Theo Tin Mừng thánh Mathêu (14:36), ngay trước khi Chúa Giêsu đến Tyre và Sidon, người dân ở Gennesaret chỉ cần được chạm vào áo choàng của Chúa thì họ đã được chữa lành. Và sau khi Chúa trở về Galilê, Tin Mừng cho chúng ta biết rằng Chúa Giêsu đã chữa lành cho tất cả những ai đến với ngài.
Chúng ta đã quá quen với việc Chúa Giêsu luôn sẵn lòng chữa bệnh, cứu chữa và giải phóng những ai đến vớ Ngài. Vậy, chúng ta đã thấy có điều gì bất ổn trong hình ảnh của bài Tin Mừng hôm nay?
Việc đầu tiên, Chúa Giêsu đã làm ngơ người phụ nữ, Ngài nói rằng ngài chỉ đến tới dân Israel, và sau đó ngài còn thẳng thừng từ chối lời cầu xin của và Ngài thậm chí xúc phạm đến bà coi bà như con chó.
Đôi khi chúng ta cảm thấy phản ứng của Chúa Giêsu đối với người phụ nữ trong bài Tin Mừng hôm nay có lẽ không khác xa gì với những kinh nghiệm mà chính chúng ta cảm nhận được trong đời sống tâm linh và cầu nguyện của chúng ta. Tất cả những lời cầu xin của chúng ta có được Chúa đáp lại ngay khi chúng ta xin Ngài điều gì đó theo như cách chúng ta xin Chúa không? Chẳng phải đôi khi chúng ta cảm thấy hình như Thiên Chúa đáp lại lời cầu xin của chúng ta không đúng như đơn đặt hàng của chúng với Chúa hay theo như ý của chúng ta mà đôi khi chúng ta đã phải gặp nhiều thứ thử thách hơn?
Chúa biết rõ chúng ta hơn chúng ta. Ngài ban cho chúng ta những gì chúng ta cần, chứ không phải nhỡng thứ chúng ta muốn; Có lẽ người phụ nữ trong bài tin mừng hôm nay cần có thái độ khiêm tốn một chút, có thể là bà ta có thành kiến không thích người Do Thái đã làm cản trở đức tin của ba lúc ầu, hoặc có thể là hành động của Chúa Giêsu là chỉ muốn thử lòng kiên nhẫn và đức tin của bà đưa.
Chúng ta có thấy bàn tay của Chúa đang hoạt đng trong mọi sự không? Chúng ta có kiên trì cầu nguyện ngay cả những khi dường như không có gì xảy ra không với chúng? Khi chúng ta có đầy đủ, khi chúng ta hạnh phúc... Chúa Giêsu lúc đầu đã từ chối cứu chữa đứa con gái của người phụ nữ. Nhưng vì đức tin của bà nên Chúa Giêsu đã ban cho bà những gì cô đang cầu xin. “Này bà, lòng tin của bà lớn thật! Bà muốn sao thì hãy được như vậy!” (Mt.15:28)
Có lẽ câu chuyện về đức tin của người phụ nữ Canaanite, và người phụ nữ này đã được viết trong Tin Mừng này nhằm để nhắc nhở chúng ta về điều này.
Chúng ta hãy tạ ơn Chúa Giê-su đã ở với chúng ta trong thời gian cầu nguyện ngắn ngủi này. Hãy cầu xin Ngài gia tăng đức tin của chúng ta. Chúng ta hãy luôn đặt lòng tin cậy nơi Chúa và theo đuổi Ngài với sự bền bỉ bất khuất như người phụ nữ này đã làm. Chúng ta biết Ngài đang lắng nghe chúng ta vì tình yêu và lòng thương xót của Ngài không có giới hạn. Ngài yêu chúng ta và Ngài muốn điều tốt nhất cho chúng ta.ơ
First, Jesus ignored the woman, saying he was sent only to Israel, then he outright rejected her and even seemed to insult her. Yet, perhaps Jesus reaction to the woman in this Gospel is not so far from our own experience after all. Are all of our prayers answered as soon as we ask, in the way we ask?
Doesn’t it rather feel sometimes like God answers our prayers for help not with the solution we want, but with more trials? God knows much better than we do what we need; perhaps this woman needed a little humility, maybe she had a prejudice/prejədəs/ against Jews that was impeding her faith, or maybe Jesus just wanted to bring her to even greater faith by his actions. Do we see God’s hand in everything? Do we persevere in prayer even when it seems like nothing is happening?
At first, Jesus refuse to help the woman to cure for her child. But because of her faith, Jesus grants her what she was asking for. “...O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
May we imitate her strong faith, no matter what our circumstances are, trusting that Jesus always knows best.
Nowadays, faith and trust in God are not particularly fashionable.
Many see confidence in God as weak, simple; a refusal to deal with problems in real lives. In reality, faith, which is a gift from God, can strengthen believers to withstand any hardship, even martyrdom, as so many saints have shown us. Perhaps this Canaanite/kānəˌnīt/ woman’s story of faith was preserved in the Gospel to remind us of this.
Let’s give thanks to the Lord Jesus for being with us this short time of prayer. Let’s ask Him to increase our faith. Let’s put our trust in the Lord always and pursue Him with indomitable persistence as this woman did. We know He is listening to us because His love and mercy has no bounds. He loves us and He wants the best for us.
Imagine the Son of God referring to you as a dog. For most people, that would be deeply offensive. So why would Jesus do such a thing? He did so, in part, to draw forth from this woman an act of profound humility and faith. Through this moment of divine humiliation, Jesus invited her to rise to a heroic response, prompting Him to exclaim, “O woman, great is your faith!” He desires to do the same with each one of us.
When Jesus first encountered this woman, He saw into her soul and perceived the depth of her faith. As God, He knew everything about her—her suffering, her love for her daughter, her perseverance. He also knew He would heal the girl, yet He did not do so immediately. Instead, He engaged in what theology refers to as divine pedagogy—a method of instruction by which God teaches slowly, carefully, and with purpose. In this case, Jesus used the moment to teach His disciples, and us, a profound lesson about humility and unwavering faith. He tested her, and she passed the test marvelously.
The location of this encounter is also significant. It took place in the region of Tyre and Sidon, in modern-day Lebanon—a Gentile territory known for its Greek-speaking population and pagan customs. The woman is specifically identified as a Canaanite, evoking the memory of Israel’s ancient enemies. And yet, it is precisely this outsider—this woman of seemingly little spiritual privilege—who becomes a model of the faith the chosen people were meant to embody.
She first approaches Jesus, crying out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” By calling Him, “Son of David,” she reveals her belief in His messianic identity. But what does Jesus do? Nothing. He appears to ignore her—not because He is displeased or uncaring, but because He is testing her faith, knowing full well she will persevere and shine.
God often allows similar experiences in the lives of the faithful. It’s easy to assume that if we follow Christ, we will be shielded from difficulty. On the contrary, one of the most powerful ways God forms His saints is by allowing them to undergo trials. These trials, far from being signs of abandonment, are invitations to heroic virtue. They are divine tests. And God never permits more than we can endure by His grace.
If that seems confusing or difficult to accept, we need only look to the Son of God Himself. Though Jesus was perfect, it was the Father’s will that He endure the deepest depths of humiliation: rejection, persecution, suffering, and death. Through this ultimate “divine pedagogy,” the Son not only conquered sin and death but also taught us how to follow Him—by transforming our humiliation into humility, our weakness into strength, and our suffering into sanctification. In this way, God’s power is made perfect in our weakness
As the conversation with the woman unfolds, Jesus continues to appear distant, yet He knows she will not give up. Her faith and her love for her daughter drive her to persevere. She humbly persists through every trial, and in doing so, she wins grace—not only for herself and her daughter, but also for the disciples who witnessed the exchange and for all who read her story today.
Reflect today on the ways God may be inviting you to a deeper faith through silence, delay, or trial. Could He be calling you, like this woman, to heroic humility and steadfast trust? Embrace those moments of divine testing, for they are often the very means by which His greatest works of grace are accomplished—in you and through you.
Divine Teacher and Guide, You teach us through Your Word, Your actions, and even through Your silence. When You are silent in the midst of trials and tribulations, grant me the grace to persevere in faith, trusting that You will never abandon me. Help me to understand that every trial You permit is an invitation to deeper trust, so that Your grace and glory may be revealed in me, and through me, shine forth to others. Jesus, I trust in You.
Encountering the Word of God
1. O Woman, Great is Your Faith! The Canaanite woman stands as one of the greatest examples of persevering faith in the Gospels. Desperate for the healing of her daughter, she repeatedly cries out to Jesus for mercy. First, Jesus answers her with silence. Then the disciples urge him to send her away. Finally, Jesus reminds her that his earthly mission is directed first to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Yet none of these apparent obstacles extinguishes her perseverance and faith. Instead, she falls before Jesus in worship and pleads once more for his help. When Jesus speaks of the children’s bread and the household dogs, she responds with remarkable humility and confidence: “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters’ table.” She seeks no privilege or special status, only the overflowing mercy of the Son of David. Having heard of Jesus’ mighty works, she believes that he has authority over the powers of darkness. Her unwavering confidence moves Jesus to declare, “O woman, great is your faith!” Her example reminds us that authentic faith perseveres even when God seems silent, trusting that his mercy is greater than every obstacle.
2. A House of Prayer for All Peoples: Isaiah’s prophecy provides the key for understanding the Gospel. After the return of the Judeans from the Babylonian exile, the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple did not mark the completion of God’s saving plan. The people need to “observe what is right, do what is just.” Through the prophet, the Lord promised that the day would come when foreigners who embraced his covenant would be welcomed into his holy mountain, where “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Canaanite woman is one of the first-fruits of this promise. Though once considered an outsider to the covenant, she approaches Jesus with humble faith and receives the blessing she seeks. In Christ, the salvation first promised to Israel now begins to overflow to the nations, anticipating the day when people from every race and language will gather to worship the one true God. Isaiah promised that Gentile foreigners who convert to the Lord, minister to him, love him, keep the Sabbath, and keep the covenant will be welcomed to worship the Lord God in the Temple and offer sacrifices. On this glorified Mount Zion, all nations will be gathered for worship and instruction. Those formerly excluded from participation in the Temple liturgy will finally bring their offerings to the Temple altar. “Solomon had envisioned foreigners coming to Jerusalem and praying toward the Temple (1 Kings 8:41-43). Isaiah foresees this taking place on a universal scale, as all nations gather before the Lord in his sanctuary” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1246).
3. The Apostle to the Gentiles: In the Second Reading, from the Letter to the Romans, Saint Paul explains how this inclusion of the Gentiles fits within God's mysterious plan of salvation. Although many in Israel rejected Jesus as the Messiah, God's covenant with his chosen people has not been revoked. As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul hopes that the conversion of the nations will awaken Israel to faith in her own Messiah. The rejection of Christ by many Israelites has opened the door for the Gospel to spread throughout the world, yet God’s promises to Israel remain firm. Paul looks forward with hope to the day when Israel, too, will embrace Christ. In the end, both Jews and Gentiles stand in need of the same mercy. Both have experienced the tragedy of sin, and both are invited into the one covenant family established through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s plan is not to replace Israel but to fulfill his promises by gathering all nations into one people through the Messiah. Isaiah promises God’s mercy, the Canaanite woman experiences it, and Paul explains it.
The 17th century Cromwell was painted by a fawning court artist. The flattering portrait didn't do anything for Cromwell. He snarled, "Paint me - warts and all." What surety do we have that the Evangelists have written the authentic picture of Christ? Perhaps the Gospels are but puff pieces - the type politicians write about themselves.
The proof the Evangelists have given us the real article is found in today's Gospel. Jesus is on the run from the bad guys. He abandons Palestine and flees north into today's Lebanon. Why? He was scared stiff. Does this sound like a puff biography? We are getting a picture of Christ - warts and all.
Jesus planned to hide out in this foreign country. He was an illegal alien with no visa. When the Jewish cops had forgotten about Him, He would furtively return to Palestine like people sneaking into the USA today. But His fame as a wonder worker had preceded Him. A woman with a sick child had picked Him off. Hysterically she begged for a cure. His cover had been blown. The apostles begged Jesus to get rid of her. They wanted her to fly away on a broom. As far as the twelve were concerned, she was bad news on several counts. She was a Canaanite and so an arch enemy of the Jews for centuries. Her loud pleas would attract the cops and media and cause all them to spend time in a foreign jail. In perhaps the toughest language used by Jesus in the Gospels, He tells the woman His mission is to the Jews. It cannot be shared with dogs which is how Jews regarded Canaanites. Are you still thinking that Matthew wrote a Hallmark card puff piece for his readers? This is Christ - warts and all.
The mother was not frightened by the put-down of this wonder man. She proves herself a match for His tongue. She had no love for this Jew, but she believed He could deliver. She had a sick youngster and was willing to swallow insults. She was going for the gold - the cure of her daughter. The 17th century Rembrandt leaves us a moving drawing of the scene. She proves to be one of the most remarkable people in the Gospels. She digs in, takes Jesus on, and proves herself to be the wordsmith He is and even better. She hits Him right between the eyes with her famous reply, "Lord, even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table." But she doesn't want crumbs. She wants the whole loaf - her child's cure.
His irritability and even bad manners indicate Jesus was strung out. His nerves must have been as tight as an overstretched rubber band. The heat was 100 plus degrees. This Canaanite was the first Gentile of record whom He had dealt so aggressively with. Still, confronted by this courageous woman and, unlike us, He does not hold on to His mad. He cools down. It is an admission of bad manners on His part. He honors the woman by learning from her. (Stephen Mitchell) Besides, Christ was charmed out of His sandals by her reply. He knew He had been whipped bad. She had bested Him at the word game of which He was allegedly the master. He may well have broken out into laughter at Himself and given her a high five.
Score Canaanite woman 5 and Christ 0. Wit is still prized in the Middle East by both Jews and Arabs - the ability to match riddle with riddle, to cap one wise saying with another, to match insult with insult, and to turn raw insult into a compliment. (John McKenzie)
Christ cured her child. Also, He salutes her faith. In Matthew's Gospel, she is the only person whose faith He calls great. She was also great for a second reason. She was the only one in any Gospel who had beaten Him in public debate. His conqueror was a Canaanite and a woman to boot in that very macho society.
Is this not a picture of Christ - warts and all? Some may be tempted to say, "Well, only Matthew tells this story. The other Gospels are election-time biographies." That will not wash, for the identical story is told in Mark 7:24-30. Check it out.
Like it or not, the Gospels tell it like it is. The Jesus you see in the Gospels is the one the Evangelists saw - warts and all. Matthew is saying to us today, "This Christ is the genuine article. Take Him or leave Him." The Gospels tell us more about the real Christ than the Vatican press tells us about the pope.
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