Coexisting in Tyre and Sidon

Last updated on: April 3, 2015 at 4:40 pm by K. Mulhern

Coexisting in Tyre and Sidon 2015-04-03T16:40:07-06:00 K. Mulhern

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The lectionary reading for this coming Sunday is from the Gospel of Matthew, 15.21-28 – the faith of the Canaanite woman. On many of my readings over the years, all I could really think about in this short story is how apparently rude Jesus is to the poor woman. First he ignores her; then he dismisses her as ineligible for his mercy. Really. Is this any way for the Savior of all the world to behave?

I’ve spent some time, too, thinking about the woman’s boldness. Love it. Surely, surely her audacity and relentless confidence is what finally wins over the Lord’s attention. Surely this is a core part of the faith that is so great. And where does it come from? Desperation. Sheer end-of-my-rope urgency. Horror an inch away from hopelessness. Her daughter was “suffering terribly.”

But in my latest readings of this text, I have come to appreciate something else about this exchange. This woman sees something true about Jesus. Whatever rumors were swirling around her community, whatever remedies she had already exhausted, whatever her pagan neighbors were going to think, this woman zeroed in on Jesus. He may refuse to help – as he did, at first – but there was no one else. He was her last resort.

What moves me so deeply is when I recognize in this Canaanite sister all of us who bear unresolvable burdens. (I’m thinking that would be everyone.) Each of us has that personal place of “suffering terribly.” Sometimes these tortures are our own; sometimes they are a sharing in the agonies of someone we love. They are places of brokenness that have not succumbed to our best spiritual, relational, financial, or emotional efforts to mend. They are the constant companions of sorrow, malice, illness, pain, fear, and weakness of every kind. We are all from Tyre and Sidon.

And consider Ms. Canaanite’s options. I’m sure she had exercised every option she had. She certainly had access to a rich variety of Greek gods and goddesses to address. Perhaps she had already had this conversation with Zeus? But when you look at the menu, the choices seem so limited… there are gods and goddesses of war and hunting, sea and mountains, fire and death, drinking and sex. But no, none of those seem quite appropriate.

Perhaps she knew of ancient Canaanite gods who might help. Baal? Or newer Persian gods. Mithras? Was there no one whose primary reputation was of power over evil?

But today we live in a smorgasbord world, where a pantheon of gods and prophets, divine messengers and supernatural conduits awaits our attention. Would Ms. Canaanite have better options today? To whom might she turn in her burning quest for a miracle?

Buddha? Would Buddha be able to help her? Buddha, whose central teaching is that suffering must give way to enlightenment and freedom from the desires that lead to suffering?

Vishnu? Would Vishnu the preserver, one of the greatest of the Hindu gods, be able to help her? Vishnu who demands that his followers recognize and bear the karmic results of an earlier existence?

Muhammad, the messenger and prophet of Allah? Baha’u’llah? Odin? Laozi? Confucius? Kartar? Asatru? Could we reasonably expect, from what we know about these men, myths, and deities, that a brazen and panicky outsider might expect mercy?

Hear me: I firmly believe that other faith traditions have much to teach me, and that there are many great religious leaders outside of Christianity, but if I were a desperate mother with a child who was suffering terribly, and I wanted a miracle of kindness and healing and power, and the full array of great gurus, sages, and guides from history were before me, I would take my chances with Jesus. He may say no. But he’s also the only one who could say yes.

Previous Post

August 8, 2011

Rebuild My Church

Next Post

August 17, 2011 Is Despondency a Christian Value?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent Ascetical Theology Book Reviews Children and Parenting Easter Epiphany Friends of God Lent Life in the Spirit Ludolph Pascalian Spirituality: a series Politics Prayers Six Neo-Christian Myths Spiritual Formation Tales from My Father Trinitarian Spirituality: a series Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 January 2023 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 April 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 October 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 November 2016 June 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 March 2015 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 October 2011 August 2011 July 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 November 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to 2 Peter, what are believers partakers of?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Christ's sufferings God's kingdom Eternal glory The divine nature