Let it be done for you as you wish

The response of Jesus to the persistent petitioning of the Canaanite woman, in the text of the Roman Catholic Lectionary from the Gospel of Matthew, is “Let it be done for you as you wish”. (Matthew 15:28) This is the response which we all hope to receive when we request assistance or action from others. What differentiates those requests which have a conclusion with which we are pleased and those responses which fall short? The petitions which are for the benefit of others and through which express our trust that the outcome will be according to the best interests of the one in need are the characteristics of the petition and response in this section of the Gospel. The attempt of the spies in the passage from the Book of Numbers to thwart the will of God for the Israelites draws the anger of God. The consequence of this attempt at deception is the continued wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness for another generation. The psalmist acknowledges our predisposition to ignore the steadfast love and intimacy offered by the Divine and to choose to do it for ourselves. This attitude will not bring the will of God and our wishes together as they were for the woman from Canaan