The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

1. The Doctrine

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith. 21 Then Jesus went from that place and 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 he did not say a word in answer to her. His 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 him 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 her daughter was healed from that hour.

15:21 Tyre and Sidon:Gentile cities in Phoenicia, north of Palestine. According to the table of nations in Gen 10, Sidon was the first-born son of Canaan (Gen 10:15), and thus the woman is a “Canaanite” (15:22). Mark refers to her more proximate geographical background as “Syrophoenician” (Mk 7:26)

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

Why the son of God and the son of David came down from haven, he came down from heaven to broke the works of the evil, to give the things that we lost with the original sin.

Jesus again showing I came to destroy the power of the evil over the human race, and all the sufferings that it brings to the earth.

But he did not say a word in answer to her.

Maybe we can think that Jesus was no sensible to her pain, but this no true Jesus knows very well, as he knew that his friend Lazarus would die, but Jesus waits, firs by teaching his disciples how to ask, and them to show the virtue of this woman.

He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”

According to his own promises the good news will be preaching first to the sons of the promise, the children of Israel.

But this woman is no asking justice, something that belongs as inheritance for her, she is asking for mercy.

He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”

Why some are called children, because they are the son of promise they receive the law, the prophet.

And this woman is called dog, because “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing.

So the pagans are called dogs or animals, because they worship animals.

27 She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

How beautifully if the answer, that bring the salvation, if the perdition of the evil was by proud, to put over all, the medicine is the humility to put down, the poison of the pride y cured by the bitter of the humiliation.

According to the fathers Jesus is using this event to teach how the salvation will fall for the table of the Jews to the gentiles

Saint Hilary of Poitiers

He who comprises the mystery of the Father’s will26responds that he has been sent to the lost sheep of Israel, making it absolutely clear that the daughter of the Canaanite woman represents a figure of the Church. She sought what was offered to others,28 not because salvation should be denied to the pagans, but the Lord had come for his own in his own land. He was waiting for the first-fruits of faith from those among whom he had been born. The others would later be saved by the apostolic preaching. For this reason he said: It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. Honor has been accorded to Israel. God’s affection for Israel is augmented by his jealousy for it; next to Israel the pagans received the name “dog.” But the Canaanite woman, already saved by faith,31 responded with a certainty of inward mysteries by saying that little dogs feed on the crumbs fallen from the table. The reproach of the name “dog” was thereby softened under its appearance as an affectionate nickname.

2. In my Life

The humility is the key of the heart of Jesus.

I we want the graces of Jesus we have to learned for those who get it in the Gospel.

The proud was the perdition of the Jews, and the cause of fallen of satan, because the proud believe that they deserve but all that we have, even the air that we are breathing we receive from God.

That woman firs have faith he believes that Jesus has power over body and spirit

Then that woman has a perseverance even, if other contradict them.

An las this woman has the key of the heart of Jesus, that is the humility.

Lord I really do no deserve it but I beg it to you…

the Canaanite woman signifies repentant souls. Incapable of boasting, contrite sinners lean wholly on God’s mercy; they recognize their weakness before God and can only beg for blessings, unable to demand from God gifts that he freely bestows. Only the humble and faith-filled are rewarded with spiritual healing.

So, when you ask something to God believe that God can make, preserver in your petition, and down yourself, Lord I do no deserve it is you wish you can heal me.

When we belie that we are greater than others, we became children of devil,

When we believe that we are worse than other by our sin we became children of God.

The humility is the key of the heart of Jesus.