20th
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 15:21-28
But
the [Canaanite] 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.”
Often enough, when preaching on
this Gospel, priests and deacons will say something incredibly foolish like, “Jesus
didn’t realize just how persistent this woman could be!” Or, “This Gentile woman
taught Jesus that he wasn’t sent only to the house of Israel, but to all
people.”
It is really quite absurd to
think that Jesus was taught anything by anyone (cf. Summa
Theologica III, q.12, a.3) –
though he did obviously learn through observation, he was never the “disciple”
or “pupil” of another.
How much more absurd it is to
think that our Lord would not know his own mission! That he would be ignorant
of his role as universal mediator of salvation for all peoples! Far be it from
any to say that our Savior did not know that he was sent to save the Gentiles
also. Far be it from any to say that our Savior did not know he was going to
heal this woman’s daughter.
What is perhaps most disappointing
about this all-too-common take on the Gospel passage (according to which Jesus
is taught by the woman) is that it misses the essential thrust of the event: It
is not that our Lord is learning from the woman, rather the good Savior is
teaching her (and us) how to pray.
The
woman is ignored
The woman is twice rejected by
our Lord. Even before that, she had been ignored for some time. As the
Canaanite woman calls out to Jesus, he at first did not say a word in answer to her. Perhaps you have felt this
sometimes – have you ever prayed and prayed, and it seemed as though our Savior
were not listening? Remember, Matthew does not say that the Lord “did not
listen to the woman”, but he only states Jesus
did not say a word in answer to her. In other words, the good Lord does
most certainly hear her prayer (and yours), but he refuses at first to answer.
He is listening, but he delays his response.
The
first rebuff
When the Savior does respond,
it is to rebuff the woman: I was sent
only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It is as though he said to
the woman, “You are a Gentile, but I am sent to the Jews. Depart, therefore,
and do not ask any good thing from me.” It is a strong rebuff indeed! Have you
ever felt that Jesus said this to you in prayer? Does it ever seem that our
Lord will not hear your prayers, because you are a sinner and unworthy of him?
Follow then the example of the Canaanite woman!
The first repulsion does not faze
the woman in the least, but rather she came
and did Jesus homage. It is as though she says, “Lord, I know that I am not
worthy to receive your blessings, for you are God the Almighty and I am a mere
creature (and, what is more, I am a sinner).” Worshiping Christ, she humbles
herself before him – a contrite and humble
heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. So too, must you humble yourself
before your God; for the proud are displeasing to God, but he loves the humble
servant.
The
divine insult – “You are a dog”
And so, in response to the
woman’s great humility and perseverance, the Lord answers her request a second
time: It is not right to take the food of
the children and throw it to the dogs. How good and loving our Savior is!
It is as though he says to the woman, “Good, you are learning humility. But humility
is gained not so much when you humble yourself, as when I humble you through
humiliations. You then, I say, you are a dog!”
This last rebuke is much
stronger than the first. Our Savior calls the woman a “dog” after the manner of
the Jews, who considered the Gentiles “dogs” on account of their idolatry. This
accusation, this name-calling, would prick the woman in a most sensitive place:
Here she is, a Gentile woman among a crowd of Jews; and our Savior humiliates
her with this most demeaning term, one which was in the hearts of all.
Have you felt like this? Does
our Lord give you humiliations to bear? Perhaps it seems that he rejects your
prayers, when he humiliates you so – but remember this Gospel, imitate the
example of this Canaanite “dog”.
Perseverance
in prayer
Hear the commentary of Fr.
Cornelius a’ Lapide, on the Canaanite woman’s response, Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table
of their masters – “She means to say, ‘It is altogether true what Thou
sayest, 0 My Saviour. I acknowledge that I am a worthless dog, and not worthy
that the children’s bread should be given to me, who am a Gentile. Yet the dogs
and the curs (in Greek the word is the same, κυνάρια) are wont to eat the
crumbs of bread which fall from the tables of their master’s children. Nourish
me then as Thy dog. I cannot leave my master’s table. You cannot drive me from
Thee either by rough words or by blows. I will not leave Thee, until thou give
me what I ask. Give me therefore, 0 most merciful Lord, only a crumb, give me
this least favour of my daughter’s health. Let this one crumb fall among us Gentiles,
and I will gather it up.’ She presses Christ prudently, convincingly, and yet
modestly by His own words; and by her humble faith and reasoning conquers Him
willing to be conquered by her prayer, says S. Chrysostom.”
The woman does not reject the
humiliation which Christ has given her. Rather, she knows that, if only she
should embrace this humiliation (being called a “dog”), the good Savior will
allow her also to be filled with his graces. To spurn the Cross is to spurn
grace. But to embrace the Cross is to embrace the grace of Christ.
Jesus
is teaching – Learn from him
Through it all – indeed, before
even the woman began to ask – Jesus was moving her and inspiring her by his
hidden graces. It was our Savior who had allowed the daughter to become ill. It
was our Savior who inspired the woman to come to him and call out. It was our
Savior who allowed the disciples to rebuff her, but he still sustained her with
his grace. It was our Savior who gave her the strength to persevere, even when
rejected. Through it all, the grace of Christ sustained this woman’s prayer –
and thus, because it was all grace, her prayer was answered.
The rebuffs and the
humiliations were needed so that her prayer would be nothing of herself. She
needed to become less and less so that Christ could be more in her. Finally,
when she cries out “I am a dog”, her prayer is clearly no longer from her, but
is only from Christ. This is the mystery of prayer – it is always Christ
praying in us, through his Spirit. We pray, Christ prays, the Spirit prays; and
it is one prayer, which will surely be answered.
The
10 characteristics of perfect prayer
Fr. Cornelius a’ Lapide gives
us the characteristics of Christian prayer: “Contemplate the ideal of perfect
prayer, and imitate it. This woman of Canaan teaches us to pray.
1. With great humility, in that she
acknowledges herself to be a dog.
2. With faith, because she calls Christ the
son of David, i.e., the Messiah, the God and Saviour promised to the Jews.
3. With modesty because she sets before
Christ the right of dogs and her own misery; yet does she not draw from thence
the conclusion that Christ should heal her daughter, but leaves that to Him.
4. With prudence, in that she takes hold of
Christ by His own words, and gently turns His reasoning against Himself, into
an argument for obtaining her desire.
5. With reverence, with religion and devotion,
because she made her supplication on her knees.
6. With resignation in that she did not
say, ‘Heal my daughter,’ but ‘help me,’ in the manner which shall seem to Thee
best.
7. With confidence, because although a
Gentile, she had a firm hope that she would be heard by Christ.
8. With ardour.
9. With charity, in that she made
intercession for her daughter, as if she were anxious for herself, saying, help
me.
10. With constance and perseverance, in that
she persisted when she was twice repulsed and became yet more earnest in
prayer.
“Truly says Chrysologus (Serm.
100.) ‘Deservedly is she adopted as a daughter, and raised to the table, who in
her humility placed herself beneath the table.’ S. Laurence Justinian, the
first Patriarch of Venice imitated this woman, who prayed thus to God when he
was at the point of death. ‘I dare not ask for a seat among the happy spirits,
who behold the Holy Trinity. Nevertheless Thy creature asks for some portion of
the crumbs of Thy most holy table. It shall be more than enough for me, 0 how
much more than enough! if Thou wilt not refuse some little place to this Thy
poor servant beneath the feet of the least of Thine elect.’”
