The incident that is recorded in this Sunday’s Gospel is one of those stories which makes us feel uncomfortable simply because we cannot imagine a Jesus who makes such disparaging remarks. We are used to a Jesus who shows compassion, a man who reaches out to all persons. Withholding the gift of healing from a woman who is desperate to save her daughter simply doesn’t fit into our notion of who Jesus was. As a result, many commentaries attempt to “sanitize” this episode by trying to explain away Jesus’ reaction to the woman. These attempts range from saying that Jesus must have been tired when the woman approached him to an attempt to shift the blame upon her because she, an annoying woman and a Gentile to boot, should not have been speaking to a Jewish man in public.
These explanations simply ignore the fact that we cannot judge Jesus’ words by applying our cultural standards to the episode. They also ignore some of the details that St. Matthew very cleverly inserts into the narrative.
First of all, St. Matthew records that Jesus has crossed over into her territory and has, therefore, opened himself up to the approach of this woman. Secondly, St. Matthew records that she addresses him with titles that are respectful and indicate a certain level of faith. Thirdly, St. Matthew indicates that it is the apostles who are disturbed by the woman and who ask Jesus to dismiss her. St. Matthew also changes the story somewhat from the narrative that appears in the Gospel of St. Mark by identifying the woman as Canaanite rather than Syro-Phoenician.
Each of these details colors the story and makes it clear that St. Matthew’s purpose in telling this story is aimed at the community for which he writes - the Jerusalem community of Jewish-Christian converts. Not only were they Gentiles, they were ancient enemies of Judaism. The notion of including them in the Christian community would have been a difficult change in their native mind set. Through the dialogue that Jesus has with this woman, a dialogue which makes us uncomfortable but which would have been very acceptable for these people, St. Matthew demonstrates the faith of the woman. Jesus’ response to the woman, “Woman, great is your faith,” immediately changes the focus of the story from that of a healing miracle to a story about being saved through faith, a very familiar theme throughout the Christian Scriptures. The story also bolsters the mandate to go and make disciples of all nations.
Coming as it does during a period of our own history which is oftentimes defined by our differences rather than our similarities, the story also asks us broaden our own boundaries with a willingness to cross over into the territory of other cultures, understanding that Jesus has walked this path before us and has affirmed the faith of all believers.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator