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

A Landscape with Christ and the Canaanite Woman, by Essaias Van de Velde, 1617 © Johnny Van Haeften Ltd

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 7 August 2024
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 painting

We often admire individuals who remain steadfast in their convictions and 'stick to their guns', even when facing significant pressure to change. Consistency in beliefs is often equated with integrity and reliability. Conversely, we tend to distrust those who alter their views to fit different situations, presenting one opinion to one person and a different opinion to another. Such behaviour is often seen as indicating a lack of sincerity and reliability. However, unwavering adherence to our beliefs isn't always ideal. While it's important to have strong convictions rooted in good values, especially those aligned with the Gospel, it's equally important to remain open to new perspectives. Being flexible allows our beliefs to evolve and improve over time.

In today's Gospel reading, it seems that one of Jesus' convictions was that God had sent him, initially at least, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He tells a pagan woman, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Earlier, he instructed the apostles similarly, focusing their mission on the renewal of Israel. However, in this passage, Jesus' conviction is challenged by the persistent pleas of the pagan woman for her sick child. Despite his initial reluctance and a seemingly harsh response, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the house-dogs," Jesus allows this important conviction of his to be reshaped by the persistent pleading of a pagan woman on behalf of her child. The Canaanite woman was not deterred either by Jesus' silence or by his comment. With a mixture of perseverance, humility and humour, she managed to get through to him. The Gospel reading suggests to us that, like Jesus, we too need to be open to what people are telling us and teaching us. We can even go as far as saying (or at least considering the possibility) that Jesus' convictions were reshaped by someone who was very much an outsider, a woman in a man's world, a pagan in a Jewish world.

Our painter, Esaias van de Velde, was baptised in the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam on 17 May 1587. His father Hans van de Velde (1552-1609) was a Protestant painter who had settled in Amsterdam in 1585 after fleeing religious persecution in Antwerp. It was a common practice for Netherlandish artists of the 16/17th centuries to include small-scale biblical or mythological figures, often painted by specialist figure painters, in their landscape paintings. We see the Canaanite woman throwing herself at Jesus' feet, imploring him to help her. Jesus is pointing towards two dogs. He responds to her request, raising his right hand in a gesture of blessing.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-15-21-28-2024/