The Canaanite Woman

 

At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
"Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon."
But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus' disciples came and asked him,
"Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, "Lord, help me."
He said in reply,
"It is not right to take the food of the children
and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in reply,
"O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish."
And the woman's daughter was healed from that hour. - Mt 15:21-28

This, the Gospel reading at last Sunday’s mass, makes Jesus look racist. No service for Canaanites? Isn’t that like no service for negroes?

First, this must be understood as a matter of religion, not ethnicity. The people of Tyre and Sidon were polytheists. 

Second, Jesus’s denial of service may have been a simply practical matter. Unless you put your faith in God, you cannot be cured of a demonic possession. If one demon is cast out, another will soon take their place.

“When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.” – Matthew 12:43-45.

The house must not be left empty. For it is as Bob Dylan said, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the Devil, or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” 

Or as Chesterton said: “Those who do not believe in God will believe in anything.”

The pagan gods are demons. To be possessed by any of them is demonic. Only possession by the loving God is proof against demonic possession.

Next point: demonic possession is what we now, incorrectly, call “mental illness.” It follows that no mental illness can be cured except through turning to God in faith. 

So how is it that the faith of the mother, in this passage, heals the daughter?

Final point: “mental illness” is never an individual problem. The demon exists in the family relationship. When one member of the family is possessed by the demon, generally the parent, the other member is oppressed by it--and is more likely to manifest the symptoms. Cast the demon from the possessed parent, and you heal the oppressed child as well.