The Canaanite Woman

Matthew15: 21-28

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.’ ²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ ²⁴ He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ ²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. ²⁶ He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ²⁷ ‘Yes it is, Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that very hour.

 

    

Crumbs

All avenues had been explored

All possibilities exhausted

I was desperate

I’d done everything

Taken her to all the doctors

Tried all the quack remedies

But my poor beautiful, tormented daughter

Still suffered

relentlessly

I heard of a Jew

Of amazing things he was doing

whispers that here was the one

they’d been waiting for

hoping for      

praying for

The Messiah

The great leader

To free them from all enemies

Bringing peace and prosperity

And what’s more

I heard he was nearby

I saw him at a distance

surrounded by his followers

but there was no mistaking him

I knew no shame, no embarrassment

I’d gone way beyond that

Calling out

Lord Son of David

Have mercy on me

Lord have mercy

On my suffering daughter

He must have heard

Everyone must have heard

Turning to look

But looks couldn’t silence me

The men with him were uncomfortable

and embarrassed

They spoke to him

Urging him away, no doubt

from the mad gentile woman

who knew no shame

In trying to speak with a man

A Jewish man

A Jewish Rabbi

I knew he’d come for the Jews

I knew such a good thing as Jesus

Couldn’t be for us 

Couldn’t be for me

But I had to ask

He said something

And looked to move on

Then stopped, turned

And came over

I went closer

Looked in his eyes

And then everything changed

There was something In his look

A warmth, sympathy, assurance

a peace of which I knew nothing

All I’d heard about him

Was as a great political leader

But he’s so much more than that

And suddenly, it’s as though

We’re the only two in the whole world

I knelt at his feet in the dust

Lord, help me

And hear his voice

It is not right to take the children’s bread

and toss it to their dogs

What did he say?

Is it really the age old insult

“the gentile dog “?

I look up startled

To see a slight smile

And a look that challenges me

to respond

not to give up

Years of deference roll away

of knowing my place

of keeping quiet

amongst clever men

my silence broken

by my daughter’s need

I find my voice

And smile back at him

Yes Lord I say

Looking straight into his eyes

But even the dogs eat the crumbs

that fall from their masters’ table

Now there’s almost a grin

Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted

I could have looked at him forever

I could have followed him forever

But I have to see my daughter

I know that with him, crumbs are enough

And nothing will be the same

For her

Or for me.