In a word...

"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.'"

Matthew 15:22

Trying to sum up this woman in one word, I came up with several.  Persistent.  Determined.  Foreigner. Alien. Suffering.  I really like one of the thoughts Fr. Anthony Gittins says about her in his book, "Encountering Jesus."  Fr. Gittins says, "This woman represents all people--parents, women, mothers--who are racked by the pain of their children and by their own powerlessness to quell it." And, I especially love Fr. Gittins title of the chapter he writes about this woman, "Crumbs of Comfort."  Jesus is shocking in this story.  First he ignores the woman calling out to him (v. 23). But she keeps calling to him.  Persistent.  Then Jesus qualifies his ignoring her by pointing out that he has come only for the children of Israel (v. 24) One would think that would be enough to send the woman away! But she is determined.  And she is suffering; her daughter is suffering, thus she is suffering. (And don't all parents know how that feels?) Finally, Jesus really shocks us when he tells her that the food of the children must not be thrown to the dogs. Ouch and double ouch! You would certainly think that this poor, suffering, foreign, alien woman would take that and walk away.  But, she does not.  She comes back with a brilliant response, "even the dogs eat the scraps from the table of their master." (v. 27) Never underestimate the power of a mother advocating for her child! Jesus may shock us in this story, but so does the woman.  She receives what she asks--her daughter is healed from that hour.  Amazing, isn't it?  Blessings on your Wednesday! Love, heidi