Mark 7:24-30 The astuteness of the Syro-Phoenician woman

Jesus and the Syro-Phoenician woman, Engraving by Pietro del Pò (1616-1692), after a painting by Annibale Carracci (1560-1609), Mid 17th century, Engraving on paper © Welcome Collection

Gospel Reading

Jesus left Gennesaret and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not pass unrecognised. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him straightaway and came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a pagan, by birth a Syrophoenician, and she begged him to cast the devil out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ But she spoke up: ‘Ah yes, sir,’ she replied ‘but the house-dogs under the table can eat the children’s scraps.’ And he said to her, ‘For saying this, you may go home happy: the devil has gone out of your daughter.’ So she went off to her home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.

Reflection on the engraving

In our Gospel reading today we read how a woman of non-Jewish background can teach us something about praying: persistence!  In her spontaneous interaction with Jesus, she takes the attitude of continuing to ask Christ, even though at first she didn’t get the response she wanted. The depth of the woman’s faith, like a trusting child, is an example to us. She has not physically brought her daughter to Jesus, but in her eyes the prospect of long-distance healing presents no difficulties. Christ can do anything and everything from anywhere! Our etching, by Pietro del Po after Annibale Carracci, depicts the Syrophoenician woman kneeling in front of Jesus and pointing towards the dog who is trying to find food. The lady is in an act of supplication, looking desperate and placing all her trust in Jesus. Saint Peter looks upon the scene at a distance raising an eyebrow, suggesting that the woman’s persistence was probably very intense, and might even have annoyed him. Jesus lifts his cloak gently to fully reveal his left hand which is empowering the distant healing and expresses compassion for the Syrophoenician woman. The Syrophoenician woman was, in a sense, wrestling with Jesus. There can be an element of wrestling with God in our own faith. In fact, God is quite used to people struggling and wresting with him! Our faith can be put to the test when the Lord does not appear to hear our prayer. At such times we need to be as tenacious in our faith as the Syrophoenician woman was.