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To the south of the city of Jerusalem, the ‘potter’s field’ is referred to even today. The land was bought with silver coins returned by Judas to the temple priests (Mt 27:3-10). It was the same place where the kings of Israel had committed some horrible deeds, leading to sacrificing their children to Baal. Towards the end of the seventh century B.C., the pious King Josiah had desecrated it (2 K 23:10). Since then, to be buried there was considered the height of disgrace. With the money from the betrayal, the high priests bought that field to convert it into a cemetery to bury strangers (Mt 27:7). For the impure and unclean Gentiles, it could not but be a reserved and cursed place (Jer 19:11) for the bodies of the dead that had to be kept separated from the sons of Abraham.
The impetus for the discrimination and the tendency to erect barriers between good and evil, pure and impure, saints and sinners are deeply rooted in the human heart. They re-emerge in the most varied forms: fear of confrontation, and inability to manage an open, serene, and respectful dialogue with those who have different opinions. Sometimes these impulses are camouflaged behind real danger, syncretism, irenicism, loss of identity, or the renunciation of values??.
How can those who consider the other ‘distant’ speak of ecumenism? Who can be so presumptuous as to consider himself ‘near?’ All of us are ‘far away’ from Christ and are walking towards the perfection of the Father who is in heaven (Mt 5:48). Only those aware of being ‘impure,’ who cannot boast merit before God, have a disposition that can accept salvation. "The tax collectors and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven,” Jesus assured. Not having any merit to boast, they rely spontaneously on the Lord and are placed ahead of those who consider themselves pure (Mt 21:31).
To internalize the message, we repeat: "We are ashamed to have them as fellow travelers.Then the surprise: they had entered into the Kingdom of God before us."
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First Reading: Isaiah 56:1,6-7
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.
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, 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.
The fear of losing their own national and religious identity had led Israel to isolate itself from other peop leand to have restrictive rules against foreigners. The book of Deuteronomy orders: "Do not make any covenant with them or have compassion on them… Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons, or taking their daughters for your sons, because they would seduce your children to abandon me and adore strange gods” (Deut 7:2-4).
Then came the exile in Babylon. It was a bitter experience but a valuable one from which more mature Israelites emerged. Forced to confront the culture of other peoples and burdened with their own prejudices, they realized that a lot of their fears were groundless. The pagans were not innately wicked and perverse. They also cultivated noble sentiments and gave evidence of high morale. Their religion was not a pile of nonsense; it contained valuable elements.
On the return from exile, they had assimilated a universalistic mentality, but not across the board. The spiritual and political leaders continued to fuel mistrust, suspicion, unjustified fears. Ezra, for example, tore his vestment, ripped out his hair and beard when he was informed that many had desecrated the holy stock, and married local people (Ezra 9).
It is a time characterized by tensions and intolerance, by attempts to open up and fundamentalism. Then the prophet, spoken of in today’s reading, rose up. He is a serene and unbiased man. He has a look that goes beyond the narrow horizons of the tradition of his people. He understands that the time has come to abandon exclusivism and drop the discrimination imposed by Deuteronomy. He realizes that the barriers that separate people no longer have meaning. To whatever tribe, race, or nation they may belong, they are children of God.
Here is his promise: the day will come when the strangers who honor the Lord and practice his commandments will be accompanied to his temple. They will offer sacrifice and raise their voice in prayer. In the house of God, no one will be considered a foreigner. The temple, the holy place par excellence of Israel, will become a house of prayer for all peoples (vv. 6-7).
Second Reading: Romans 11:13-15,29-32
Brothers and sisters: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
The reading develops the theme that was introduced last Sunday: the inner drama of Paul that he cannot find a reason for the rejection of Christ by his people. The book of the Acts of the Apostles briefs us on his apostolic method: he went from town to town preaching the Gospel to the Jews first, then, if they refused to believe, he turned to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-48). After ten years here, he is taking stock of his missionary work: with few exceptions, the Israelites did not adhere to the faith in Christ. How can we explain this?
In today's passage, Paul notes that their disobedience has had a positive effect. It has facilitated the entry of the Gentiles into the Christian community. If the Jews had believed en masse, with their narrow-minded and exclusivist mentality and nourished prejudices towards foreigners, it hardly would have allowed the pagans to be welcomed as full participants in the Church.
At this point, Paul has an intuition: the rejection of Christ by his people cannot be definitive. One day—and it is certain—the Israelites will also recognize in Jesus the Messiah announced by the prophets. What will happen then? The apostle gives free rein to his joy: if their disobedience is providential, what will happen when they too become disciples? It will be an authentic resurrection from the dead (v. 15).
Gospel: Mathew 15:21-28
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.
The rabbis tell of a farmer that planted all sorts of trees in his field and tended them with care. He waited many, many springs and summers but was disappointed. There were many leaves, some flowers, but no fruit. He was about to set fire to the field when he saw a pomegranate on one slightly deformed branch. He picked it and tasted it: it was delicious. ‘For the sake of this pomegranate—he happily exclaimed—I'll let all the other trees in my garden live.’
Similarly—the rabbis concluded—for the sake of Israel, God will save the world. Not all Jews, however, shared the openness of these enlightened rabbis. The majority thought that there was only one chosen and holy stock and that the pagans must be avoided as being unclean and outcasts (Acts 10).
The first Christian community, sprouted as a lush sapling from the stump of Israel, confronted this exclusivism. The Christians asked themselves: is salvation destined for all peoples, or is it reserved for the children of Abraham? There was disagreement, misunderstanding, bitter conflict, and it divided the Church (1 Cor 1:10-12; Gal 2:11-14). Some argued that the Gospel was to be announced only to the Israelites. To substantiate their argument, they referred to the behavior of Jesus during his public life. He had carried out his mission within the borders of Palestine. They also recalled his recommendation: "Do not visit pagan territories and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel” (Mt 10:5-6).
Others cultivated more open ideas. They were convinced that the Gospel was to be preached primarily to the Jews, the first recipients of salvation (Mt 22:1-6). But they were also convinced that the Gentiles were to be admitted to the banquet hall of the Kingdom of God (Mt 22:8-10). Israel was the ‘firstborn’ of the Lord (Sir36:11), but not ‘the only begotten’: God had always considered all nations to be his children (Jer 3:19). The order of the Risen Lord was unequivocal: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20).
Due to the short timeframe (maybe only three years) of his public life, Jesus had limited his mission "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." However, he also gestured clearly that his salvation was for all peoples. The episode narrated in the Gospel today is one of the most significant and revealing in this regard.
One day a stranger comes to Jesus. She comes from the region of Tyre and Sidon and ‘continues to cry out’ (note the insistence of her prayer), begging for the healing of her daughter. The text calls her a ‘Canaanite,’ thus belonging to an enemy nation, a dangerous people that seduced Israel several times. It diverted Israel from the right faith and led her to worship Baal and Astarte.
The disciples of Jesus are Israelites educated in the most rigorous religious fundamentalism. They are surprised by the nerve of this intrusive pagan who dares to speak to their Master. They await his reaction: will he heed the current regulations that prohibit communication with strangers, or—as he often did—will he break the traditional mold?
The evangelist relates the dialogue between Jesus and the woman. He sounds almost delighted to emphasize the increasingly harsh tone of the Master’s responses. In the face of the woman's request for help, he takes a dismissive attitude: not worthy of a glance or even a word (v. 23). Then the apostles, a little annoyed, intervene. They want to solve the situation as soon as possible as it is likely to become embarrassing. They ask him to send her away. ‘Listen to her,’ says our text, but it is not a correct translation. ‘Send her away!’ is their request.
Jesus seems to follow their advice. He becomes more severe and says: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel" (v. 24). The image of the flock in disarray frequently occurs in the Old Testament. "My sheep wander over the mountain and high hills, and when they are scattered throughout the land, no one bothers about them or looks for them” (Ezk 34:6), which is echoed by another prophet: "Like sheep we had all gone astray, each following his own way” (Is 53:6). There is also the promise of God: "I myself will care for my sheep and watch over them. I will search for the lost and lead back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong will be eliminated. I will shepherd my flock with justice” (Ezk34:11:16).
The Lord has only made commitments to the Israelites. He should be concerned only with them. Presenting himself as a shepherd of Israel, Jesus declares that he intends to fulfill the prophecies, and the woman understands. She knows that she is not of the chosen people. She is conscious of not belonging to the ‘flock of the Lord’ and not having any right to salvation. However, she relies on the goodwill and free intervention of God. Bowing down to Jesus, she begs: "Lord, help me!"
In response, she receives an insult: "It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies” (v. 26). The Israelites are the sheep; the Gentiles are the dogs. The use of the diminutive mitigates, but not by much, the harshness of the offense. Throughout the ancient Middle East, ‘dog’ was the cruelest insult. It was the nickname with which the Jews called the pagans. A raw image is taken in various New Testament texts: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls before pigs” (Mt 7:6). "Outside are the dogs!" (Rev 22:15). "Beware of dogs" (Phil 3:2). It was used to emphasize the absolute incompatibility between the pagan life and the evangelical choice.
On the lips of Jesus, this expression surprises us, especially if we consider that the Canaanite woman turned to him with great respect. Three times she called him ‘Lord’—the title with which Christians profess their faith in the Risen One—and once the ‘Son of David,’ which equates to recognizing him as the Messiah. It seems that, like all his countrymen, he also holds disgust for foreigners. But is it so? The conclusion of the story enlightens us. "Woman—says Jesus—how great is your faith.” It is praise that has never been addressed to an Israelite woman.
Now everything becomes clear. That which precedes—the provocation, the contempt for the pagans, the reference to their impurity and unworthiness—was but a clever posture. Jesus wanted his disciples to alter radically the way they dealt with foreigners. He ‘played the part’ of the integral and pure Israelite to show how ridiculous and senseless the separatist mentality cultivated by his people was. While the ‘flock of sheep’ kept themselves away from the shepherd who wanted to gather them (Mt 23:37), the ‘dogs’ approached him and obtained salvation because of their great faith.
The message is as timely as ever. The Church is called to be a sign that all discrimination related to gender, membership of a race, or a people or an institution are a thing of the past. Paul declares: “In Christ Jesus, all of you are sons and daughters of God through faith. All of you who were given to Christ through baptism, have put on Christ. Here there is no longer any difference between Jew or Greek, or between slave or freed, or between man and woman; but all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Christ, you are of Abraham’s race and you are to inherit God’s promise" (Gal 3:26-29).
The Canaanite woman—the pagan, the infidel—is singled out as a model of the true believer. She knows she does not deserve anything, believes that only by the Word of Christ can she freely arrive at salvation. She implores and receives it as a gift.
READ: Healing and feeding seem to go together. Jesus does both, and people of faith see the meaning of his actions. Others do not.
REFLECT: Why do people refer to others they do not like as dogs? Are Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman out of character for him? To what extent could this story perhaps reflect the relationship between some Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in the community of Matthew?
PRAY: Avoid looking down on others who are different. Make this an intention in your prayer, especially when tempted to be prejudiced against some group or individual.
ACT: Do not just tolerate different people but accept them and acknowledge their gifts. When the opportunity occurs, celebrate life with people who differ from you.
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