The foreign mother

Jesus left Galilee, he is in foreign territory in the area of Tire and Sidon, cities famous for their idolatry: orgiastic rites of fertility were practiced among the Baals and Asheres. He would have liked to remain incognito, but "a Greek woman of Syro-Phoenician origin [...] as soon as she found out she went and threw herself at her feet, begging him to heal her little daughter possessed by an unclean spirit".

Only a deep maternal love could arouse so much trust in that heart of hers. Initially Jesus ignores her and does not even speak a word to her. But she cries out louder, then the disciples intervene and urge him to listen to her so that he will stop bothering them. The woman does not give up and Jesus replies by quoting a principle of tradition: "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs". With these words he did not intend only to refuse her his help, but he declared to her that she is not her daughter, like all the people to whom she belongs, a people who have preferred idols to divine fatherhood. Furthermore, albeit with tenderness, he defined her as a dog, an animal they despised.

This harshness of Jesus is strange: perhaps the evangelist wants to underline the profound humanity of Jesus, disturbed by the idolatrous behavior of the pagans of that region, or perhaps it is a literary stunt to underline that Jesus brought salvation even to the pagans who approach him, like that woman who, pervaded by trust in the Master, humbly accepts his truth and, leaving no room for pride, with a free heart, entirely projected towards him, replies by reminding him that salvation is for all people: "It is true, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters' table". How much faith in this answer! A faith which, going beyond the apparent harshness of words, captures sadness at the refusal of salvation by all those who prefer idols.

We can say that the woman engaged in a struggle with the Lord, like Jacob (Gen 32:25-32). A game of love that she won with faith. Her desire has become a command for God because she believes, she wants and she has not failed in the face of difficulties. And Jesus moved by that heart totally open to him, in humility and certainty, declares to her: "Your faith is truly great a woman!". A faith that made him change his attitude, we could almost say that she converted him by making him say: "May it be done for you as you wish". So Pope Francis: "Jesus' apparent detachment does not discourage this mother who insists on invoking her. Her inner strength, which allows her to overcome every obstacle, is to be found in her maternal love and in the trust that Jesus can grant her request. The strength of women makes them capable of great things. We can say that it is love that moves faith and faith becomes the prize of love. A persevering faith allows her not to be discouraged even in the face of her initial rejection" (Angelus of 20 August 2017).


Anna Maria Del Prete
Np November 2022