The Canaanite woman’s stubborn prayer is a genuine example of the faith of Israel.

Matthew took an account that affirmed Jesus’ divinity and crafted it into a lesson on the power of faith.

The story of the transfiguration is a story about faith and the insights faith confers.

God’s kingdom is worth the wait, worth the labor and worth the sacrifice.

Jesus knew the same risks we would face, and still taught us to “grow together.”

Matthew’s community struggled to understand why so few believed in Jesus. How was it possible, they wondered, that friends and loved ones heard the same message but did not grasp its implications?