Word to the Wise
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 - Wednesday in the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
[Jer 31:1-7 and Matt 15:21-28]At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "LOrd, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right to take the good of the children and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour. [Matthew]
The Canaanite woman ("Syro-Phoenician" in some translations) is one of the great characters of the Gospel According to Matthew. I have printed out the entire gospel passage for today because every part of it is important and worthy of attention.
Jesus "withdrew" to an area of Palestine that contained significant numbers of non-Jewish people. Given that the Gospel According to Matthew was written for a Jewish-Christian community, this action should alert us to an important truth that will become more obvious in his response to the Canaanite woman. His mission would indeed include non-Jewish people of faith. Notice that the lady calls him "Lord, son of David!" Notice, too, that those closest to Jesus ("his disciples"), try to exclude the woman and even ask Jesus to send her away!
In the dialogue between Jesus and the lady, Jesus uses the common Jewish term for pagans: "dogs!" The lady catches the term and throws it back! Her engagement in faith results in her prayer being heard. "O woman, great is your faith!"
How willing are we to recognize the signs of faith and engage with people who may not be Christians or Jews or even might be atheists who are "seekers?" I continually express my admiration for the students from our university ministry who staff the "Ask a Catholic" table in the "free speech corridor" outside the university student center. They are truly in a Tyre and Sidon environment and all sorts of people call out to them. How open are we (or our parish community) to the Canaanites with whom we live? AMEN