Women In Faith

"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.' " --[Matthew 15: 21-28].

I was the baby in my family, and the only daughter. Even those few decades ago, when I was a tiny child, girls were to be seen and not heard. If my brother received any special dispensation --- a new car as a teen, a more expensive set of clothes --- I was to meekly acquiesce.

As the males in my family became more and more dominant, receiving the lions' share of all that the family had, my place became smaller and smaller. I shrank back physically. I began to slump, to droop. I spoke rarely. I gave no evidence of emotion. I helped out with the gardening and the cooking. I became invisible.

During all those years of being ground down to Nothingness, I still had my Faith. But what to do with that Faith? Wouldn't it get me noticed? In trouble?  And so I kept my Faith as a small flame, a tiny ember, deep within.

That was my life in the 20th Century. Imagine what life must have been like for women at the time of Jesus, then? What a dramatic encounter here, out in public, between Jesus, a Jewish male, and a non-Jewish woman. At that time, as well as mine, women were to be seen, but barely. Women's place was largely in the home.

Even more dramatic was that the woman was a Canaanite. She did not belong to the House of Israel.  In fact, the Canaanites were the peoples who fought the Israelites, for control of the promised Land.

The prophesy about Jesus' place as Redeemer of Israel, came when David had been anointed as King. The prophet Nathan told David that God had come to him in a vision and foretold: " The Lord will make you a house. . . I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. . . and I will establish his throne forever." -- 2 Samuel 7:4-17.]

Thus, Jesus was foretold as the One who came from the House of David, to save Israel and Israel alone.

The Canaanite woman confronts Jesus about this. She insists that Jesus help her.

But Jesus essentially says, "It is not right to take the food of the [Chosen Ones] and give it to the dogs [the enemies].

Only when the Canaanite woman insists in challenging Jesus further, does He relent.

I see in this Reading that, Yes, women are allowed our Faith. But we must insist! We must speak our Faith!

Many in the Church today still believe in women who are to be seen and not heard. They take great precedent from the Bible that the disciples were ONLY men.

Yes, BUT . . .

Donald Senior, C.P, in his book, "Jesus: A Gospel Portrait" states that the inferior status of women in the Bible resulted from the social mores of the times. He says, "The [women's] "inferiority" extended to religious matters. A woman was not permitted full access to the temple". --- No one would dispute today, that women can have full access to church or temple.

I would argue that the social mores of Jesus' time were never meant to be a firm commandment of God's message. In fact, Donald Senior says in his book: "[Women] are to be numbered with the disciples because the Gospels unanimously insist that the most faithful followers Jesus had were women." Senior goes on to say, "Jesus obviously did not feel compelled to follow the prevailing strictures demanding public avoidance of women."

In fact, I can see women with prominent roles throughout the Bible:

Never forget that the first recorded Hymn in history was sung by Miriam in the Old Testament! [Song of Miriam, Exodus 15: 1-18].

Never forget the valiant bravery of Deborah in leading men into battle in the Old Testament in Judges 4.

Never forget that for Jesus to be born, He needed a Mother in Mary.

Never forget that it was Mary who stood silently at the Crucifixion. It was the disciples who fled the scene. Or who publicly renounced Jesus. Or, who hid in a room "for fear of the Jews" -- [John 20:19].

Donald Senior points out that "the disciples are far short of ideal".  

 Women are not perfect, either.  But we are not the after-thoughts in the Church. We are not merely the invisible hands, pouring the coffee and juice at receptions, ironing the altar linens, stuffing envelopes for mass mailings, decorating the sanctuary for holidays, organizing the Christmas pageant.

We are all this -- and more! Clearly, in Scripture, we are at the heart of the Church, just as Mary was. Just as Miriam and Ruth and Deborah and Rachel and Martha and Anne were.

Jesus knew this! He was not afraid to encounter us in the public square. He was not afraid to challenge us to speak up for our Faith. And, for that boldness in Faith, we were richly rewarded!


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