What an about face! Six weeks ago we heard Jesus saying in the eleventh chapter of Matthew’s gospel, “Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.” When we are feeling very much alone, this invitation is sweet music to our ears. Others may criticize us, judge us or misunderstand us but Jesus sends the message that we are always welcomed in his midst.
He comes across as one who intimately cares. No wonder, the Canaanite woman came seeking help for her emotionally troubled daughter and yet, at first, Jesus ignored her. The silent treatment makes some sense; after all, the Jews and the Canaanites were enemies. In spite of his snub, the woman persists with her plea, “Help me, Lord!” Now, instead of silence, Jesus puts her down. “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” How could the same Jesus, who once said, “Come to me,” have the shameless audacity to liken this woman to a dog? Whatever his motive may have been, this is not the music I imagine she wanted to hear.
Keep in mind that to Jesus and the disciples she was an outsider who would not be expected to understand his role as Messiah. After all, Jesus was there to bring the good news to the people of Israel. No wonder he ignored her at first. Not that he intended to be exclusive but he could reasonably presume that only the Jews would understand and value his presence as Messiah.
Perhaps the Gentiles couldn’t possibly understand what he had to offer yet she did. Unlike most Jews, she recognized him as the Messiah, calling him, “son of David.” Still, Jesus defends his rebuff, saying, “I wasn’t sent for you; I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the Canaanite woman was not about to be ignored. Persisting in her plea for help, she is quick with a fitting response after Jesus insults her. “Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master’s tables.” To this, Jesus does an about face. “ O Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
To me, the real scandal of this gospel passage is not the language that Jesus used but the faith of this outsider. Her example of great faith leads me to wonder, “What about us? We are privileged to receive the Eucharist, which is offered every time the Mass is celebrated, yet would Jesus pay us the same compliment, “Great is your faith!” He didn’t say that to the disciples. In fact, he at times rebuked them for having little faith.
The Canaanite woman’s behavior is a reminder that our faith isn’t a given to be taken for granted. What we say and do in our own faith struggle with God can really make a difference not just in our lives but in the lives of others as well. When a guest at a wedding I once witnessed observed that fewer people around here go to church as compared to his hometown in Wisconsin, I told him that the Pacific Northwest was regrettably the most unchurched region of the country. His observation left me wondering, “Have the unchurched led many Catholics to become indifferent about their faith and their relationship with God? Has the Eucharist lost its meaning for many Catholics such that they see nothing wrong with missing Mass anymore? Ideally, it should be the other way around, that the persistent faith of the Christian community would be drawing the unchurched to God.
Sixty years ago, Eli Wiesel was one of the fortunate few to walk out of Dachau, a notorious concentration camp. He spent his life speaking of his experiences. Once in Detroit, he spoke on the subject, “After Auschwitz, Can We Still Believe?” Thin and fragile, Wiesel stood at the podium telling one story after another of the horror and despair of Dachau. Finally the stories ceased. His eyes dropped. There was no sound in the auditorium for what seemed like an agonizing eternity. Then he repeated the question, “After Auschwitz, can we still believe?” He shook his head slowly, “No, no,” he said, “But we must!”
Concerning whether or not to have faith, there is no choice. There was none for the Canaanite woman, none for Eli Wiesel, there is none for you and me. The message of this beautiful mother is “Choose to believe anyway!” You may not feel you are allowed to have faith, but have it anyway. You may not feel God loves you, believe that he does anyway. You may not think you are included but include yourself anyway. After all, even the dogs get the scraps that fall from the master’s table.
Isaiah says that a deep joy is to be expected by those who sustain themselves in prayer. They are the ones whom God calls to the holy mountain. This determined, tenacious, and pushy pagan woman saw in Jesus the very thing her daughter so desperately needed. Her persistence ought to embarrass those of us who are baptized but find ourselves too busy to pray.
I imagine she was hurt, yet she refused to be sent away empty-handed. “Woman, you have great faith!” Jesus told her. Could he say the same thing about us?