Homily

The Canaanites at that time were mostly pagan. The Jews regarded them to be nonbelievers. There even was a temple built in Tyre to worship an idol, Baal. The Baal cult was very cruel and demonic. Some in the pagan cult mistreated woman and children. The Israelites looked down on those from Canaan. The Canaanites were not regarded to be on the same social level as the Jews. They were a cursed people, hated and shunned by the Jews in Jesus’ day.

But you are a Canaanite woman. Your daughter is demon-possessed. You go to Jesus begging for His help. He ignores you. But you don’t give up. You kneel at His feet and address Him as Lord and again beg Him to help. In return he says, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Wow! And how do you reply? “I’m just trying to help my daughter, and you call me a dog? How dare you! Who do you think you are, you Canaanite-phobic Jew? What kind of rabbi are you? How dare you treat me like this...” Is it possible that might have been what we might have said in reply to Jesus’ harsh words?

But not this woman. She doesn’t disagree with what Jesus says. She understands that it is wrong to take food for the children and throw it to the dogs. But when children sit down to eat there will always be crumbs, as I can testify here every Sunday. The dogs can eat without taking anything away from the children. She understands that Jesus, Son of David, brings an abundance of gracious gifts and He is the master of abundant mercy. His mercy is so great that some of it will overflow the table and help even people outside the House of Israel like her and her daughter.

Two major factors are in play here. One, this mother’s great love for her daughter. She will do anything to get her some relief from her suffering. She is persistent and refuses to be ignored. But the second factor is the most surprising. She also refuses to take offense to Jesus’ words. Instead, she replies with great humility and in a very clever way, she accepts her status as a dog and says that she will be satisfied with just the crumbs that fall from the table of her masters. Her great humility is tied to her great faith in Jesus to be able to help her daughter.

It pushes me to think about my own humility when I am standing before the Lord. I may not be arrogant and boasting, but if I am not willing to put Christ before all others, and if I am not striving to follow His will as best as I can, instead of my own will, then I do not have the humility of this woman in the Gospel. And how does my faith compare with hers? I do not deserve the Lord’s mercy and yet it has been given to me over and over again. And He calls me not to crawl on the ground looking for crumbs, but He calls me to sit at His banquet table, as unworthy as I am. And I sit at His banquet table even today at this Divine Liturgy. I do not deserve His mercy, but He has offered it to many again and again. He sees me. He helps me. He sees you. He helps you. So let us renew our faith in Jesus again today and open our hearts to receive His mercy. We are truly dogs who should come begging in humility for crumbs, but let our tails be wagging in anticipation of what great things the Master has in store for us.