Numbers 13,1-2, 25–14, 1.26-29, 34-35/Psalm 106, 6-7, 13-14, 21-22, 23/Matthew 15, 21-28
Reflection
The First Reading speaks about the
commissioning of a group of spies from among the Israelites to go and survey
the land they were about to enter. This account affirms that the land that God
gave to the sons of Israel was not an uninhabited land. There were different
tribes or groups of people in the land, among whom were the Canaanites. The
despatch of the spies reflects the normal practice of the time. As a nomadic
people, each time a group approached an inhabited area, they first sent out
spies to find out more about the inhabitants of the land, their military
strength and their defence systems. A careful evaluation of the situation on
the ground contributed to the subsequent decision, whether to attack the
territory or not.
In our account today, the majority of the
Israelites were afraid of attacking the inhabitants of the land. The spies told
the Israelites that they saw giants in the land. Only Caleb was courageous
enough to call the people to battle. The hesitation of the people showed that
they failed to acknowledge that God was in control of their destiny. They
failed to show faith in God who was guiding them. That is why God’s anger is
manifested against them in the latter part of the account. God decided to
punish the people for their lack of faith.
In our daily life, we also have to evaluate
the situations we encounter. We have to decide how and when to act but we
should never do it all alone. We need to seek divine illumination so that our
actions may be guided by God. We need to show faith in God by acknowledging
that he is the one controlling events and will guide us on the path he has
chosen for us. We should not be afraid to cry out to the Lord when necessary. A
bit of insistence can be helpful to show that we really need what we are asking
for.
The Canaanite woman in the Gospel Reading is a perfect example for us to
imitate. She insisted on her request until Jesus gave her what she wanted. We
can also persevere in our prayers until God grants us what we ask for. We
should however keep in mind that ultimately the will of God must be done
because he knows better than us and seeks our good always.
By Most Rev. Emmanuel Kofi Fianu, SVD
