A couple of weeks ago, a man called the parish office to complain that, like the daughter of the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel, he was being tormented by demons.  He claimed that demons were scratching at his skin and causing him great discomfort.  Eventually, he arrived at what he really wanted.  He said, “It’s really hot here in downtown Clearwater.  Father, couldn’t you just get me a motel room so I can cool down?”  After stifling a laugh, I counseled the man to contact a Catholic parish closer to his location. 

I felt sorry for that man.  He appeared to be homeless, living on the streets, and suffering from the unnatural heat this summer.  I felt empathy for him, but not trust.  Was it really demons tormenting him or merely the month of August?  Certainly, it was the latter.  All of us have had conversations like that one; trust and its misuse are experiences common to everyone. 

An example of the importance of trust is seen in the trickster stories common in every culture.  From pre-industrial societies to our post-industrial society there are folk tales and children’s stories that describe the effects of trust and distrust between individuals.  The stories of Prometheus, Robin Hood, Leprechauns, and Brer Rabbit are examples. 

The event narrated in today’s Gospel has much in common with these stories of trickster characters.  Jesus chose to travel in gentile territory yet refused to heed the entreaties of a gentile woman.  When asked for help, he responded with an insult.  The wily woman, however, knew how to compel Jesus to act; she pronounced the right words, and he healed her daughter.   

This Gospel story parallels the story of Rumpelstiltskin.  Rumpelstiltskin offered to rescind an onerous bargain if the young maiden could guess his name.  He was certain that he would win the bet because of his unusual name.  The young maiden turned the tables on him by following him around until she learned his name. Apparently, striking bargains with tricksters can cause one to become a trickster oneself. 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus acted much like the trickster Rumpelstiltskin, and the Canaanite woman acted much like the clever maiden.  Some Scripture scholars seem to support this interpretation.  These scholars opine that Jesus was testing the woman to determine whether she had legitimate faith.  At first, Jesus feigned disinterest in the Canaanite woman’s problem; when she persisted in referring to him as a descendant of David, he changed his mind suddenly and granted her request. (Mt 11:28) 

I have never been comfortable with the interpretation that Jesus was testing the woman’s faith. In my experience, those who encounter “tests of faith” often fail the test. Furthermore, Jesus’ definition of faith contains no element of uncertainty, doubt, or inchoateness. In the case of the Canaanite woman in the Gospel, her faith was complete and unbending before she made her request of Jesus. He would have recognized this immediately. 

Why, then, did he act as if he was unwilling to attend to her plea? As there seems to have been no uncertainty about her faith, there must be another reason for Jesus’ apparent reluctance to respond. The reason, I think, is that this conversation was neither for the benefit of the Canaanite woman nor Jesus. This was not a test of the woman’s faith or a test of Jesus’ mercy. Rather, it is consolation and encouragement for us. 

Those who place their complete trust in God often have the experience of feeling ignored or abandoned. The writings of the Saints over the centuries attest to this. Mother Teresa said that from the time she resolved to follow God’s will until the end of her life she felt no close presence of God in her life. Everyone has known someone who felt their prayers have gone unanswered; some have had this experience themselves.  

The conversation between the Canaanite woman and Jesus is an example of this experience. At first, the woman was rebuffed, despite her earnest entreaty. Her perseverance seemed to do no good at all. Yet, when she was insulted, she remained trusting. She is a model of faith and prayer for every believer. 

Faith is not a test of character, and God is no trickster. Neither is faith a guessing game or contest in which one tries to outsmart God. Authentic faith sometimes feels like the conversation between Jesus and the woman, but it always begins and ends with trust. For this reason, there are no real tests of faith: either one believes, or one does not. The Canaanite woman believed before she petitioned Jesus and before he healed her daughter; this is the model for all believers to emulate.