Sunday Gospel Comment

 

Alberic Jacovone OSB

Return to Articles and Reflections

YEAR A

Is 56,1.6-7; Rom 11,13-15.29-32; Mt 15,21-28

A Pagan Woman from Lebanon 

Women in Matthew’s Gospel: In his Gospel, Matthew presents the ‘mighty works’ that Jesus did and he says them as ‘good news’ for us, so we may become people according to the mind of Jesus, formed by His Gospel. Today, we reflect on the intriguing story of Jesus & a ‘pagan woman from Lebanon’. First, Matthew sets the wider context: Jesus is sent by God, just as the Prophets of Old Testament had foretold, to save his people. Like a New Elijah and a New Moses he presents God’s message and through God’s "mighty deeds" of miracles & healings he invites everyone to enter God’s Kingdom. Jesus gathers a small band of disciples and forms them into a covenant community according to God’s heart. These disciples struggle and slowly grow in understanding: thus the Church slowly came to be. Matthew tells us all this, for the specific purpose that we too may come to understand, learn, express and live out what it is, to be a follower of Jesus, a committed Christian and a "faith-full". The lesson of today is that we learn what it takes to live as ‘people of faith’. Part of this background is also the realization that Jesus, -for all his mighty words and mighty deeds-, meets with lack of faith from his people in Nazareth, - with rejection from his own relatives, - with superficial enthusiasm by many, but the majority remain confused, critical, divided, opposed and sternly unbelieving. Matthew seems to say: well, this is the very climate in which the Christian community -and the Church of every age- lives, moves and operates. It will always take staunch faith to know that in the midst of any turmoil of life, the Risen Lord is with his Church until the end of times. A woman from Lebanon, gives us this powerful, encouraging lesson.

‘Woman, great is your faith!’ A woman from Canaan approached Jesus, asking him to heal her daughter, in this territory lived the Phoenicians who from Lebanon had created a military and merchant empire, which went as far as Carthage in North Africa and Cornwall in England (Remember Hannibal and his audacious march (218BC) over the Alps with his war-elephants?). The woman is pagan, yet she says: ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me’. Jesus answers her, not a word. His disciples don’t care; they are annoyed: ‘Get rid of her, for she is howling after us’. In his reply Jesus remains stern: ‘I was not sent except for the lost sheep of Israel’. The woman is not one bit taken aback or offended. She simply gets even closer and bows and says: ‘Lord help me’. To her Jesus uses the arrogant language of his Jewish culture as he says: ‘it’s no good to take the little bread with which we feed the little children, and cast it to the little dogs’. And the woman, not one bit humiliated and instead with a touch of irony retorts: ‘Yes Lord! but even little dogs are entitled to the little crumbs that fall from the Master’s table. The play of words is uncanny - the tense atmosphere sends vibes across the whole multicultural community which is our Catholic Church: we need to deal with our multicultural vibes; aware to be the family of God gathered from all nations. ‘Woman great is your faith’ These words not only praise the pagan woman from Lebanon, but are a lesson for us today; God’s life and grace is truly for all: yes! we are all children in the same family of God; & salvation is for all; for the Jews first, but there is plenty for all: there is plenty of bread for the ‘little children’ (the Jews), but also ‘little crumbs’ indeed lots & lots for those hated ‘little dogs’ (by the word ‘dog’ the Jews despised all pagan people, Gentiles, Greeks & all Nationalities. We are of ‘little faith’ if we do not own & live this truth.

______________________________________