In today’s Gospel a Canaanite woman makes the prayer or plea that we use each week at mass: “Lord, have mercy!” or “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!” This non-Jewish woman comes seeking healing for her daughter: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” What is surprising, even shocking, is Jesus’ response. First he says nothing and then he says to his disciples: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Since Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, he also needs to discern the will of his heavenly Father. He first human impulse is to restrict his preaching and healing mission only to his “own” people, his fellow Jews, the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Since Jesus is fully human he is “thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Matthew 16:23). Jesus is challenged by this women’s faith as comes out in her challenging encounter with Jesus:
Jesus: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Woman: “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Jesus: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
Jesus, through this challenging encounter with this Canaanite woman, comes to fully understand his Father’s will: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:18). God’s will and Jesus’ mission is to offer healing and salvation to all people, no one is excluded.
The encounter between this Canaanite woman and Jesus helps us to understand the true meaning of prayer. Prayer should be honest communication with God, even if that means challenging and questioning God as the woman does in today’s Gospel. Prayer ultimately invites us to trust in the love and mercy of God even if we do not get the answer that we want. So, let us pray to God: “Lord, have mercy.”
Image: “Christ Woman Canaan (1617) Pieter” by rijksmuseum is marked with CC0 1.0.