Sunday of the Canaanite Woman
Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28
As Orthodox Christians, we value tradition. For every event, happy or sad, there is a proper protocol or appropriate response. Once, when I mistakenly placed the sacrament table in the “wrong spot” for a memorial, you would have thought the world was ending. When a tradition is violated, it’s not taken lightly.
The concept of keeping and breaking traditions is not new. Jesus himself was criticized for not following traditional hand-washing customs (Matthew 15:1-2) and eventually left town (to Tyre and Sidon) due to the grumblings of the Pharisees.
Human-made traditions often focus on external appearances like how we look, others’ opinions, or fitting in. However, Jesus emphasizes what comes from the heart, such as humility, trust, and mercy, which are orientated towards others. It’s these values that we see in today’s Gospel reading.
In a foreign land, a Canaanite woman approached Jesus, begging for mercy to heal her daughter. Because she was a stranger, tradition dictated that Jesus not help her, and he told her such. But, the woman humbly continued to ask for mercy and trusted in Jesus’ ability to heal. In the end, her humility and trust led to her daughter being healed.
This story demonstrates that sometimes, it’s important to set aside traditions and act from the heart. Practicing humility and trust will lead us to discovering mercy in the Kingdom.