Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”  (Mt 15:21-28)

Have you ever shouted at Jesus? If you have, it was probably in the secret of your room, quietly in your heart, or in your car with the windows rolled up. More than likely none of us would want to be found running down the road screaming at Jesus, even if we were just trying to get his attention….

The Greek word for “shouting” used in v. 22 and 23 is slightly different, but indicates that the woman was emotionally screaming, continuously wailing, creating a clamorous spectacle of herself. And the disciples were not happy. Let’s get rid of her! She is attracting the wrong type of attention!

Friends of mine found themselves in tears one Sunday after Mass, asking for their pastor’s prayers before a very important immigration meeting. I have been reduced to quiet tears as an expression of my inner wailing, tears that are the beginning, the first steps, the sure indication of faith.

The Canaanite mother cries out: “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” The very fact that she calls Jesus the Son of David indicates her firm hope and faith in him as Messiah. Later, as she kneels before Jesus in conversation with him, she shows a simple, humble trust that even a crumb of Jesus’ mercy would be sufficient to heal her daughter. The “crumb” reminds me of the mustard seed, or the smallest faith that could move a mountain. This woman’s inner strength, rooted in maternal love and faith, overcomes every obstacle and obtains what she needs: her daughter’s healing. “Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Jesus doesn’t refer to her persistent pleas and loud gestures of need when he heals her daughter. He refers only to her faith. He does for her what her faith requests and to the extent that her faith believes that he will do for her what she requests. A succinct, well-known line attributed to St. John of the Cross sums up this truth: “God gives in the measure that we expect of him.”

Sometimes we ask too little.

Teresa of Avila reminds us: “You pay God a compliment by asking great things of him.” There are three other maxims from this great saint that help put this into context: “To reach something great, you must go to great lengths.” To become wholly conformed to God’s love in every situation of our lives will require quite a bit of energy and interior work, some tears, persevering waiting in humble faith, and perhaps some suffering. “In prayer, we are like a child who talks with its father.” And, as we grow in maturity and holiness—just as the Canaanite woman progressed from clamorous wailing to get Jesus’ attention to kneeling before him in utter humility and faith—in the end, “The soul is satisfied with nothing less than God.”

What will you ask God for today?

Photo Credit: Jean Germain Drouais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Praying with this Passage of Scripture