O Woman Great is Your Faith

A few weeks back, the Sunday reading proclaimed the scandalous and somewhat confusing story of Jesus healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter. For the sake of context, I’ll just include it here:

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him 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.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Matthew 15:21-28

I think you see what I mean when I say scandalous and confusing. Every time I would hear this Gospel I had many questions but they all centered around this, “Why would Jesus say these things to this woman? Why would he say something so mean?” I have heard the responses, “He was testing her.” and “He was making an example out of her for the disciples.” None of these made complete sense to me. Why would Jesus say really horrible things just to teach other people?

While reflecting I saw an angle that I hadn’t seen before. What if Jesus was repeating the lies that she had been told and had believed herself? What if He was only speaking the things that she had been believing and carrying around for years. “You are a dog, you are not worthy to ask anything of the Lord, you are not the one that the Lord has come to save.” His statements to her, instead of being made at her expense, were made with a deep knowledge of this woman.

I mean imagine for a moment, she is convinced that her daughter was tormented by demons (daily parenting is hard enough, but demons?!) She hears about Jesus, a healer and teacher, and knows He is the literal answer to her prayers. Issue is she has only heard these things, she does not know Jesus. He could be exactly like the rest of the Israelite teachers but her daughter needs to be healed and that is worth the risk. So she works up her courage and starts rebuffing all the lies interiorly while she searches Him out. Then when she finally sees Him, and gets His attention He speaks allowed those things that she had just been thinking. All of those things that she had been told about herself, about her people, all of those lies that have kept her from asking anything for herself. And instead of wilting and succumbing to the lies, in the presence of Jesus that mustard seed of faith grows into a flaming bush and she speaks this new Truth that has been planted in her heart.

In this interaction, Jesus gives her the place to speak the Truth that He had written in her from the beginning. He isn’t making an example of her, he is healing her first. He could have healed her daughter and let her go but instead He gives her back her dignity and her identity. He confirms within her the knowledge that she is not a dog; she is a woman and mother. He demonstrates that she is worthy to ask a miracle from God and the Lord has come to save her.

Can you imagine looking into Jesus’ face, the face of the one who has give you life, and Him speaking in His own voice those lies that you have believed about yourself for years?

I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t hurt, it just makes me realize how much time I have been wasting listening to the wrong things.

Oh Lord, I want to be this woman! I want to have her humility and faith. Help me to bring all the lies to you and ask for big miracles for Maggie, for our family, for our community and the world.