Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

When God Delays, Faith Must Persist

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

Homily for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Church of St. Bridget of Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, August 16, 2026

The Gospel for today is the account of the persistent Canaanite woman. Matthew says that Jesus is in pagan territory. He is traveling with his disciples when an unnamed Canaanite woman calls out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” This woman represents the yearning of all of us, the longing of the world for justice, mercy, healing, favor, breakthrough, peace, ease, freedom, safety, and the love of God. Like all of us, the Canaanite woman may have sought help elsewhere but didn’t find it. She may have been promised by other sources and other powers that her daughter would be well, but rather than getting better, her daughter’s condition worsened. Seeing Jesus pass by, she correctly senses that this is where her daughter’s only hope of healing and deliverance lies. So she begins to cry out for help. What is Jesus’ first response to her prayer? Silence! The Lord’s responses to this needy woman range from silence to an indirect rebuke to an outright insult. When Jesus remains silent in response to the woman’s request, his disciples urge him to send her away. Responding, Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In those words, the Lord reaffirms the election of Israel. Once again, Israel is chosen and elected by God not because of their justice or the integrity of their heart (Deuteronomy 9:4-6). Israel was chosen for service. God wants to use them to reach out to the whole world. 

Although Jesus echoes Israel's election and his primary mission to them, this woman is not discouraged. In fact, she doubles down. She moves closer to Jesus, worships him, and pleads further, “Lord, help me.” Even after being told that it is not right to give dogs the food meant for children, she remains undeterred. She rolls with Jesus’ punches and responds with faith that pleases the Lord. Jesus then says to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Her troubled daughter is instantly healed and set free from demonic possession. 

But why did Jesus delay giving the Canaanite woman what she asked for? Why does God delay answering prayers? Many preachers say that Jesus is testing the woman to know her faith. As plausible as that may sound, it is not true. The Gospels present Jesus as having access to people’s minds. He knows their secret thoughts. So he does not have to test the woman to know her faith. As the very incarnation of the God of Israel, he knows the minds, hearts, and dispositions of people. He already knew the faith of the Canaanite woman. Jesus tested the woman so that she might know how great her faith is. This was St. Augustine’s explanation for why God sometimes delays our repeated prayer. And this is why perseverance in prayer is so strongly recommended in the Christian tradition. 

In my pastoral ministry, I have heard people say, “I never knew I had that courage until I was pushed to the wall.” “I never thought I was that strong until I was tested.” “I never knew how strong I was until I had to forgive someone who wasn’t remorseful and never apologized.” The great reggae singer Bob Marley said, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” That’s the Canaanite woman. Jesus tested her, pushed her to the wall, so she might discover how great her faith is. Some of us would have given up, asking whether silence was the response we received. If we don’t give up at the silence stage, some of us will give up at the indirect rebuke stage, when Jesus declares that he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I can imagine many of us concluding at this point, “Well, I tried” or “This man is mean and unfair!” or “This man is discriminating against me; he is not a good person. He is not a prophet.” And those who were not put off at the second stage of indirect rebuke may most likely frown and walk away at the final stage of insult. I can see the quick-tempered ones among us, the aggressive ones, gearing up to throw their own insults and walking away. But not the Canaanite woman. She was stretched. Her faith was tested. In the end, she demonstrates her great faith. With her daughter under the captivity of Satan, she understands that the only choice she has is to stay strong in her faith. Eventually, her persistence pays off. Does she deserve God’s grace? Not at all. But that’s all of us. None of us deserves the grace of God. Jennifer Hudson, in one of her songs, captures this theme beautifully: “I am not perfect, but he loves me anyway.”

God bless you!