20th Sunday A 8-16-20 Sunday Homily: Rev. Aubrey Guilbeau

The unifying theme of our readings today is that God wants to untie Jews and Gentiles into one family. In the first reading, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples,” then St. Paul says, “I am the apostle for the Gentiles.”

In the Gospel goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon, which is Canaanite territory. Canaanites are the hated enemies of the Jews. Jesus is in non-Jewish territory. He goes to seek out those who need healing.

Here is this pagan woman in enemy territory getting ready to ask Jesus a favor. She knows she has to be bold. Women can be bold when they need to stick up for themselves.

Like the time Marie went with Pierre to the cattle auction. The man sitting next to them was upset that a woman was at the auction. He said, women don’t know anything about animals, they should just stay home and cook. Then looking at Maire he said, “Bet you don’t know how many toes a pig has?” She said, “Well, if you take off your boots I will count them for you.”

The woman cries out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.” She begins by saying, “have pity (mercy) on me.” We use that expression at the beginning of Mass, “Lord have mercy” “Kyrie Eleison which is the Greek version. That is the version she would have used. She begins to worship, she knows who Jesus is.

Then the calls Jesus, Lord. Lord is the ancient name of God. She believes that Jesus is God.

Then she calls him Son of David. Son of David is the royal title for the Messiah. While others around Jesus didn’t yet recognize Jesus as the Messiah, she did.

The disciples tell Jesus to send her away. This is what they said last week when the 5000 hungry crowd had followed Jesus. Jesus said no, Jesus does not send anyone away. His kingdom is not to scathed but rather to gather.

The woman says to Jesus, “have pity on me, Lord, Son of David, my daughter is tormented by a demon.” Today many of our children are tormented by evil spirits...evil spirits of drugs, alcohol, a spirit of rebellion or immoral life styles.

Jesus tests this woman’s faith three times. 1st by not answering her. He didn’t send her away he just didn’t answer. 2nd by saying “I was only sent for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They come first. 3rd “it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” The woman is begging for leftovers. Remember a week ago after Jesus miraculously feeds the 5000 they pick up 12 baskets of leftovers. The woman knows who Jesus is and what he can do.

Jesus’s response to the woman isn’t that he is being rude to her, rather he wants her to really desire what she is asking for.

If you were to say to someone, “would like this gift?” and they answer half-heartedly “I guess so,” you know that they probably won’t appreciate the gift. However, if they answer enthusiastically, “Oh yes!” then you know they will be more appreciative of your gift.

Jesus wanted not only to give the woman an answer to her prayer, he wanted her to really be filled with joy and gratitude to God.

The woman was persistent, she didn’t give up. She came close to Jesus. She humbled herself and the Bible says that those who humble themselves shall be exulted.

When I was a seminarian in New Orleans, on certain Sundays I would help out in a local church. There was a family with two boys. The youngest was an altar server, the older was in a wheel chair. One Sunday after Mass I overheard the older son talking to his mother asking why he couldn’t serve at Mass. She said, “I’ve told you over and over, there is no way you can be an altar server.”

Hearing this I went over and asked what they were talking about. The mother told me that for years the older son has wanted to serve but she knows he can’t in his wheelchair. I said, “Maybe he can’t be an altar server but maybe he could read at Mass.” The boy’s eyes lit up, “really?” I said “I’ll talk to Father.” So I went back into the sacristy and explained everything to the Pastor. He came out to discuss this with the boy and the mother. Father said, “We have a ramp into the sanctuary and we could set up a microphone at your level so you can read.” He got so excited. The next Sunday we wheeled him into the sanctuary, set up his mic and he read with such passion. God answered his persistent prayer. Had he given up the first time his mother told him he couldn’t do anything, he would never had become a wonderful reader in church.

Maybe sometimes we cry out to Jesus and like the woman it seems that Jesus doesn’t answer our prayer. He really does want to give us what we need but he also wants us to cherish the gift with faith and conviction.

Open your heart and the Lord will give not scraps but an abundance of what we need.