Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28
The prophet Isaiah foresees the day when Gentile foreigners will join themselves to the Lord, when they will love the name of the Lord and keep the Sabbath. On that day, they will observe the covenant and worship on God's holy mountain and rejoice in God's house of prayer.
This universal dimension was part of the promise made to Abraham: "by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves" (Genesis 12:3); "by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves" (Genesis 22:18). The kingdom of David had the mission of fulfilling this covenant promise to Abraham and bringing blessing to all the nations of the world. "The liturgy of the Temple is the means by which the children of Abraham are to bestow God's blessings upon the families of the world" (S. Hahn, "Liturgy and Empire", Letter and Spirit 5 (2009), 42).
Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6). However, history shows that they failed in this, falling into idolatry and sin. The nations of Israel and Judah were exiled and sent out and into the nations by God. When Jesus, the Son of David, comes, his mission is first to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel. At the same time, he will gather all men and all nations to himself when he is lifted up.
In this way we understand Jesus response to the Canaanite woman, who addresses him as "Son of David". Through his initial silence and challenging responses, Jesus is able to bring her to profound faith in him. The woman speaks to Jesus three times, each time calling him "Lord". First, she asks for pity and mercy for herself and for her daughter. Second, she asks for help. Third, she tells Jesus that she is content even with what is left-over from his table.
Last week, Jesus called his disciples "men of little faith", this week he calls the Gentile woman a "woman of great faith". Because of her faith and perseverance, she receives mercy and help and her daughter is healed.
In the Acts of the Apostles, we see that the mission to the Gentiles starts on the day of Pentecost. Jesus had given his disciples the great commission on the day of his Ascension: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). But they were also told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to preach the Gospel and work mighty signs among the people.
Paul is the vessel chosen by God to bring the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentiles. He is rightly the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul writes that all have sinned, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews disobeyed the Law given through Moses; the Gentiles disobeyed the natural law given to all men. Those who have disobeyed, can still receive God's mercy. Just as the Canaanite woman and her daughter received mercy, healing and salvation, through persistent prayer and Jesus' power, we too receive mercy, healing and salvation from Jesus Christ. We only have to ask for it.
GOSPEL COMMENTARY MT 15: 21-28
O woman, great is your faith
FR. JACK PETERSON, YA
Jesus expects a great deal from His disciples. It is one reason that He is so attractive to me. He loves us and respects us enough to expect great faith from us. Jesus wants us to be either hot or cold, not lukewarm, otherwise He will spew us out. He expects our faith to be able to move mountains. When Peter only managed to walk a short distance on the Sea of Galilee before he began to sink, Jesus chastised him, “O, ye of little faith!”
The great challenge in today’s Gospel is directed to a Canaanite woman, a Gentile, a religious outsider. Our Lord is uncharacteristically tough with this woman who approaches Him with humility and a heartfelt request: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
Jesus is usually rather receptive of those who come to Him revealing a humble spirit and a real trust in His power to do something for the sick. He usually sees, appreciates and rewards such faith with the forgiveness of sins and a miraculous healing. Not so with this Canaanite woman, at least at the start of this encounter.
In fact, Jesus rebukes this woman three times. First, He ignores her completely and does not respond to her. Then, after the disciples suggest to send her away, Jesus retorts to her that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. She is unfazed by this second rebuke and His reference to the fact that she is a Gentile. So, she begs again for assistance, “Lord, help me.” The Lord comes back with His final rebuke: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She responds again with deep faith, only asking for a morsel, “Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Her faith and her perseverance are remarkable.
This time the Lord praises her strong faith and bestows His healing grace upon her daughter: “O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish.” Jesus offers this complement to few people in the Gospels. He was truly pleased with her trust in Him.
We learn from this woman and her encounter with Jesus that our Lord desires our faith in Him to be real and deep. He is not at all content with faith that is shallow, fickle or unable to endure trials.
Furthermore, we learn that Jesus is not afraid to test our faith. Christian faith is like gold that needs to be purified. Gold becomes precious when it is refined numerous times in fire. In His great wisdom, God knows when to test our faith so as to purify and strengthen it and when to pour out His mercy and life-giving grace. As a loving parent who desires that we be united with Him in faith and love for all eternity, God our Father is the Master of determining what we need and when we need it.
A modern day example of today’s Gospel is found in the life of Saint John Paul II. His profound faith in God was forged in the midst of extreme human suffering from his earliest years. He lost his mother, Emilia, at the tender age of 8, his older brother and only living sibling, Edmund, at the age of 12, and his father, Karol, at the age of 20. On top of losing his family, he had to navigate the cruel occupation of the Germans during World War II and the oppressive weight of communist Russian rule that quickly followed. Out of the remains of such pain and torment rose a man of amazing faith in Christ whose life deeply impacted over a billion Catholics and countless other men and women of good will around the world.
Jesus expects a great deal from His disciples. He loves and respects us enough to expect great faith from us. He never abandons us, but always remains by our side. I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.
Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.