Let’s be like the importunate Canaanite woman
THAT beautiful story of the Canaanite woman who importuned and practically nagged Christ for the favor of driving a demon that tormented her daughter (cfr. Mt 15, 21-28) teaches us the great lesson to ever strengthen our faith especially when we are faced with difficulties and challenges that look impossible to handle.
“‘O woman, great is your faith! We should just be humble enough Let it be done for you as you wish,’ and try to clutch as tightly as possible Christ told her. “And her daughter to whatever strand of faith we may was healed from that hour.” still have in God. To be sure, God
In relation to God, we may fall always listens and acts on our under very different, and even importunings, even if we seem to conflicting, categories. We can be annoy him. believers or non-believers, friends We s h o u l d j u s t ove rc o m e or foes, etc., but to God we are all whatever fear or shame we may have his children, objects always of his to approach God our Father. To him, tremendous and gratuitous love. we will always be a child who can
No matter how the state of our give him great joy whenever we act relationship with God is, whether it like the lost sheep and the lost coin is hot, cold or lukewarm, we should that are finally found or the prodigal try our best to go to God, especially son who has decided to return to in some extraordinary situations. He the father. is our last and most reliable resort With just a little flicker of faith and especially when we find ourselves in repentance, the heart of God would some impossible situations. readily melt into compassion and
For this, of course, we just have mercy. In the case of the Canaanite to activate our faith in him, even woman, f or example, Chri st if our belief in him at the moment immediately gave in to her request i s not that strong. Remember when she did not relent with her one gospel character who said, “I request despite the apparent initial believe, Lord, but help my unbelief.” rebuke. (Mk 9, 24) “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs,” Christ told her at first. It sounds like pure insult, right? That was because being a Canaanite, the woman has no right to ask a favor from a Jesus, a Jew. That was how things worked that time. It was also because Christ was actually testing the woman of her faith.
And true enough, the woman did not take offense at the response of Christ, but went to argue her case, showing the intensity of her faith in Christ. “Please, Lord,” she said, “for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
At that, Christ relented, amazed at the faith of the woman. “O woman, great is your faith,” Christ said. “Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
It’s truly a beautiful story that assures us that no matter how unworthy we are to approach God for a favor, God always listens and cares for us and will give us what is truly good for us.
May we have the same faith as that of this importunate Canaanite woman!/
No matter how the state of our relationship with God is, whether it is hot, cold or lukewarm, we should try our best to go to God, especially in some extraordinary situations.