Matthew 15:21-28, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Gospel reading today gives rise tot a fundamental question regarding the mission of Jesus. To whom was Jesus proclaiming the Good News? If we paid attention to the Gospel, the asnwer seems straightforward. Jesus understood his mission as being exclusively to the Jews, “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. However, if we take it from the wider context of the whole Gospel of Matthew, this is the only account where Jesus initially and quite vehemently refuses a request for healing. In another passage, he readily accedes to the request of the centurion. Why, then, is he refusing the Canaanite woman of her request? Let us look more closely.

The Canaanite woman calls out to Jesus the first time and Jesus does not answer her directly. His disciples urge him to “send her away” and his response is “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” If we listen to that, it seems to be a definitive refusal to deal with the woman. Jesus asserts his concern and attention towards his fellow Jews first and foremost. Matthew’s mission theology shows the historical dimension of Jesus’ mission.

The Canaanite woman, however, steps forward, kneels before Jesus, and begs for his help. Jesus stands firm and tells her, “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”. Again, from Jesus’ perspective, this strong wording reaffirms his intention to first see to the needs of the Jews.

If I were in the place of the Canaanite woman, I would have been taken aback to be equated with dogs. I wonder if I would have persisted or if I would just have walked away. How about you? Ask yourselves. If you were in her position and asked for help from someone and that person looked down on you in a most condescending way and said “no”, what would you have done? But the Canaanite woman is quite desperate so she pushes on. She lowers herself and enters into the metaphor. She tells Jesus – yes, we may be dogs but even as dogs, we still benefit from the scraps that drop from the master’s table. Jesus is moved by this and tells her “woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”

This reading impresses on us how Matthew highllighted the preeminence of the Jews in Jesus’ mission and yet, it also affirms that Jesus was not closed to ministering to the Gentiles. The post-resurrection burst of mission activities to the Gentiles shows how this was all part of God’s plan.

We are also invited today to reflect on the Canaanite woman. She is, after all, an outsider to Jesus’ circle. The disciples wanted her sent away. Jesus himself was quite harsh in his initial statements. However, we can learn from her posture and attitude towards Jesus – and attitude towards God. She calls out to him saying, “have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.” The second time, she kneels and says, “Lord, help me!” The third time, she begs, “please, Lord.” The woman is in a desperate position and she has no one else to turn to. She also recognizes who Jesus is and humbly lowers herself before him.

Brothers and sisters, we live in a world today where identity and self-worth are dicated by social status. Thus, certain values are reinforced. I am “so and so” and therefore, I am entitled to “such and such”. Yes, entitlement is so prevalent and we fall into this trap in varying degrees. Jesus’ encounter with Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel remind us of this and puts us in our place. Before God, we are nothing. This is the kind of posture and attitude we are disposed to everytime we come to mass. At the beginning, we have the penitential rite and what do we say? Like the Canaanite woman, we call out, “Lord, have mercy.” And just before we receive Jesus in communion, we again affirm “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

May the grace that we receive in the Eucharist heal us of our many entitlements. May our encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist remind us that all we have and all that we are emanates from God alone.