An interesting event takes place in today’s gospel. As Jesus says in the beginning he did not want to heal the daughter of a Canaanite woman. As reason Jesus said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” But the woman starts a discussion on it. After a discussion and a humble request of the woman Jesus did heal the sick.
The incident should have been presented to show the existing discrimination between Jewish Christians and the pagan Christians in the context of the superiority feeling of the Jewish Christians. There is no question of superiority or inferiority. The message is that the kingdom of God is open to all.
It is interesting to recognise that the woman addressed Jesus as Son of David. That shows that the non Jewish Christians had no difficulty to recognise the Jewish origin of the saviour Jesus Christ and the Jewish origin of Christianity. But the Jewish Christians had the tendency to possess Jesus for themselves. This tendency had to be overcome.
According to the narration in the gospels Jesus changed his position after the discussion with this woman. That can be a model for the disciples of Jesus too. To be open for dialogue and discussion and to be ready even to change one’s opinion and position is the ideal character of a person.
The historical context of the community of Mathew had a role in this way of narrating this Incident. The Jewish Christians were of the opinion that the non Jews had to become first Jews in oder to become Christians. This had caused many discussions and difference of opinion.
The result of the discussion namely the change in the position of Jesus was the result of the discussion among the early Christians namely no one had to become Jew in order to be eligible to become Christians. This decision opened Christianity to every one who was searching the truth and had contributed to idea of the universality of Christ and Christian mission.
A spiritual interpretation is also apt. Faith and trust in God and unceasing intervention through prayer like the humble request of the Canaanite woman would give us positive results in building up good relationship with God and human. God will hear our prayer if we trust in Him. Continuous prayer will be heard. Let us come to the Lord with our intentions like the Canaanite woman and beseech the Lord to hear our prayer.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS