O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from the region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for he cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

Yesterday we read that the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"  When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us.  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Jesus' withdrawal far north, into Gentile territory, comes after His conflict with the scribes and Pharisees.  In Mark's Gospel, this story includes the detail that Jesus "wanted no one to know" that He was there.

 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from the region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for he cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  One of the differences between Mark's report of this encounter (Mark 7:24-30) is Christ's response to the woman that He was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, giving us the Jewish orientation of Matthew's gospel.  We note also that here the woman calls Jesus by the title Son of David, which is a Jewish term for the Messiah (and Mark does not).  The additional thing noted here by my study bible that is of great importance is the concern and care of this mother for her daughter.  My study bible says that her cry, "Have mercy on me," is a reflection of her great love for her daughter:  she sees her daughter's well-being aS her own and her daughter's sufferings as her own.  The disciples' request to send her away is seen frequently in patristic commentary as an attempt to persuade Jesus to heal the daughter.  In other words, it's as if they are saying, "Give her what she wants so that she will leave."  Jesus' response indicates that this interpretation is correct, as He again refuses to heal the daughter, but begins to speak to the woman.

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  After both her love and persistent faith is revealed, Jesus now reveals this Gentile woman's humility.  She accepts a place beneath the Jews, chosen people of God, but still wants a share in God's grace.  (Let us note that little dogs are puppies, house dogs.)  In some way, her repeated request expresses her faith in the compassion of Christ.  His hesitancy has allowed for a full expression of her faith and virtue -- both to the disciples and for her own sake, says my study bible.  It adds that her ultimate acceptance by Christ points to the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church after Pentecost -- no longer as "little dogs" or puppies, but as children who are invited to eat the bread of eternal life.

Christ's words seems harsh to us, but they reflect a reality of the time.  He is the Messiah who is "of the Jews," sent to God's chosen people, the house of Israel.  But, on the other hand, this dialogue opens up what is to come -- and through the faith of this woman, that is revealed to all of us (and, let us note, to the disciples).  While dogs are most definitely rendered in Scripture (and indeed, the common history of the Middle East) in a negative light, here the "little dogs" are house dogs, puppies, such as children feed, and are always begging under the table.  In our modern orientation toward how we treat people, this reference seems incredibly harsh, but in the understanding of the time of this woman, it is an expression of the ways in which religion played a part in the history of particular peoples.  What I think we modern people can learn from this woman is the gift of humility and also that the recognition of our best qualities is made possible through humility.  There is no need here for her to prove her equality with anyone in the eyes of custom or social life or religious structures.  What shows through for Christ is her persistent faith, her love for her daughter, and the confidence she places in Him by her very persistence.  Let us note also that He is in a sense praising her alacrity, her intelligence, her seizing of this moment for worship with the One whom she realizes is the Messiah of the Jews.  She puts on no airs, she is not defiant but persistent, and it is she who opens up faith in the Messiah to all the world.  She is a gift to all of us, through Christ who praises her.

O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

Yesterday we read that the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"  When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.   Responding to the events in yesterday's reading, in which scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to question Him about His disciples' failure to uphold the tradition of the elders, Jesus withdraws to the north, into Gentile territory.  My study bible tells us that this desire to withdraw, rather than preach in Gentile cities, is confirmed in Mark's version of this story, in which we read that Christ "wanted no one to know" He was there.  Further along in today's reading, He will also tell the Canaanite woman that He was sent only to the house of Israel.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  My study bible remarks on the compassion of this woman.  It says that she shows immeasurable love, in so identifying with the sufferings of her daughter that she cries, "Have mercy on me."  She sees her daughter's well-being as her own and her daughter's sufferings as her own.  In the Messianic title by which she addresses Christ, Son of David, and other remarks Jesus will subsequently make, we can see the Jewish orientation of Matthew's Gospel.

But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  My study bible notes that Christ refuses to answer here, not only because this woman is a Gentile and His ministry before His Passion is first to the Jews, but also to reveal this woman's profound faith and love.  Several Church Fathers see the disciples' request to send her away as an attempt to persuade Jesus to heal the daughter.  It is as if they are saying, "Give her what she wants so that she will leave."  Jesus' response seems to suggest that this interpretation is correct, because He again refuses to heal her daughter.

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.   "Little dogs" is a term that indicates a puppy, a house dog, such as would be underfoot beneath a table.   It's also an emphasis, once again, that He's sent to the house of Israel.  My study bible says that, having evoked this woman's love and persistent faith, Christ now reveals her humility.  She accepts her place in relation to the Jews, the chosen people of God, but she still desires a share in God's grace.  Jesus' hesitancy wasn't a lack of compassion, but rather a conscious means of revealing the virtues of this woman -- both to the disciples and for her own sake.   Jesus' acceptance of this woman, of course, points to the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church after Pentecost, not as little dogs, but rather as children invited to the table for the bread of eternal life.

My study bible remarks upon the understanding that Matthew's Gospel is written with a Jewish orientation.  That is, it is written with an audience of Jewish believers in Christ in mind.  We are reminded that Jesus tells us (through the conversation recorded in the Gospel with the Canaanite woman), "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  He is in the world, as human being, in order to call back to God the lost sheep of the people of God. He is the Son of David, and He is the Shepherd (as was David a shepherd, too).  In Jesus' time, customs dictated that a Jewish man refrain from speaking with such a woman, and her behavior is most likely embarrassing, even scandalous, to the disciples who witness it.  Yet, Jesus does not simply send her away.  He doesn't perform the healing or exorcism she asks for merely in order to send her away, as finally the exasperated disciples seem to suggest to their Teacher.  Jesus has gone to this area of Gentiles in order to escape or avoid the further meddlesome actions of the leadership from Jerusalem, who by now are searching for ways to destroy Him and His ministry.  But in the overall scheme of things, God's plans fulfill promises which don't seem intended -- at least at this point -- in the human mind of Jesus.  (A similar dynamic happened in the feeding of the five thousand.)  The Father, Son, and Spirit may most certainly use any and all circumstances for revelation, and indeed here is a revelation.  It is the faith of this woman that breaks through all assumption and understanding, and this passage gives us a tremendous glimpse of the power of faith in human beings.   Jesus' patience runs right underneath the surface of this story, as He neither openly sends her away nor does He simply grant her request.  Instead, what is happening reveals her faith.  Each time He "rebukes" her, either in the form of silence or by saying, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs," she comes back with a persistent faith, insisting on the connection that -- even as a "little dog" -- she knows she has with God.  Within herself, there is the hope of God's love, so that "even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  She is willing to accept all that He tells her, but she also seizes the opportunity that is still there, perceived in the faith and love that is within her.  Does Jesus know He will find this faith among the Gentiles?  Certainly elements of His ministry have already indicated that He is aware that faith in Him will expand to become "light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel" (Luke 2:32, Isaiah 4:6).   It is not just the graciousness of God, but also the power of faith within human beings that is on display in today's reading.  The tenaciousness of this woman mirrors the power of love, as it is love that prompts her to seek healing for her daughter.  The power of love and the power of faith are intertwined and related.  It is love and faith that transcend and persist through all circumstances, giving rise to hope.  Ultimately, faith is our response to God's love, which our soul knows.  Everything depends on how great and deep our desire is to nurture this relationship of love and its effects in our lives.  We don't know where that will lead nor what fruits and flowering it will bring.  But we persist and pursue it.  Today's story gives us the gift of that love and strength, and reveals its possibilities in us.

O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cried out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

On Saturday, we read that the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"  When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Tyre and Sidon are coastal cities of the Gentile region north of Galilee called Phoenicia.  In our previous reading, scribes and Pharisees had come from Jerusalem, and begun to make inquiries of Jesus' ministry, and stating that His disciples were violating the tradition of the elders.  Jesus has gone to this region in response to temporarily withdraw from the scrutiny of the religious officials.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  My study bible points out for us the quality of character in this woman.  She tells Jesus, "Have mercy on me," but it is an expression of the depth of love she has for her daughter, whose sufferings she experiences as her own.

But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cried out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."   We may feel that this response indicates a surprising heartlessness in Jesus, but that would indeed be out of character.  First of all, we are to understand that His ministry before the Passion is first to the Jews.  However, many Church Fathers view the disciples' encouragement to "Send her away" as a request for Jesus to give her what she wants so that she will leave.  But Christ does not want her to leave, and instead His response draws her out further, revealing her faith and love.  Also, Jesus' response that He was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel makes clear the Jewish orientation of Matthew's Gospel, in addition to the title "Son of David" used by the woman in the previous verse.  Neither of these details are included in Mark's version (Mark 7:24-30).

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  That the woman "worshiped" Christ (the word in Greek indicates that she knelt or became prostrate before Him, a position indicative of worship).  Her whole response indicates her humility; she accepts her place beneath the Jews (the chosen people of God), yet still desires a share in God's grace.  My study bible says that Christ's hesitancy was not a lack of compassion, but rather a conscious means of revealing the virtues of this woman -- both to the disciples and also for her own sake.  There is a great revelation of humility, love of truth, and deep faith in her overall response to Christ.  His ultimate acceptance of her is a clear indication of the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church after Pentecost, as my study bible puts it, "No longer as dogs, but as children who are invited to eat the bread of eternal life."  Our first concern as those who come from far outside the time and place of this reading might be about the insulting term used.  But there's an important cultural distinction between outside or inside dogs:  here the term is "little dogs" or puppies, inside dogs -- and the image of puppies begging at the household table is both softened and also apt for the "pestering" sense in which the disciples viewed her persistent pleas.

In a certain sense, there is a subtle message in today's reading about the Gentile believers who will come to Christ in the future:  in some sense, they have to work harder than the Jewish faithful who will follow Him.  They have more work to do to "catch up" and to "prove themselves."  This woman clearly knows about the Jewish faith and the expectation of the Messiah.   She knows about Jesus.  Even the fact that she deems her daughter to be "demon-possessed" shows her orientation to and understanding of the Jewish faith.  So all of these clues are there in the text teaching us about how far she has come already to be in Jesus' presence asking for help for her daughter -- and that is in addition to her personal character traits revealed here:  great love and mercy, persistence, and humility.  These are the qualities, the text seems to  hint to us, that Christ is looking for in His ministry -- but perhaps more particularly in those who will come to Him from the Gentiles.  We see similar qualities displayed by other Gentiles in the Gospels, perhaps notably in the centurion of Capernaum (see this earlier reading from Matthew).  The story seems to hint to us that not only are Gentiles capable of receiving Christ as Messiah, but they will also become "people of God," that is, those who accept Jewish spiritual history and also may embody the best qualities of the faithful.    Here, in some sense, is the story of the ministry that will go out to all the world:  none will be left out, but of those who will be His followers much is demanded.  Christ asks us all for more:  our faith may be tested, and we will need to have the qualities of this woman -- not only having an understanding of our faith and the tradition into which Christ is born incarnate and has come as Messiah, but also to draw out of us persistence, mercy, humility, tenacity, and love.  That deep desire for what He offers must be present.  His Church is to be born into the world not to suggest that we will all have an easy time of it, but rather to call us to something better, deeper, richer, and more powerful.  That is, something that asks much of us and calls us to the capacities a truly loving parent wishes to see fulfilled in their children.  And that is the faith we know, the preaching we hear from Jesus, the way we are called.  He asks of us to be all that we can be, the image and likeness He knows we carry within us.  The grace He gives is that grace that we need to follow through on this journey and realize His promise.  Do you hear that call?

Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed.  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

In Saturday's reading, we read about an incident which occurred in Capernaum, Jesus' "headquarters" for His ministry.  While He was speaking to Pharisees and disciples of John the Baptist (see They put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved), behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.  And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.  For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."  But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well."  And the woman was made well from that hour.  When Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, "Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.  And the report of this went out into all that land.  In today's reading, the lectionary skips forward several chapters in Matthew, and we find ourselves in chapter 15.

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Of today's entire reading, my study bible notes that this is a story of ministry to a Gentile woman (Tyre and Sidon were Gentile towns on the coast north of Israel and Galilee).  It claims that today's passage is an illustration of the Jewish orientation of Matthew's gospel.  "This account is also mentioned in Mark 7:24-30, but with two major differences:  (1)  Matthew records Christ's words concerning the lost sheep of the house of Israel (v. 24), while Mark does not, and (2) Matthew records the woman using the title Son of David, a Jewish term for the Messiah, while Mark does not.  Christ went to the Gentile cities not to preach, but to withdraw from the faithless Pharisees.  This is confirmed in Mark's gospel, where we read that Christ 'wanted no one to know' He was there, and here, where Christ says that He was only sent to the house of Israel."  It seems to me that the fact that this reading follows yesterdays (from chapter 10) significantly teaches us about Jesus' treatment of outsiders; and moreover both of these outsiders (the woman made unclean by her bloodflow in Saturday's reading and this Canaanite woman who is a Gentile) are women and are healed through their own persistence in worship and faith.  It is through faith that their audacity to pursue Jesus comes, for different reasons and in different forms.

  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  My study bible notes here that "this woman shows immeasurable love -- she so identifies with the sufferings of her daughter that she cries "Have mercy on me," for she sees her daughter's well-being as her own and her daughter's sufferings as her own."  Here then, is another example of the things of the Kingdom:  the capacity for love and mercy.

But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  A note here tells us:  "Christ refuses to answer, not only because she is a Gentile and His ministry before His Passion is first to the Jews, but also to reveal this woman's profound faith and love.  Several of the Fathers see the disciples' request to send her away as an attempt to persuade Jesus to heal the daughter, as if to say, 'Give her what she wants so that she will leave.'  Christ's response indicates this interpretation is correct, for He again refuses to heal the daughter."

But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  A note says, "Having evoked this woman's love and persistent faith, Christ now reveals her humility.  She accepts her place beneath the Jews, who were the chosen people of God, yet still desires a share in God's grace.  Christ's hesitancy was not a lack of compassion, but a conscious means of revealing the virtues of this woman, both to the disciples and for her own sake.  Her ultimate acceptance by Christ also points to the gathering of the Gentiles into the Church after Pentecost, no longer as dogs, but as children who are invited to eat the bread of eternal life." 

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, the day we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the tongues of fire that appeared above each disciple, as they were all gathered in one place.  In the description of this event in Acts of the Apostles (2:1-31), we're told about a "multitude" of devout Jews, from "every nation under heaven," who were living in Jerusalem at this time.  When they heard the sound of the mighty wind that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit, they came together, and were confused, "because every one heard them speak in their own language."  In today's reading, we begin with something that is possibly a kind of detail, but rather significant.  The illness for which this woman of Canaan comes to Jesus is demon possession.  Not only that, but we note that she tells Him that her daughter is "severely demon-possessed" (my emphasis).  In other words, this is clearly a spiritual problem, and the woman comes to Him as someone she knows can deal with it powerfully.  I think that the emphasis on this spiritual battle going on behind the scenes of this world, in the spiritual realm in which Jesus is clearly an immensely powerful force (see the reading of the Gergesene Demoniacs), gives us a certain perspective on these people who are in some way outsiders, like the woman with the bloodflow in Saturday's reading (making her, effectively, unclean and not considered fit for full participation in community) and also today's reading about the Canaanite woman.  When our focus is on this spiritual reality, in which we are somehow important agents, the site of some sort of battleground for forces we can't completely understand, then we come to see the absolute need for the whole of humanity to participate in this awareness of Christ, His message, His love, His help, and His power.  It is this truly profound perspective that makes us aware of just what we enter into when we fully seek to participate in the spiritual life, and how it creates unity among us.  On this Monday of Pentecost, we should think about this focus, and what the truly universal meaning and reality of the Holy Spirit offers to us, how it creates a picture of unity among mankind, where everyone is enlisted for this battle -- whether we know it or not.  Let us think of the profound ways the Holy Spirit can dwell in each one of us, the immense ways in which He is at work (for the Spirit is a Person of the Trinity), in each one of our lives, no matter where we are or what language we speak and understand.  This is the great challenge of the Church, to understand itself as a place of the dwelling of the Spirit, and to understand the Spirit's role in the whole of the Church as the unifier of all the parts of the Body of Christ as well as the One who gives us ultimate unity in endlessly creative diversity.  We are all a part of this battle beyond our conception and understanding; and yet, somehow, God loves us so that we are placed at the very center of importance of it all through the tremendous gift we're given.  In that unity, we each have our role to play, or not.  What connects us to the Source of the choice we're offered is our faith in that love.

Even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table

 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

Yesterday, we read that the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 'then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "  When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulterers, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is severely demon-possessed."  But He answered her not a word.  And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."  But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."   Of today's entire reading, my study bible points out that  "this story, of a humble Gentile woman who is tested and then praised by Jesus for her faith, is mentioned also in Mark 7:24-30 but with two major differences:  (1) Matthew says the lost sheep of the house of Israel, while mark says only, 'Let the children be filled first.'  (2)  In Matthew the woman is recorded as shouting, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.  The Jewish orientation of Matthew's version accounts for his concern to show Jesus as the Son of David, endowed with divine majesty even in  His humanity."  It adds that Jesus' answer to her shouldn't be construed as an insult.  Rather it's a way to reveal "the treasure of the woman's faith.  In her can be envisioned the future Gentile Church, the true Israel, coming to Christ."

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"  But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."  Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith!  Let it be to you as you desire."  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.  My study bible tells us that the faith and humility of this woman are shown in that Jesus' hesitancy was not enough to discourage her; and  in her answer she goes with His metaphor - making herself analogous to the little dogs, calling the Jews master.

Frequently in Scripture we come to a place where we understand that what God desires from us is dialogue, relationship, communication.  Prayer is nothing less than this, a way that we communicate with God -- a dialogue that must be seen properly as a two-way communication.  Often, not everything in life goes the way we want it to!  We may need, ourselves, to learn what humility is in a proper way and not get inflated with our own ideas about ourselves and our perfection.  But what we find through prayer will be a kind of love that gives us truth -- with love, correction from a loving parent.  In today's story, this woman has the right idea, but Jesus is quick to tell her that His faith is from the Jewish tradition, that He has been sent first to the Jewish people and speaks out of that tradition.  It is her faith and her engagement with Him that creates the powerful opening of the new way that will characterize the Church.  In yesterday's reading, we read how the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem criticized Jesus' disciples, and how Jesus' teaching was one that went beyond form and into the matters of the heart.  Here, the woman's feisty retort -- but one that maintains the respect due to His words and His teaching -- tells us what is in her heart.  She's not merely looking for a way to get Him to do what she wants.  She acknowledges His teaching, calling herself a "little dog" or a puppy, one that pesters the children under the table for the crumbs that may come to it.  If we look at this image carefully, it is one that tells us of Christ's love and inclusion.  He has been sent first to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" -- and yet the compassion of Christ extends to the "little dogs" under the table, the ones who bark and plead and beg.  She has shown by her persistence, and her humility, that she truly desires what He offers.  She worshiped Him, we're told.  Her faith is strong enough so that whatever He tells her, she is not put off.  It's a true desire in her heart.  The real opening to Jesus is in that true faith spoken in her words, her desire to engage, to have dialogue with Him.  Life may not offer us everything we want.  God may not give us the greatest place at any particular table, but if we speak from the heart God's love responds to include each one of us.  Our boundaries and barriers may shift and change with time, Christ's Church has gone everywhere and to everyone, but we still need to remember this story.  Whatever our nominal "group" -- whatever we may find correct in one place and another -- let us remember the earnest sincerity of this woman and her humility before Christ, and how she is included in the bread He offers, even the crumbs under the table that feed the little dogs.  We look back to the feeding of the five thousand in our recent reading, and remember the twelve baskets that remained, one for each disciple to take to the world.  Let us never lose sight of who is included in this gift, the power of sincere heart and faith, and dialogue with God.

I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy of me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

On Saturday, we read of a confrontation between Jesus and some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. They asked Jesus why His disciples do not wash ceremonially before eating, a tradition of the elders. But Jesus told them that they used the traditions of men (developed through commentary on Scripture) over the commandments of God. As an example, He cited the capacity to dedicate property to the temple, and thereby keep it from needy elderly parents. He told them, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " Later, He taught the crowds: "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Afterward, His disciples told Him: "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Peter said, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy of me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." Throughout the Old Testament, the people of Israel are in a kind of conflict with the surrounding peoples, and especially the differing types of religion and religious practice. Jesus is now in Gentile territory on the coastline. First of all, we need to understand also that it wasn't customary for a woman to approach a Jewish man directly, let alone a Gentile woman. But Matthew is careful to add "Son of David" to the title she gives Jesus; she clearly recognizes a kingly lineage. The message is clear: she desperately wants to save her daughter, and is willing to give Christ the correct dignity that is appropriate to Him; she recognizes something true about Him although she is a Gentile. "Lord have mercy!" is the cry of the world, the refrain continually heard in all churches.

But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." At first, Jesus will not speak to her, a response which perhaps customarily would be expected. The disciples then complain to Him. Here, Matthew, writing for a Jewish audience, has Jesus' reply very clearly that first He was sent to the Jews, or more particularly the "lost sheep of the house of Israel." As kingly inheritor of the title "Son of David," this makes great sense. But my study bible says that this should not be seen as an insult to the woman, rather it is "a way to reveal the treasure of the woman's faith. In her can be envisioned the future Gentile Church, the true Israel, coming to Christ." Again, as we've seen in recent readings, Jesus' rather "salty" human character; He's quick with a retort, sometimes sharp with His disciples, chiding, full of humor and much irony! This is a Savior who is down to earth with us. So, it would not be out of character for Jesus to be prodding her, engaging her with this remark, even testing her response and prompting faith.

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." This sounds like a terrible insult! To put it into context, the "little dogs" would be house dogs, puppies. Generally speaking, in the Middle East to this day, dogs are mostly working animals for outside, and not pets. But this "little dog" would be one under the table, underfoot in the household, while still a puppy. Yet, there is more to it. In a general way of referencing, even in Scriptural language, outsiders may be referred to as dogs. As He indirectly references her as a little pup inside the house, she's nominally an outsider but one in the home, who is crying for the food on offer to the children, and being raised up under the same roof of the children. In keeping with the Old Testament Scriptures, one perhaps not traditionally seen as an equal to the children, but one nevertheless who is in the same region.

And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Her great desire, and her own "salty" or witty retort, creates a great movement of the heart in Jesus. Her faith is great - and this cements the request, and His response.

Let us understand the importance of dialogue in faith. In the Greek, "dialogue" can be another word for prayer. In the context of the Old Testament Scriptures, Jacob wrestling with the angel, struggling for a blessing, is a positive image, one of struggle with God. Above all, God wants our engagement. In some sense, the great battle for faith that may go on within us, even in the best sense possible of faithfulness, is one of struggle with God. As children, even like the "little dogs," there are so many things that are beyond us, above our heads, and so alien to us -- different from our worldly nature. In this lies our struggle with God, not only to understand God but even to feel understood and especially to come to a reconciliation and growth. In an encounter with God there are the heavenly energies of grace, and they may contain for us new ways to know ourselves, to understand ourselves, things with which we have to reconcile, which may ask repentance and change of mind. Here, her continual response to Christ is to seek to engage, to struggle in faith with Him -- and we can see a parallel to our own lives. When prayers are not answered, there may be something more God is asking from us, to seek within, and dig even deeper for a response, to come to terms with our own true desires. I have experienced this many times, surprising myself with the depth of faith I didn't realize was there. But, let's not lose sight of our reading, the Gentile church begins here, with a woman who recognizes who the children are, calling Christ the Son of David. My study bible says that she truly shows faith and humility through her persistence and failure to be discouraged, and also her respect for the Jews, the people of Israel. In her is contained a New Covenant, in the relationship with Christ. Don't be discouraged by a struggle of faith; there may be things to accept that seem alien to us, even discouraging. But Christ is there, awaiting the struggle, embracing our faith, calling for us to come to Him and to understand. His healing energies will also teach us who we are in His sight. Sometimes we go through adversity and even injustice to prepare us for this faith, as will the earliest Apostles. We just can't say in what form that will come to us.

Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

Yesterday, we read about the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, who criticized Jesus because His disciples did not practice the ritual purity of washing their hands. Jesus countered with an accusation of His own, that their traditions actually prevented the Law of Moses from being carried out -- and He gave the example of property that was dedicated to the temple, and therefore could not be used by dependent relatives, such as a father and mother. He said, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." His disciples told Him the Pharisees were offended at what He said. Jesus replied, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Later, He explained His earlier saying to the disciples, that whatever goes into the mouth is eliminated, but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and they defile a man -- "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Today, Jesus is in Gentile territory.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. To think about Canaan and its character in the Old Testament, we have to understand that this was a land promised by God to Israel. But it was never fulfilled fully and permanently -- its population lived side-by-side with Jews, but was considered to be a kind of enemy territory, distinguished theologically from the Israelites. In Genesis, we may read of the curse of her ancestor Canaan, in which his descendants are to be "slaves of slaves." So here, we have this woman of this "inferior" people coming to Christ and calling Him "Son of David," and "Lord." She is calling for mercy. She accords Him royal Jewish lineage even in His humanity, and shows great humility in calling Him Lord.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Not only is she a Canaanite, but to approach the men publicly is not customary in any case. My study bible says that Matthew's Gospel is written primarily with a Jewish orientation, hence the great pains to make this distinction. We must also understand the historical theological distinction between these peoples, and the context of the Old Testament scriptures.

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." This is Jesus' third refusal of the woman: first He doesn't answer her, next He tells her He's sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Here, she even worships Him! But He tells her what sounds like a great insult -- and we have to keep in mind the historical context. This text is illustrative of just that. But Jesus' refusal is seen as a kind of prompting or goading, and she replies.

And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Her persistence and faith in Christ proceeds even out of every refusal. She doesn't respond in kind, but rather in humility and directness -- with persistence in her faith in Him for what she wants and needs. In a sense, we can read the fulfillment of the Israelite promise of Canaan into this encounter: Jesus' Church will become also a Gentile Church; in Christian context, the true Israel. She also is one of the people of God. The Gospel has already taught us that Jesus is the knower-of-hearts; here, we must presume His goading was prompting her great expression of faith.

For modern ears, this story may seem distasteful and harsh. We don't like to think of Jesus saying such things to anyone, let alone a woman whose daughter needs healing. But the Gospel writer is trying to make a very distinguishing point: that the Gentile church -- even believers who are Canaanites -- is incorporated into the people of God, the new Israel. It is a clear illustration that in faith in Christ, there are no boundaries. It is also an illustration of His authority and majesty: in Him, all is reconciled. Canaan may once again be a part of Israel. We note that this text illustrates that it does not overturn the Scriptures nor the Old Testament past: her humility and her addressing of Jesus as Son of David teach us that. But something new and great has come, and with great authority to reconcile, and that is in the person of Christ. So let us consider this text as an extraordinary declaration of inclusion and fulfillment, a promise of New Covenant. Even those whom we may consider our inferiors, our enemies, may be included in this faith. Everyone is included. He is here for all of those with faith and understanding. He transcends all barriers and boundaries, and in Him is all authority. And His relationship is with everyone who comes to Him in true and steadfast faith, and in humility. May we all be blessed with her kind of faith and persistence. Thanks to this Evangelist, she becomes an example for us all, among the first fruits of the Gentiles. There are going to be times when any one of us may be tried in our sense of worthiness, and our need for our own humility. We may be tested in cultural differences, no matter how subtle. Let us recall for ourselves her great courage and dignity. Let us remember her tremendous faith!