Persist And Insist 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Gerard Majella Parish, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

August 17, 2014

From the beginning, God had revealed himself to certain figures in history. The Old Testament tells us that he revealed himself to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Jacob etc. Apart from revealing himself to these personalities, he also chose Israel to be his special people. But in Jesus of Nazareth, the Ancient of Days who revealed himself to human personalities comes to us and to everyone else that is not Jewish, that does not live within the boundaries of Israel. Even though Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24) seem to contrast this, yet it is in this encounter that the Lord enlarged his mission and demonstrated that his mission is to be extended beyond the geographical space of Israel.  

Today’s Gospel taken from Matthew 15:21-28 tells us that Jesus had just made a deliberate withdrawal from the noisy and ever busy city of Galilee and sought peace and quiet in the border region of Tyre and Sidon. His popularity had spread far and wide. Wherever he went, the crowds followed him. There was no place in Palestine where he could be sure of privacy. So, he went to Tyre and Sidon where the Phoenicians lived. He wanted a place where he would be free from the crowds who were not giving him any breathing space, and also be safe from the hateful hostility of the Scribes and Pharisees. At least no Jew is likely going to follow him to Tyre and Sidon and no Jew is likely going to be there anyway. Tyre and Sidon were Gentile regions.

But even in these foreign Gentile lands, Jesus did not escape the common plea and demand of human need. Human suffering does not discriminate. It affects every human person and every human race. In Tyre and Sidon, a woman whose daughter was being tormented by a demon approached him with a cry: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” This woman was not a Jew. But she must have heard of the wonderful things that Jesus had done. Desperately, she cried for help on behalf of her daughter. At first, Jesus paid no attention. He was silent. Then, his disciples said to him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

Even the silence of Jesus did not discourage the Canaanite woman. His silence did not get on her nerves. The silence of Jesus did not make her stop calling out after them. She keeps calling Jesus. She refused to turn back. The words of Jesus: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” did not turn her back. She persisted with a cry: “Lord, help me.” Even when Jesus said to her: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs,” this mother was not upset. Instead she replied Jesus respectfully: “Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

The Canaanite mother teaches us the virtue of persistence in prayer. Because of her persistence and expectant faith in Jesus her prayer was answered: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Her faith saved her daughter. Her refusal to give up brought healing to her daughter. Her virtue of persistence in prayer brought her daughter back to life. Her practice of PUSH- ‘Pray Until Something Happens” saved her daughter.

The Canaanite woman stands for all mothers. Like most mothers, she loved her daughter. She made the misery of her daughter her own. She personalized her daughter’s misfortune. You may call her a pagan, but she had an undying love for her daughter which is a reflection of God’s love for his children. It was love which made her approach a stranger; it was love which made her accept his silence; it was love which made her accept belittlement; it was love and compassion which made her swallow the harsh words she received from Jesus and his disciples. It was love that drove her to Jesus.

If you are asking God to help you solve a problem, but all you are getting is silence, keep praying for the desires of your heart. His silence may be a test of your faith. Like the Canaanite woman, continue to follow the Lord; continue to call him and make your request. God’s silence is not necessarily a refusal of God to heed. Look at the Canaanite woman. She started out by following Jesus, then called him Son of David. Son of David was a popular title, a political title. It was a title which saw Jesus as an earthly powerful wonder worker. But that title did not get her the attention of Jesus. Then she called Jesus “Lord.” She also came to him and paid him homage which is a sign of surrender and worship. She also accepted humiliation and then ended with prayer. She had indomitable and unconquerable persistence. In the end, her prayer was answered. Ephesians 6:18 says Keep on praying.

Sometimes the silence of God to our prayer may not necessarily be a refusal. It could be a test of your faith. Continue to disturb heavens with your request. God’s silence is not a bad thing, for it can provide us with an opportunity to grow in faith. His silence can provide us the opportunity to learn to pray. God’s silence can afford us the opportunity to develop reliance and trust in God. But our persistence in prayer can break God’s silence.