Today’s Gospel is the story of the mother with a demon-tormented daughter. She’s not Jewish, so was not part of the target audience of conversion to the new religion soon to be called Christianity. However, she gets the miracle she needs from Jesus. The theme of today’s reflection will be about standing up for yourself.
Target Audience
In sales and marketing, it’s important to know the target audience. Communicating properly to that audience with words and actions leads to more customers, better customers, and more loyal customers. However, non-targeted customers can be acquired, and there are always exceptions to the marketing rules. The early group of Christians, with Jesus as their guide, had a mission to target the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” as stated in today’s Gospel. However, an exception to the rules needed to be made, and “outsiders” could become “insiders”. We also know that Jesus does not force faith on anyone, as it must be adopted using one’s own free will. The Canaanite woman was an outsider, but she had faith. Would she become a satisfied customer?
Last- Ditch Effort
The Canaanite woman needed help, as she was most likely at wits end on how to get relief for her daughter. She most likely tried everything she knew, and it was time for a last-ditch effort. What did she have to lose? The woman took the initiative to get close to this miracle worker named Jesus. She gathered her courage and shouted out a request for help. She even called him “Lord”. The disciples were probably annoyed by her shouts for help, as she was not “of the lost tribe”, and thus not in the target audience. Jesus repeated their mission statement of not helping her demographic, in no uncertain terms.
However, this was just a test of her faith, as Jesus would ultimately help anyone who believed, and asked for help. She begged for even a scrap of help because He was Lord, after all. There were undoubtably stories of his miracles circulating through the villages in that region. She had to stand up for herself against people who seemingly didn’t want to help. She had to stand up for herself to show her faith, and prove that she strongly desired help.
Great Faith
Her persistence, her willingness to stand up for herself, and her faith that Jesus could heal her daughter, ultimately led to Jesus doing the requested miracle. The demon left her daughter within that hour. The people saw this interaction, and heard the exchanges back and forth, and heard of the positive results soon after. That exhibition of faith, and the tangible benefit achieved, most likely led others to have great faith.
In modern times, we need to defend ourselves against a litany of detractors. We also need to defend ourselves from ourselves, and our self-doubt. Great faith is needed, even if the chips are down, or we feel like we are being pulled away in a tide of hopelessness. We now know that all people are in Jesus’ target audience, and it’s up to us to muster our Faith, make sure our Faith is great, and let Jesus do his miracles on us. The miracles might not be as intense as a demon leaving within an hour, but miracles are happening every day in our lives.
Your reading of this article today, wherever you are in the world, is miraculous. The heart beating in our chest, the breath entering and exiting our lungs, and our eyesight are pretty darn miraculous, even if we take them for granted. Remember that you are an “insider”. Remember that there have been billions of satisfied customers already. Stand up for yourself, and let your faith work miracles.
[Readings: Nm 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35; Ps 106:6-7ab, 13-14, 21-22, 23; Mt 15: 21-28]
This penetrated: “In modern times, we need to defend ourselves against a litany of detractors. We also need to defend ourselves from ourselves, and our self-doubt.”
I read this to mean that sometimes people are trying to get us off message, but other times they are simply people who Jesus is sending to us to heal. We have to discern the difference.