On His knees pleading for His Father to take away the cup He had to drink. Jesus felt such a great separation from His Father that night in Gethsemane.
We have the promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Jesus, like the Father of the Prodigal Son, is coming out to meet us. He is running with open arms. He goes out of His way to help. Still, you have to take those final steps. You have to be the one to fall into His arms, but when you come to Him and ask for help for a pure heart, He will love you with unconditional love and help you.