20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Nevertheless they persisted…
 
There are at least three important models for faith in this week’s stories. In Matthew there is, of course, Jesus who listens, learns, and changes. Our tradition may find these to be unfamiliar actions for Jesus, but this kind of relational generosity should be no surprise, even if his initial response to the Canaanite woman leaves much to be desired.
 
There’s the woman. Persistent. Tenacious. Humble. Powerful. Full of faith! Her commitment to seek help for those who are powerless to do so themselves puts us on notice for what we are both called to do and capable of doing. To our astonishment, the woman chooses engagement, persistence, and non-violence. Her family is saved, and even Jesus is changed.
 
Joseph should raise our level of astonishment even further. His jealous brothers turned on him. Their cruelty was monstrous, even murderous were it not for Reuben’s intervention (Genesis 37:21). We could imagine Joseph, drawing on his considerable political and personal power, leaning into his desire for revenge in the seemingly endless human cycle of rivalry, retaliation, and regret. Joseph chooses forgiveness. And, for the moment and for the sake of the generations of Israel and Egypt alike, peace reigns.
 
Do you believe the same could be true in our time?
 
Enter into worship.
 
Readings: Genesis 45:1-15 † Psalm 133 † Romans 11:1-5, 29-32 † Matthew 15:21-28
 
About the Art: Watanabe, Sadao, 1913-1996. Woman of Canaan, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57538 [retrieved August 6, 2023]. Original source: https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/woman-canaan-26809.

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