This is such a confronting text. First, Jesus gives her the silent treatment, then he says she has no claim on him, then he calls her a dog. She does not give up on her fierce desire to get help for her daughter. She claims a rightful place at God’s table, Jesus acknowledges that claim, and receives the help she needs.

This exchange does not read well at this moment of heightened sensitivities to male/female interactions. Matthew very carefully included it as a lesson in how not to treat those who are ‘different’. In the end she is held up by Jesus as a woman of great faith (as opposed to the little faith of his disciples and Peter Matt. 14:31).

The desperate mother is labelled as a Canaanite. That was such an old, loaded term, from 1,000 years before, when the Israelites were trying to conquer the promised land. It’s picking up all the prejudices about the first inhabitants of Canaan.

This Gospel account encourages all those without power or privilege not to give up. It spoke to the early church, to powerfully help them see that it wasn’t just one select group that were welcome at God’s table. The early Christians of Matthe’s community – mainly Jewish people – had to learn that. We still do.

This Gospel account also gets us to look at our old prejudices, or old stories of hurt, hate or wrong done to us.  We can’t keep demonizing those around us who are different to us. The fact that this woman was welcome at Jesus’ table sensitizes us to listen to those who are absent from God’s table.