Gospel Lectio Divina for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - August 20, 2023
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
READ
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 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." 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." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." 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.
MEDITATE
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
In the Old Testament, we do read about Gentiles becoming converts and joining the tribes of Israel. So Jesus is not completely dismissing the Canaanite woman. Jesus came to usher in a new kingdom, a New Jerusalem. He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, but through his sacrifice and the redemption he offers, he opens the doors for everyone to enter his new kingdom. God established Israel to serve as a vessel through which to bring salvation to the world. He called the disciples to be the precise spout through which that salvation would run as he poured redemption on all of us. The plan was for Jesus to give his power to his disciples so they could administer redemption to the rest of the world. The Canaanite woman was not out of place in asking Jesus for healing. She simply did so before the disciples had the chance to invite Gentiles into the Kingdom. Apparently, the disciples were clueless about God’s plan, so they were not well-formed vessels. They were not yet formed enough to administer God’s healing and redemption. After all, they thought the woman should simply be sent away. They did not understand that Jesus came to redeem the entire world and that he would do so through them. That left only Jesus. He wasn’t going to turn the woman away. Instead, he took the opportunity to teach a lesson to everyone present. Rather than going straight to the lesson though, he let the Canaanite woman speak so the bystanders could see the virtue of her character and the genuineness of her request.
"It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."
This whole passage is difficult. Sure, Jesus is God and all human beings are metaphysically below him. But does that make it right for him to say, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs”?
I often read his words here with a critic’s eye, which is no way to read Scripture. Sure, just reading it normally may cause any normal person to be taken aback by Jesus’ comment to the Canaanite woman. But here is where context matters. The disciples already said she should be sent away. It’s as if Jesus is testing them. The Canaanites had always been enemies of Israel. They worshipped Baal and were known for committing lurid acts of worship. There was no way Jesus would have been seen as a wise teacher if he simply offered this Canaanite woman what she asked without testing her faith first. Culturally and historically, it would have been inappropriate and ignorant for Jesus to interact with her in that way.
"Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."
The Canaanite woman’s response to Jesus’ comment shows what is on her heart. She responds with humility, and—in a way—acknowledges the sinful past of her people. Jesus listens to her response, and the Gospel records it because of the lesson it teaches. In a way, she serves as a witness to the effectiveness of Jesus’ teaching of the Beatitudes. The first three Beatitudes are:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.
- Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.
The Canaanite woman displays all three of these. She is poor in spirit because she asks Jesus to have pity on her, so she is aware of her spiritual poverty and need for God’s grace. She shows meekness in approaching Jesus humbly, and standing her ground when Jesus tests her faith (he knew what she would say, and therefore was using her character to teach a lesson. She was not trying to correct Jesus, and Jesus was not corrected by her). She mourned the demonic possession of her daughter, and Jesus comforted her. Her spiritual poverty and meekness, themselves gifts from God, afforded her the kingdom of heaven and possession of the land. In her own way and by a path different from most yet still provided by God, she became a lost sheep of the house of Israel and even sought to be found more so than many other lost sheep who were officially in the house of Israel.
PRAY
Lord,
When things happen that I didn’t think were part of your plan, help me to see that everything is a part of your mysterious design. Thank you for bringing me healing, despite my sinful past. Help us all to see that we are never too far from your grace. Cast out the demons that prevent us from doing your will. And most of all, grant us the healing power of your salvation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen
LISTEN
Listen carefully to every person God places in your life, even if they are just passing through for a short time. They may seem like a nuisance, but it’s very possible that God sent them into your life as a witness to show you the exact truth you seek.
Kilby is a freelance writer from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report. He received his undergrad degree in humanities and Catholic culture from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. In addition to working with the Knights of the Holy Eucharist (knights.org), he has served as a journalist for Princeton Packet Publications, and the Trenton Monitor, the magazine for the Diocese of Trenton. Some of his published work can also be found in St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Herald (UK), and Catholic World Report. For the latter he is managing editor. Find more of his writing at ramblingspirit.com
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