A woman is rewarded for her faith

Jesus did not stay in one place very long when he was preaching. He decided to stop in the region of the Phoenician port cities of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman who lived there heard about Jesus and came out to see him for herself. She had a very special need.

“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!” she said. “My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

Although Jesus ignored the pleading of the woman, she did not give up. Finally his disciples came to him and said, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

Jesus gave his disciples an answer they did not completely understand. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Still the woman persisted. Again she came before Jesus and reverently said to him, “Lord, help me.”

This time Jesus spoke to the woman directly. “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” The woman looked at Jesus and tried to answer with the same riddle-type answer he gave her. “Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

Then Jesus looked into the eyes of the woman with love and compassion, and said, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was immediately healed.

Jesus continued to move on. He passed by the sea of Galilee and up one of the mountains. Crowds followed him wherever he went, and Jesus healed those who were blind, lame and sick. His miracles amazed all those who saw them, and they glorified God for his power.

Jesus also knew that the people who had come to see him were hungry. Even though his disciples had only seven loaves of bread and a few fish among themselves, Jesus was able to multiply the food and feed more than 4,000 men plus the women and children who were with them. Then Jesus sent the people home and he continued on his way by boat toward the district of Magadan.

READ MORE ABOUT IT:
Matthew 15

Q&A

1. What did the woman want Jesus to do for her?

2. What did Jesus say about the woman’s faith?

Bible Accent: Jesus traveled

Jesus traveled to cities, villages and country regions in order to preach. The Gospels mention many of these places by name, but no one has been able to determine the actual routes he followed. He was more interested in meeting the poor, the sick and ordinary laborers rather than religious or political leaders or wealthy citizens.

But not everyone welcomed Jesus. When he told the people of Nazareth, the city where he grew up, that he had been anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to preach, they became angry. To them, Jesus was only the son of Joseph, the carpenter.

Jesus continued to preach and perform miracles, making both friends and enemies. He never lost faith in his father, and he never stopped loving his people, no matter how they treated him.

Saint for Today: St. Dominic

Dominic (1170-1221) began his religious studies in Spain when he was 14 years old. He became a canon of the cathedral of Osma and remained there after he was ordained. When the prior became bishop, Dominic was named as the new leader of the religious community.

In 1204, Dominic accompanied the bishop to Denmark. While there, Dominic was able to convert a family to Christianity, and he knew God wanted him to become a missionary. He asked the pope to free him of his duties so he would be able to travel.

Within two years, he had started a small monastery that would serve as a shelter for the first nine nuns who were assigned there.

Dominic preached as he traveled across France for the next 10 years in the company of a group of young preachers. When Dominic had another audience with the pope, he was given permission to establish a new order, which became known as the Dominicans.

We remember him on Aug. 8.