Would You Pass the Test?

Readings for Sunday August 14^th 2011                                                                       

  20^th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

How far would you be willing to go to show Jesus that you really had faith in Him?  Our Gospel reading this Sunday does just that – it challenges all of us to put our ‘money where our mouth is’ and trust Jesus with every situation in our life.  St. Matthew begins this passage by commenting how Jesus had pulled back from His ministry in Israel (perhaps to get a break from all the attention He was receiving).  He is approached by a Canaanite (non-Jewish) woman who has a daughter that is being tormented by a demon.

 The key to this passage is to understand that this meeting with the Lord is a test of the woman’s faith.  Some Scripture teachers of our day have mistakenly thought that this woman changed Jesus’ mission, directing it towards the Gentiles (non-Jews) as a result of this their encounter.  These scholars believe that Jesus really didn’t know Himself or what He was trying to do.  Yet, being God, Jesus knew full well His mission (which, after His death and Resurrection, was to be directed to the entire world through the Church) and didn’t need this woman to define it.  

Rather, Jesus uses this woman to show what the Gentiles could have – and what the people of Israel should want to have.  She must have loved her daughter deeply, and no doubt was feeling like she was at the end of the line in trying to find a cure for her. We don’t know exactly how the demon tormented her: Obviously it was painful.  The woman approaches Jesus to get Him to heal her daughter, and He gives her no reply.  Why did He give her the cold shoulder?  She stays so persistent that the disciples begin to get annoyed by her, and want Jesus to get rid of her.  

Jesus then continues to test her faith by telling her that His mission is only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Was Jesus lying?  No…but He was speaking a half-truth.  While His mission while He was on earth was to Israel, we know that His mission of salvation extended to the Gentiles after His Ascension.  The woman seems to give a response of ‘so what?’ to Jesus.  He tries to tell her that what Israel has in Him shouldn’t just be wasted on people who can’t appreciate it.  It was His way of saying, ‘you couldn’t handle what I have here even if I gave it to you’.

Does the woman give up?  No! She tells Jesus that the rest of the world would love the ‘scraps’ that Israel has been given, that the Gentiles need Christ as much as the people of Israel do.  Jesus rewards this woman’s faith by healing her daughter.  Obviously, the disciples who listened to this conversation would have been struck by the forcefulness of this woman with the Lord.  She didn’t hold back from Him, but took the effort to get close to Him.  Jesus calls us all of us to this kind of faith, a faith that looks for the love of the Savior, even in difficult situations.  May we have the grace to be persistent in our faith so that God can work miracles of love in our lives.                       Summary of the Gospel by YM Central

Reading 1 Is 56:1, 6-7

1 Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. 2 The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants- all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, 3 them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Questions for Discussion:

 In the first reading, Isaiah says, “Observe what is right, do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed.”  What do you think this means? How does it apply to you?

Also Isaiah speaks of the all-inclusiveness of God’s love; all peoples are welcome in God’s house.  Who are the people you exclude from your love or God’s love? What steps can you take to change that? Take some time now to pray for these people.

Reading 2 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32

13 Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

Questions for Discussion:

1. “The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” According to St. Paul’s statement, will God ever change God’s mind and stop loving you? “Even if we are faithless he is faithful, because he cannot deny himself.” (2 Tim. 2:13) Explain this quote in the light of the first quote.

2. What are the implications of these scripture passages for you?

Gospel Mt 15:21-28

21 At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." 23 But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus' disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." 24 He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Describe the disciples’ reaction to the woman’s persistence with Jesus by examining both what is written in the text and how you think the disciples would have reacted that is not in the passage.

2. Have you ever tried to get rid of someone who is annoying you, when in reality they really needed you to be Christ to them?  If so, describe.  Which kind of people do you find most annoying and why?  What can you do better be Christ to them?

3. What virtues did the Canaanite woman possess that got Jesus to answer her request? What is it about her statement, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” that made Jesus change his mind and grant her request to heal her daughter? Do you think he could have received an insight about his mission from his Father during this conversation?

4.  This woman’s faith broke through some barriers that excluded certain people. What inclusion blockades do you see today that you think need to be broken through?

5.  Has Jesus ever tested you to get you to be more persistent in your faith?  Describe.