LET THE NATIONS BE GLAD AND EXULT

XX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 15:21-28

It was very difficult for the Jewish people to change from a nationalist and exclusivist mentality to a universalistic. It was difficult for them to understand that they had been chosen for the sake of the others so that salvation would be offered to all. For them, the gentiles were outside God’s promises of salvation and the only way for them to have a share in the promises was to join the Jewish people and to become one of them. Having realised that the salvation of God is offered to all, Paul considered himself as the apostle of the gentiles: “God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.” (Ro 11:13,32)

In this Sunday’s first reading, we hear that, through the great prophet Isaiah, God had already spoken of his universal plan of salvation, leaving the door open to all “foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants” (Is 56:6), and He will take them to his holy mountain.

However, during Jesus’ time, the Pharisees had a great influence and that influence became dominant after Jesus and during the time of the first Christian Communities, mainly after the destruction of the Temple, They could not understand or accept that salvation was offered to all just through faith in Jesus Christ. For them, the Law of Moses was essential to belong to the people of God and to find salvation. The Messiah would come to the Jews bringing the promises to fulfilment. Then, from the superabundance of grace,  some scraps would fall off to the gentiles. The best food belonged to the children of the house, and the scraps to the house-dogs near the table. That was a common understanding and Jesus used that popular understanding and way of speaking in this Sunday’s gospel to drive home the lesson that all those who have faith will find peace and salvation in him.

A foreign woman came to Jesus. She was a “Canaanite woman”, and that word rings a bell: the Canaanites had been a constant temptation to the Jews with their worship of Baal and their sacred prostitution. But here, this Canaanite woman is given as an example of faith. She addressed Jesus three times as Lord and knelt before him in worship. With words that sound harsh to our modern ears, Jesus tested her faith and she came out of the test in the best way. And then Jesus not only granted her request but also praised her faith: “Woman, you have great faith.” (Mt 15:28).

It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved and all those who have faith receive the treatment reserved for the children - the beloved children of God.

With the Psalm 67, we may sing:

Let the peoples praise you, O God; 

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

  for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

  you guide the nations on earth. (Ps 67:3-5)

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This Sunday, 20 August, the Parish of Lubengele celebrates fifty years of the opening of the Church. In the following link you can open the pamphlet prepared for the consecration of the Church:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzfceLeKDTYoWkJrUV9vSnJXcWs