Gospel & Reflection
Gospel & Reflection for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Matthew 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 Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ 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 Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food 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 the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.
Reflection
Friends, history is full of many wonderful examples of people’s quick wit and repartee. While Mark Twain once said that: “Repartee is something we think of twenty-fours hours too late”, still, from the ancient world to modern times, record has been made of peoples not being so slow in wonderful retort.
One of my favorites relates to George Bernard Shaw who once telegrammed Sir Winston Churchill, inviting him to his latest play. He wrote: ‘Am reserving two tickets for you for my premiere. Come and bring a friend – if you have one.’ Churchill telegrammed back: ‘Impossible to be present for the first performance. Will attend the second – if there is one.’ Even Popes have been known for their quick humour. Once asked by a journalist, “How many people work in the Vatican?”, Pope John XXIII pondered the question, giving the impression that he was trying to come up with an accurate estimate. Then, with a straight face, he answered: “About half.”
Well, in our Gospel this weekend, there is an exchange of wits between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. She is begging for help and Jesus seems to dismiss her initially. Yet, she retorts back very quickly and ably. Jesus appreciates her matching of wits and grants her request for healing.
This moment marks a huge turning point in the understanding of God and His relationship with people, and was remembered clearly by the early Church. The Jewish people believed themselves as God chosen people because they were told so. They saw themselves as the people whom God loved the most. They believed too that when the Messiah would come, whom their God would send, He would only be sent to them, excluding everyone else. However, in sending Christ as the Messiah, God was saying something else entirely. Not just the people of Israel, but all people are God’s people, and Jesus was sent for the salvation of everyone, not just a few.
The Canaanite woman, living in foreign and pagan territory, represents this branching out, and acceptance of God’s love and message beyond one people, one nation, one faith. In their quick-fire exchange, notice how dogs are mentioned by both Jesus and the woman. But what we term as ‘dog’, in the Greek translation of the Bible, means ‘puppy’ or ‘pet’. So, the Canaanite woman was pointing out that as pets are not outsiders but insiders; as they not only belong to a family, but are part of the family and while not having a seat at the table, they do enjoy an intimacy at the feet of the family, so too should this be the case for all people who call upon God in their need, not just the people of the house of Israel.
All are insiders, all are part of God’s family, and all are invited to an intimacy with Him. In her comeback, the Canaanite woman expressed well her understanding of the universality of God, His invitation to and inclusion of all people, and she called on Jesus to make it a reality.
Our Gospel this weekend challenges us all to a universality of inclusion. Society has changed much in recent years and the migration of peoples has been one of the main reasons for that change. Migration has brought challenges no doubt, and while some objections to recent arrivals of immigrants to our own country and communities are nothing more than disguised racism and fear, often, there is genuine welcome and concern for the common good and care of everyone.
This welcome and concern should be the hallmark of our faith.
The Prophet Isaiah reminds us: ‘Have a care for justice, act with integrity’. Our integrity must be for all people, the familiar and unfamiliar. When we do, we are not acting only on the Word of God but following the example of Christ. Friends, now more than ever, society needs that example of people living with welcome, concern and harmony because as the Canaanite woman reminds us, we are all loved and cherished by God, and we are all sisters and brothers of one family under God.
Fr. Richard
