One of us

 ‘…Woman, you have great faith!’ (Matthew 15:28)

Matthew 15:21-28 (Year A: Trinity+9)

Canaanites were outcasts. They were not of the chosen and were not to be included in the spiritual family so it was thought by some. At first it seems as if Jesus, the Jew, went along with this view and practice. But, then he turns the tables – while remaining a Jew.

How often do we conduct business, politics, living, socialising and communications by social media and others and religion on the basis that the ones we hang out with are ‘one of us’.  Taken to extreme those dissenters who don’t share all of the assumptions, perceptions and insights of the in-group are at risk of being castigated as ‘one of them’ and therefore not possibly ‘one of us’.

But in this story, compassion rather than convenience seized this moment when confronted with a pressing, persistent, humble, trusting request arising from human suffering the God of compassion worked a miracle. 

“We do not presume ….” 

First things first.  Humanity, compassion, turning towards goodness, trust, reasonableness lead to healing. This is the rule of the Gospel and is the springboard for following and spreading far and wide.