A fair miracle

Jesus, help me accept a little unfairness and to remember that being fair is good! Amen.

A woman whose people Jesus hadn't taught yet begged Him to help save her sick little girl. "I was sent only to help the chosen ones of God," Jesus told her. "Lord, even dogs eat the leftovers from their masters' tables," she answered. Jesus saw how much faith she had, and He healed her daughter.

Fairness is really important to kids. At lunch, you have to get the same number of potato chips as your brother; if a grownup gives someone else a compliment but not you, you'll probably do something to get attention, so that grownup knows you're just as great!

Fairness was important in Jesus' time, too: In this week's Gospel (Matthew 15:21-28), a woman begs Jesus to be fair and do a miracle for her, since He's doing them for other people.

Kids like things to be fair because you don't like it when it seems like anyone else is better than you. If people say your sister is pretty, you want to be just as pretty; if your friend can dive into a pool and you haven't learned how to dive yet, you're miserable.

The people Jesus met wanted Him to be fair. Jesus started out just teaching Jewish people about God, since He was Jewish and knew them best. But, other people wanted to learn, too. And when Jesus healed sick people, everyone wanted their loved ones healed!

Sometimes, your brother does end up with more potato chips than you. Sometimes, you have to admit you can't dive as well as a friend yet. But, some things can be made fair: When the woman begged Jesus for a miracle and pointed out that even dogs share people's food, so people should share with each other, Jesus agreed.

He gave her her miracle and made her daughter well!