The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
Gospel of Matthew
Upon first reading of this gospel from Matthew, Jesus' reply to this needy Canaanite woman seemed harsh and insensitive. Over the years, I've had trouble with it because Jesus seems to be "out of character" with all the other gospel accounts. When He speaks, it is usually in a gentle non-discriminatory manner. But in this gospel reading, it seems to be different -- but is it?
The scene takes place in Tyre, which is a coastal village north of Israel. The place today is located in Lebanon, fifty miles from Beirut. In Jesus' day, this would be considered foreign territory, principally occupied by those who fell outside of Jewish culture. The fact that Matthew is calling this woman a Canaanite suggests an Old Testament use of the name.
The Jews portrayed Canaanites as a sinful race that embodied all that is wicket and godless. One of the greatest obstacles for the Jewish people entering the promised land came from the Canaanites, the pagans who lived there. They would have to be overcome before the Israelite people could settle peacefully there. So Matthew's choice of referencing this woman as a Canaanite must be viewed in relation to this Old Testament understanding.
The short dialog that pursued in this gospel reading, which seems harsh to us, is really that of "a kind of wit" that was admired in the Near East. This same wit can be frequently found in the wisdom writings of the Old Testament. If has that ability to match riddle for riddle, to cap one wise saying with another. There would be nothing highly unrealistic about this exchange. Jesus would not have been a genuine Palestinian if He had not occasionally engaged in this duel of wit. So the scene is much more of an exchange of pleasant good humor than some solemn theological debate.
One could say that Jesus spoke with a smile rather than with an insult because this woman's immediate response was with wit and faith.
Central to the gospel reading is not the miracle itself, the healing of the woman's daughter, but the solemn praise of her faith, the same theme that is illustrated in Jesus' healing of the Roman centurion's slave.
As well, the gospel story, does not assert that Jesus did not and does not recommend a mission to the Gentiles. It does assert, quite strongly, that Jesus does not refuse faith, wherever it may be found, even with those who the Jews did not see in a favorable light.
Herein lies the teaching for us today who wish to imitate Christ. Holiness requires that we be not to quick to draw distinctions between those who share our culture and religious understanding, and those who don't.
Look deeply into the hearts of those who may not share our religious practice and piety and we may find what Jesus found in this Canaanite woman. She possessed a faith that we all aspire too.
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