Gospel in Art: The Canaanite woman debates with Jesus and saves her daughter

The Canaanite Woman, by Jean Colombe, © Musée de Condé, Chantilly, France

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 3 August 2022
Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, 'Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.' But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. 'Give her what she wants,' they said 'because she is shouting after us.' He said in reply, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.' But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. 'Lord,' she said 'help me.' He replied, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the house-dogs.' She retorted, 'Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master's table.' Then Jesus answered her, 'Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.' And from that moment her daughter was well again.

Reflection on the illuminated manuscript page

This small illuminated miniature painting on vellum (very thin treated calf skin) is part of one of the most famous and possibly the best surviving example of French Gothic manuscript illumination books. We see Christ being depicted three times: first he is seen walking away; then right behind he is shown again, this time paying attention to the Canaanite woman; and then ultimately as part of the separate scene at the bottom, Jesus is shown promising the healing of her daughter, whom we see in the background on the right. Before the printing press was invented, many of these gospel stories were individually illustrated in hand copied Bibles, an activity mainly reserved for monastic communities. After all, not everybody had the ability to read, or read well, and illustrations were used as a tool to help the reader imagine the scene and place him right in the midst of it.

Creating these beautifully illuminated pages was a labour of patience, and it could take months to illustrate just one page. The term 'illuminated' comes from the Latin word for 'lit up' or 'enlightened' and refers to the use of bright colours and gold to embellish these handwritten pages in the Bible. They are pretty spectacular. Not only does the story get told, but the colours and vibrancy of the composition make them so joyous and beautiful to look at.

The Canaanite woman recognises Jesus for who he is. She calls him Lord. But Jesus remains silent and walks away. She persists, kneels before him and keeps calling him. He was so impressed by the woman's faith that he agreed to her request. Her faith saved her and her daughter. She is an example therefore of how to persevere in prayer.

LINKS

Christian Art: https://christian.art/
Today's image: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-15-21-28-2022/