Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish

FR MICHAEL BOAKYE YEBOAH

CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF KUMASI, GHANA.

TENACITY OF FAITH

Why is that for some people when they received something from Jesus, he will send them away and tell them not to mention the miracle to anyone; but for a few people, Jesus praised them for their tenacity of faith. In other words, for some people, it was Jesus who publicized their encounter with him and made the whole world notice them and celebrate them.

The few people who found themselves in this inner circle of faith heroes were the Roman centurion, Jairus (Matthew 8:5-13), the woman who suffered from hemorrhage (Mark 5:25-34), and the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend through the roof of a building for healing (Luke 5:17-26). The fourth person is the Canaanite woman that the inspired writer wrote about in today’s gospel passage. Among these exceptionally gifted faith people, Jairus definitely comes first because Jesus himself declared to the crowd: “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matthew 8:10). Jairus’ faith has since earned him a place in the Liturgy of the Eucharist when everyday billions of people repeat his words before receiving Holy Communion – “Lord I am worthy for you to enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Jairus may be the best but the Canaanite woman is also up there among the best and I would like us to take a look at why her faith should be considered unique and exceptional. Her faith was put to the test and she came out with flying colors. Jairus did not encounter the type of obstacles that the Canaanite woman encountered. If there is any accolade beyond Summa cum Laude, it should be given to her. Now, let us reflect on the qualities of the Canaanite woman.

First, in the Old Testament literature, the people of Israel were the selected people of God and every other group were deemed outsiders. The “We” and “They” groupings dominates the Old Testament literature. At times we read with horror how God treated other people just to prove his love for the people of Israel. You can remember how the Egyptians were killed in the Red Sea for God to prove his protection of the house of Israel. In another instance, a whole city was destroyed to make room for the house of Israel when at the sound of trumpets the walls of Jericho came down. In the Old Testament, every group was an outsider, it was only the Jews who were deemed the “selected.” So, if the text in Matthew 15:21-28 had been found in the Old Testament, one could have been comfortable with it but not in the New Testament.

The language in the New Testament is a ‘Universal Call” to salvation. The genre employed in the New Testament is more of inclusivity. It is therefore surprising that Jesus told the woman that: “He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The first time I read this selective statement from the Gospel of Matthew, I thought that the inspired writer wrote in error. I said to myself, "how can the Son of God be working against the main aim of his Father." John tells us that “…for God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to die for us…” If Jesus is for all, why was he denying the Canaanite woman assistance? But today I discern in that statement, a test of faith. Probably Jesus made that “selective statement” to test the faith of the Canaanite woman. If it was a test then the woman was up to the task. She was not discouraged by the statement of Jesus, but pressed on to get what she came for. If a person passed such a test, you shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus gave her such high praise. The Canaanite woman deserves every word of praise Jesus gave her that day.

The second quality was her display of the virtue of motherhood. Mothers are always meant to go the extra mile to provide quality care for their children especially when they are sick. When the Canaanite woman was confronted with seeking healing for her sick daughter, she was ready to do anything to get help from Jesus. She came across various obstacles but they did not discourage her. Her first obstacle was the unfriendly attitude of the disciples of Jesus. We are told that when the woman placed her request to Jesus, Jesus did not answer her and his disciples said to him: “…send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” To add salt to injury, Jesus told the woman that she cannot be helped because he cannot give the food for his children to dogs. Jesus’ statement can be deemed extremely harsh but the Canaanite woman was not discouraged but rather pressed on seeking help for her sick daughter. The reply the woman gave to Jesus when her and her race were referred to as dogs, may have frozen Jesus. The woman said: “…even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” The woman was not asking for the “whole loaf of bread.” To her the pieces were enough. When a person demonstrates such a great faith, Jesus was left without any option than to praise the woman for her faith.

Thirdly, I would like to praise the Canaanite woman for her politeness. Though she was treated harshly, she responded with politeness and initiated all her statements with “Please…” One thing we should always note is that two wrongs do not make a right. An eye for an eye should not be part of a Christian’s life.

Last but not the least was her high level of faith in Jesus. We need to learn from this woman. Please do not give up in life easily because persistence at times is the key. OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAY FOR US.