The fourth Sunday in the Days of Lent, in the churches of the East, is called the Sunday of the Canaanite woman. It is based on Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman in Mark 7:24-37. Her daughter is possessed by demonic spirits, stemming from Canaanite religious practices. When she comes to Jesus for help and healing, he quotes a popular saying among the Orthodox religious community of that time. They regarded the Gentiles, especially the Gentiles, as “dogs.” Jesus goes against this sentiment. He delivers the little girl from the demonic spirits and heals her.
The Prophets reading on this Sunday, Isaiah 56, reminds the Lenten worshipper that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Hebrew Bible. It claims that during the times of the Messiah there would be Justice and Right-ness. This Justice and Right-ness would not only be for the Jewish people. Rather, it will also be for peoples groups like the Stranger (Hebrew, Nekar), and the Eunuch- peoples groups who were regarded as the discards of society.
The texts on this Sunday of the Canaanite woman give clear direction to the followers of Jesus. Those who seek to truly follow him are called upon to decisively go into the territories of the Other- one’s own Canaanite territories. Followers of Jesus are urged to reach out to the people who are regarded as discards in society-aliens, and eunuchs, and Canaanite women. The Kingdom of God is made up of these kinds of people.
This is a very interesting blog and I do agree that everyone should learn about Jesus Christ and essentially what The Kingdom of God truly is.