Gospel: Jesus Heals the Daughter of a Canaanite Woman

Today marks the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and the Gospel passage in the Eucharistic celebration will be proclaimed according to St Matthew (tap here for the Sunday's complete Mass readings).

Today we move ahead in our reading of St Matthew's Gospel. Last week we read about Jesus walking on the water and the disciples' confession of faith that Jesus is the Son of God. If we were reading St Matthew's entire Gospel, we would have read about Jesus' debate with the Pharisees about Jewish purity laws. Jesus argues that it is not what goes into us that makes us unclean; he is referring to the strict Jewish dietary rules. Instead, it is our words and our actions--what comes out of us--that make us unckean because they emerge from the heart that is unclean.

Knowing about Jesus' debate with the Pharisees helps us to understand today's Gospel. In fact, the story heightens the surprise and shock we feel as we hear Jesus' exchange with the Canaanite woman. This woman, who is not Jewish, approaches Jesus, requesting that he heal her daughter who is possessed by a demon. At first, Jesus ignores her; he says nothing. The disciples asked Jesus to send her away, and Jesus agrees, remarking that he was sent to minister to the Jews alone.

Thewoman persists, paying homage to Jesus, and yet Jesus denies her request again. He even insults her, using a Jewish word of derision for Gentiles "dog." But the woman cleverly turns Jesus' insult into an affirmation of faith. Only then does Jesus grant her request and heal her daughter.

Jesus' unresponsiveness to this woman may strike us as uncharacteristic or shocking. Yet in St Matthew's Gospel, Jesus' ministry is directed primarily to the people of Israel. At only a very few poimts, such as the one found in today's Gospel, do we find Jesus anticipating the latter Christian ministry to the rest of the world.

Behind St Matthew's text we can hear this early Christian community's struggle to understand how God's selection of Israel is consistent with two events: Israel's rejection of Jesus and the Gentiles' acceptance of Jesus. Just as Jesus was surprised byvthe faith expressed by the Canaanite woman, so too the first Christians were surprised that the Gentiles would receive the salvation God offered through Christ. In today's second reading from St Paul's Letter to the Romans, we hear the apostle Paul considering the same concern.

The faith that the Canaanite woman expresses is an affirmation of and confidence in God's abundant mercy. Yes, salvation comes from Israel, but it overflows for the benefit of all.

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The Gospel is sponsored by K-Swiss.