Awakenings

by Father Thomas Keating

Events in Jesus' Ministry

Chapter 4

The Canaanite Woman

Then Jesus went from that place and 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 he did not say a word in answer to her. His 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 him 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 her daughter was healed from that hour. 
(Matt. 15:21-28)

    This text has great significance for the spiritual journey. In previous texts we have seen Jesus giving examples of how to sense the infinite concern of God, in daily life and in the impossible situations in which we are least inclined to look for God. We have seen Peter and his companions as symbols of our efforts to find God in the storms of life and to perceive him emerging out of the winds and the waves. We are asked to go further than that and to respond to his presence. Peter's response was to walk on the water, the symbol of maintaining peace amid the tribulations and ups and downs of daily life.

    Now we come to the real stuff. How do we find God in his apparent absence, rejection, and abuse? That is something else. This episode is a description of how to respond when prayer gets difficult, when the interior life falls to pieces, or when the night of sense descends upon our spiritual nest. It descends in order to get us out of the nest. The divine eagle has come to shove us into reality. This marvelous episode tells us about the night of sense from God's point of view and about his strategy in the mysterious dryness, absence, and darkness that follow the springtime of the spiritual journey.

    The Canaanite woman seems to have been a pagan. Jesus points out that sometimes those outside the household have more faith than those inside. She had probably heard that Jesus was most gracious in granting requests to cast out demons. Thinking he was an easy touch for her request, she was not expecting any trouble. Perhaps she had seen others go to Jesus with the same request and receive without difficulty what they requested. So she said, "Lord, Son of David, have pity on me. My daughter is terribly troubled by a demon."

    She stood there waiting for an answer, perhaps expecting to hear some reassuring invitation such as, "Bring your daughter here," or "She is already healed." If he had decided not to heal her, he could have at least said, with a gentle pat on the shoulder, "There, there; go home and offer it up." This is the sort of thing you sometimes hear from well-meaning people when you are in trouble--to your great consternation.

    The text says that Jesus did not say a word. He was just silent. Is this an answer to prayer or isn't it? I venture to say that silence is as good an answer to prayer as the granting of our request. If we accept silence as an answer, we may perceive its purpose. For example, it could mean that it is not the right time; that we are not ready for an answer; or that we are asking for the wrong thing. The primary purpose of prayer is not to change God but us, and if we are not prepared to change, there is nothing to say.

    In the night of sense, we come for our interview with God and he does not show up. This is all right for a while but eventually the question arises: What is the use of coming if God never shows up? I am referring to his apparent failure to show up. He is there but he is there at a different level than we are. In the case of the Canaanite woman, the point of this silence is to bring her from the level of faith from which she starts out, to the level of faith that she manifests at the end. This strategy adjusts the divine action to our human condition. It does not represent God's choice. The only way God can bring somebody to a new level of faith is to challenge their present level. Many of the episodes in the Gospel manifest this. We have only to think of the centurion who got what he wanted instantly and the man whose son was at the point of death whose request to go down to his house Jesus refused. To the centurion he said, "I'll come right way." Why this strange shift in response from one person to the other? One has the fullness of faith and does not need to have it tested; the other's faith was not strong and needed the challenge of the divine silence.

    In this dialogue the woman is raised from one level of faith to another until she attains an extraordinary level. She goes to the apostles as we might turn to the angels and saints for help. The disciples said, "Let's get rid of this woman." They were not helpful at all. Jesus did not answer their request either. But notice what he said: "My mission is only to the lost sheep of Israel." He appeals to his official mission. She is a pagan and his mission is to those of the household of Israel. On one level this is good reasoning and shows our Lord's sensitivity to do only what he sees the Father doing. He does only what he is sent to do; he does not want to exceed it. A mission or ministry always presupposes that we are prepared to function on God's terms.

    The Canaanite woman interpreted this statement to mean, "Nothing doing; I only work miracles for Israelites. Sorry" In response, she comes forward and prostrates at his feet, full length, groveling in the dust. Her cry is: "Help!" This is the prayer that Meister Eckhart says pierces the heavens. It is totally focused on one objective. This cry of desperation from a person who feels rejected by God in prayer says everything--a plea, it would seem, that would touch the heart of a stone. And yet Jesus gives no reply. What has become of the divine mercy?

    But the divine mercy is not sentimentality It relentlessly puts the ultimate realities of life before her so that she can say with total honesty, "I can't do it myself; I must have your help!" And God is saying nothing.

    "It is not right," Jesus says, "to take the food of the children and to throw it to dogs." How could Jesus say such a thing? The Canaanite woman is not put off by this insult any more that she was by his silence and rejection. She answers in effect, "Lord, you are right. But have you thought of this possibility? I'm not asking for the food of the children; I'm not asking for a loaf of bread. Even the dogs under the table sometimes pick up a few crumbs that fall by mistake. How about dropping me one of those crumbs?"

    Jesus responds, "Oh my dear lady, your faith is terrific! You can have anything you want--the whole world, the universe, anything!" Everything belongs to those who have reached this level of faith. The cosmos was created for them. Such is the scenario; it keeps being played out in our lives. We can accept it like the Canaanite woman or back off.

This chapter is taken from the book Awakenings by Fr. Thomas Keating. You can obtain a copy from the Bookstore.  See Awakenings