This is probably one of the most disturbing passages you will ever find in the Holy Scripture.

The reason why I said this is that Jesus is out of character. The Jesus that we know is missing. The Jesus in our text surprises us. The one who healed the broken, who gave dignity to the prostitutes, who ate with the tax collectors and sinners, who opened his arms to everyone with need, is not who we find.

Instead, he draws a circle around his chosen people--his people--and he keeps the Canaanite woman and her child out. How strange.

Obviously, the reputation of Jesus reached outside Israel. A woman came out of her home when she heard about Jesus coming into their area.

She started a spectacle, shouting, "Have mercy on me. Lord, Son of David" (vs.22). That was odd for her to call Jesus Son of David. That is a Jewish title, and she was not a Jew. The woman was in essence calling him Messiah.

Even the apostles hadn't yet done that in the Gospel of Matthew. "My daughter is tormented by a demon," she said (vs.22). But Jesus pretended she wasn't even there.

The woman was persistent though. She would not be denied. Even when Jesus ignored her she would not quit.

Why did Jesus ignored her? Here was a woman in great distress and Jesus doesn't even acknowledge her presence. This is totally out of character for Jesus. His whole life was directed at reaching out to others.

Maybe it was because of her timing. Maybe Jesus was tired--like all of us get tired from time to time.

You have to admire Jesus' commitment to maintaining balance in his life. The Savior took time to go apart. Many of us could learn from him. We, too, need a time apart. As someone once said, "we need to go apart before we come apart. So here Jesus is on retreat. And this woman will not leave her alone. Maybe it was her timing.

Or maybe it was her attitude. This woman was no shrinking violet. Didn't her mother ever tell her that you are not suppose to insist on your own way? Is it harder for a woman to be persistent in this society, isn't it. It is considered unfeminine. Besides other people resent it. So maybe, Jesus was put off by someone coming on to strong.

Jesus said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." Ouch! Jesus would not have passed Political Correctness 101 with that answer. Was Jesus calling Canaanites dogs? It is one of the most bothersome text in the New Testament.

It is so out of character for Jesus that some scholars suggest that this was a reflection not of Jesus' attitude but of some of those who wrote the New Testament.

Remember these stories were not written down until 40 to 100 years after Christ's death and resurrection. They were passed on by word of mouth until then.

So it would not be surprising if some of the prejudices of the time might have crept into the reporting.

The important thing is that even Jesus' pointed answer does not deter or stop this woman. She is as clever as she is persistent. She says, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from the master's table."

Well put! This answer obviously touched Jesus for he says to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at that very moment.

Regardless of the reason why Jesus ignored her, there are some lessons that we can learn from this woman's experience that we can use whenever we need our Lord's help.

The first is, keep asking. How true that is in our personal experiences. What do you do when you feel ripped in half. How do you continue or persevere if you have a heavy burden in your heart?

This woman had a concern in her heart and just because the disciples tried to get rid of her and Jesus even ignored her and her situation, she wasn't going to quit trying. And neither should we.

I remember a cousin of mine who was having a hard time getting a visa from the United States embassy for the longest time. Every time he goes to the embassy he gets denied. One time as he was going for his eleventh interview the consul person recognized him, and he asked my cousin how come he keeps on coming to the embassy despite the fact that he has been denied many times.

To this my cousin replied, "Sir, as long as your country has an embassy in the Philippines, and as long as I have breathe in my being I will continue to come and try and to get a visa to visit your country." Because of my cousins persistence he was given a visa.

My cousin never quit asking. We should do the same. When you have a concern keep on asking God for help. Don't let your tears quench the flame of your faith in Him.

It may seem like God is ignoring you, but I assure you that is not the case. Don't give up. Keep on asking.

Keep on trusting. Keep on trusting that the God who created this world loves each of us. We are God's own children. God does hear our prayers even when it seems all hope is gone.

Come what may, God will not let us down even if the worst thing befalls us.

Let us learn from this woman whose timing was wrong, who attitude probably needed some adjustments, who wasn't even of the right religion. But she sought Jesus out and would not be denied. She kept asking and trusting until Jesus granted her wish: "O woman," Jesus said, "your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." Amen