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In Sunday’s Gospel, 16 August 2020, Jesus is seen on one of his few visits outside Jewish territory. The cities of Tyre and Sidon are on the Mediterranean coast in what is today Lebanon and dominated by Gentiles, those that were not of the Jewish faith.

Why did Jesus go to these cities on the Mediterranean coast? Perhaps it was to provide some privacy from the crowds which pressed on him everywhere he went. Even within these cities, Jesus was already too well known to escape notice. His fame had spread to places not of the Jewish faith since a Canaanite woman suddenly appears and solemnly begs Jesus to exorcise the demon that possess and torments her daughter.

Jesus first answers her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  The Canaanite woman knelt beside Jesus and said, “Lord, help me”! Jesus’ answer seems somewhat strange and out of character for him – “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

We must note several things here.

The children Jesus refers to are the Jewish people and indicates the claim of only the Jews to his ministry.  Was Jesus’ mission only to his own people or was it because people without faith, perhaps this Canaanite woman, only saw Jesus as a wonder worker?  

Jews also avoided dogs as unclean animals due to eating all kinds of things indiscriminately. The Gentile women would be avoided for being spiritually unclean since she worshiped pagan gods.  As such, the name ‘dogs’ was sometimes applied by Jews to Gentiles for the same reason.

Jesus’ words suggest an image where the children of the family, the Jews, are fed first and then the leftovers are given to the dogs, the Gentiles, under the table.

We can then sense the tone in which Jesus spoke with her as indicated by the reply of the woman.  It is done in a mood of friendly banter with the women’s response – “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs (the Gentiles), eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table”. With that, the Canaanite woman implies that they eat the scraps, the words of Jesus falling not only upon the Jews’ but also the Gentiles alike. The Canaanite woman sees Jesus as the Messiah and not just a wonderworker.

Her powerful faith is immediately rewarded, and her daughter is healed.

As with the Canaanite woman, a Gentile, kneeling before Jesus, “Lord, help me!”, we know that Jesus excludes absolutely no one from his mercy and healing power.   Her persistence serves as an example for all of us how we must pray even if our prayers do not seem to be answered immediately or to be followed by more suffering. 

We know that Jesus is just not a wonder worker that we can turn to in time of peril and need.  He is Our Savior, who we pray to in good times, bad times, times of weakness and times of thanksgiving!

Let us pray that this woman’s faith serves as a model for all of us.  

Blessings – Dcn Jim