Isaiah 56:1, 6–7; Psalm 66 (67); Romans 11:13–15, 29–32; Matthew 15:21–28
Overcoming Discrimination
Dear friends, today is the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. One of the central themes emerging from today’s readings is the question of discrimination.
Discrimination exists in many forms in our society. We can speak of cultural discrimination, which is inherited and deeply rooted in our ways of thinking and behaving. It may be expressed through tribalism, negative ethnicity, racism, social class, or caste systems. We can also speak of systemic discrimination, in which social, political, and economic structures are established or maintained in ways that benefit some groups at the expense of others.
The first reading reminds us that God chose the people of Israel to be bearers of his salvation enterprise, but that salvation was always intended for all peoples. God had promised Abraham: “And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me” (Genesis 22:18). Israel’s election was therefore not a privilege meant to exclude others; it was a vocation to become a blessing to all humanity.
However, as time passed, and as the Israelites experienced God’s protection and intervention on their behalf, they sometimes came to regard themselves as superior to other peoples. They forgot that being the chosen people was not a reason for discrimination but a responsibility to serve God’s plan of salvation.
The same temptation exists among us. We experience discrimination in our communities, workplaces, schools, political systems, and even in places of worship. Yet when God blesses us with opportunities, talents, positions, or success, he does not give them to us so that we may feel superior to others. He gives them to us so that we may serve others.
There is always a reason why God chooses individuals and communities to participate in his mission. God is the Creator and Father of all, and he does not show partiality. St. Peter learned this lesson when he said: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34–35).
Through the prophet Isaiah, God makes his intention even clearer: “Foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord… these I will bring to my holy mountain.” Their sacrifices, too, will be accepted on God’s altar. This was a radical message in a society where foreigners were often regarded as outsiders and were excluded from full participation in religious life.
Even today, we encounter the mentality of “us versus them”: locals versus foreigners, our tribe versus another tribe, our community versus another community, or our religion versus another religion. This can develop into xenophobia—the rejection or hatred of people because they come from another country, culture, or community.
In the second reading, St. Paul reflects on his mission to the Gentiles. Although he was Jewish by birth, he became an apostle to the Gentiles. He explains that the salvation offered through Christ came first to the Jews, but that their rejection opened the way for the Gentiles to receive the Gospel. Paul even hopes that the Gentiles’ acceptance of the Gospel will awaken the Jews to faith once again.
This reminds us that God can use different people and circumstances to bring us back to himself. Sometimes, those whom we consider outsiders may become instruments through whom God teaches, challenges, and renews us.
The Gospel gives us a powerful example in the Canaanite woman. She comes to Jesus because her daughter is suffering. She was a foreigner and, therefore, belonged to a people who were traditionally regarded as outsiders by the Jews. She was also a woman living in a society where women had limited social status. Nevertheless, she refuses to allow ethnic, cultural, or gender barriers to prevent her from approaching Jesus. She courageously cries out: “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me!”
At first, Jesus appears to remain silent. His disciples even want her sent away. Jesus then uses the image of children and dogs—a reference to the traditional Jewish distinction between the people of Israel and the Gentiles. Yet the woman does not give up. She responds with humility and extraordinary faith: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Her persistence reveals the depth of her faith. She refuses to be discouraged by the barriers placed before her. Jesus finally praises her: “Woman, you have great faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Her daughter is healed.
The encounter demonstrates that genuine faith can break barriers. What matters before God is not our tribe, nationality, social status, gender, wealth, or background, but our openness to him and our willingness to trust him.
Dear friends, discrimination is not only something that other people practise. Sometimes, we too discriminate against others without even realizing it. We may favour our relatives, our friends, our tribesmen, our social class, or people who share our religious or cultural background. We may consciously or unconsciously consider some people more important than others.
There is a common saying that “blood is thicker than water.” It expresses the human tendency to feel closer to our own relatives and people of our own community than to outsiders. But my experience has taught me another truth: faith can be thicker than blood. Whereas blood unites us through family, clan, or tribe, faith can unite people across clans, tribes, races, cultures, social classes, nationalities, and positions. In mission, this unity of faith enables us to work and live with people who may be very different from us.
As we admire and imitate the courage and faith of the Canaanite woman, let us also examine our own lives. Where do we still practise intolerance? Whom do we exclude? Who are the people we consider inferior, unworthy, or “outsiders”? What barriers have we created that prevent us from recognizing the dignity of others?
God is the Father of us all. He calls us not to discriminate against our brothers and sisters but to recognize every human being as created in his image and loved by him. May the faith of the Canaanite woman teach us to overcome every barrier of discrimination and become instruments of unity, inclusion, justice, and love.
Have a blessed Sunday.
Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 