Worship Service: Jesus Meets the Canaanite Woman

Jenae Longenecker will preach on Matthew 15: 21–28. She writes, “Jesus encounters an unnamed Canaanite woman, who comes to him desperate for help. In what seems like a surprisingly unchristlike response, Jesus initially refuses her. Relying on the work of Drew Strait, this sermon explores the possibility that the Canaanite woman broadened Jesus’ sense of his own mission and purpose. Acknowledging that we live in a world where people tend to dig their heels in instead of express willingness to change their minds, the sermon will conclude with an invitation to broaden our own mission to include others who we may not yet know or understand.”