God’s Masterpiece

“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Matthew 15:28

We revisit this story again of a Canaanite woman Jesus at first ignored, then gave her the highest praise. “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” How do we get from being ignored by God, forgotten, and unanswered, to being praised for our faith and having our prayers heard? 

There’s always a thrill when we discover something hidden away collecting dust, and find out it’s worth something. In 2014, a homeowner in Toulouse, France, had to open up her attic because of leaks in her roof. She found a 17th-century painting, believed to be from Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The find received a lot of press coverage, because the painting could be worth 136 million dollars if authenticated. The process of authentification is long and untidy and costs quite a big sum of money, because the difference between a painting by a Master like Caravaggio and one painted by an unknown student of the same genre is huge. It is the connection to the name that matters.

We are called by Christ’s name. We are Christians! We are connected to Him as adopted sons and daughters of our Eternal Father in heaven. It is our relationship with Him that gives us our intrinsic value in the eyes of God. We are made in His image and He loves each and every one of us. None of us are fake daughters and sons of God. We don’t need authentication. A painting can’t reject its maker, but we can reject our Creator and refuse a relationship with Him. Each one of is a masterpiece, precious in His eyes. Let us treasure our connection to Him who gave His very life to save us from being forgotten and forlorn.