Lord, Help Me

The encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21–28 reveals a faith that refuses to give up. Jesus has withdrawn to the region of Tyre and Sidon, yet even there human need finds him. A woman—foreign, vulnerable, and socially overlooked—cries out for her daughter’s healing. Jesus’ initial silence is unsettling, and the disciples’ impatience makes her plea seem unwelcome. Still she persists. Her prayer is simple and honest: “Lord, help me.”

Her humility echoes a modern story. A man once brought a shattered lamp to a repair shop. The owner said, “This can’t be fixed.” The man replied, “I know. But I hoped someone might try.” Moved by his quiet determination, the owner took the lamp home and worked on it until it shone again. Sometimes healing begins simply because someone dares to ask, even when the answer seems unlikely.

The Canaanite woman’s faith is just like that. She doesn’t claim entitlement; she trusts that even “the scraps” of God’s goodness are enough. Jesus recognises her courage immediately: “Woman, great is your faith.” Her daughter is healed in that moment.

This Gospel invites us to persevere in prayer and to widen our hearts. God’s mercy always stretches beyond the boundaries we create.