He who has no friend, has God, says an Egyptian proverb. We run to God when we find ourselves in desperate situations. Therefore, it is not hard for us to understand the distress of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus to seek urgent help for her daughter who was severely possessed by a demon. She said to Jesus:
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
Jesus’ response came in four layers: First, He did not say a word to her. Then she kept on pleading for help and the disciples planned to send her away. Secondly, after responding with silence, Jesus then said to her:
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman persisted and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
Thirdly, he gave her a shocking response:
“It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Jesus probably used this offensive remark to upset her to test her faith, but she refused to be deterred or discouraged. She certainly had a good sense of humor when she replied to him saying,
“Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
At the end of the encounter, Jesus was fascinated by the invincible faith of the Canaanite woman. Jesus’ final remark was a positive remark for her faith and an answer to her prayers. He said:
“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
As He uttered these words, her daughter was healed. So, this final response of Jesus to the woman goes to show how God listens to us when we pray. Sometimes, He responds to our prayers by saying yes, at other times He asks us to wait, and yet at times He says no. Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman gives us some fresh insight about another way in which God responds to prayers. He responds by challenging and engaging the person who prays.
The silence of God is not necessarily His refusal to answer our prayers. Sometimes, it appears that He ignores those who come to ask for their needs. However, one thing, which is certain, is that He never forsakes them. The Psalmist rightly says:
I have been young and now I am old,
yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
or his descendants begging bread.
~ Psalm 37:25-26
This Canaanite woman must have had thick skin. She knew what she wanted and she had a strong faith that Jesus would respond positively to her request. She exemplifies the words in the book of Hebrews 11:1, which says:
“Faith is being sure of what we hope for.”
We react differently when people throw offensive remarks at us. How do you react when colleagues at work throw out shocking ethnic, racist, sexist or derogatory remarks at you? The first instinct is to be defensive or to retaliate. Sometimes we remain silent, switch the subject of discussion to avoid confrontation, or decide to respond appropriately at the appropriate time. Very often we hit back, and rarely respond with a good sense of humor.
The Canaanite woman was convinced that Jesus meant no harm and did not take offense at His remarks. Generally, we tend to respond more softly to people we love and admire, and very harshly to people we dislike. Our moods also determine the way we respond to others. The Canaanite woman teaches us how to respond with humility and a sense of humor when we are ignored, forsaken or insulted.
In that encounter with the Canaanite woman, Jesus teaches us the boundless mercy, goodness and love of God. The woman was a foreigner, but Jesus attended to her. His action teaches us that Love and goodness must not only be limited to people who belong to the same faith, same family, ethnicity or race.
The Jews detested the Canaanites and see them as Gentiles and unclean people, but Jesus brought them close to show that they are also children of Abraham. He broke down the barriers that separated people. He brought in people from darkness into light and says to them, you are also a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and God’s own people. (1 Peter 2:9)
He brings people who are at the margins of society and says to them:
“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”
~ 1 Peter 2:10
The Apostles of Christ followed after His footsteps as they reached out to non-Jews. One of the most vocal apostles proudly describes himself as “The Apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13). God seems to work with this wisdom, which says:
“Love equally all your children. Sometimes the favored disappoint, and the neglected make you happy.”
The Jews, whom God considered His firstborn, believed they had the exclusive right to salvation and that other races and ethnic groups are doomed for hell. Contrary to this view, the prophet Isaiah predicted a radical change that will occur when God will give every nation an open invitation to all nations. He speaks about a time when the temple (house of prayer) will not only be open to Jews alone but to all believers (Isaiah 56:1, 6-7).
The ultimate mission of Jesus is to restore dignity to people whose stories and cries have been neglected and ignored by society and the world. Sometimes we feel that God ignores or forgets us. God has many creative ways of drawing you close, of getting your attention and of engaging you. He may begin with a silent treatment, or launch an offensive to test, engage and draw you into a deeper conversation. God’s love is universal, and He loves each person in a unique and special way.
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20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A: Isaiah 56:1,6-7; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28.
Image: Jesus and the Canaanite Woman, Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib (Egypt, 1684) / Wikimedia Commons / PD-US
