My first read of today’s gospel passage left me slightly lost. I, too, have daughters, but I am fairly certain that any parenting challenges my wife and I have faced with them thus far pale in comparison to a demonic possession. And then Jesus responds to her unthinkable challenge by comparing the woman’s status to that of a dog. That’s not the typical challenge we face day to day, and that is certainly not the usual response of the Jesus I have learned about, prayed to, and tried to follow over the course of my life. What is going on here?

While both the woman’s situation and Jesus’ response seem strange to us, I was not surprised by the reaction of the disciples. These are the same individuals who want to keep the children from bothering Jesus just a few chapters later in Matthew.

Perhaps Jesus is challenging both his disciples’ cultural prejudices and the woman’s perseverance in requesting help. Did the mother truly believe in Christ’s power to heal and to save, even when reminded of how the Jewish culture viewed her? What offended pride, cultural prejudices, and bad memories are we willing to push through in prayer to be united to God? Those who truly seek out Jesus in their lives, whether an innocent child or Canaanite, will be welcomed by him, but the onus is on us to be sincere and persistent in that desire.

Navigating life’s challenges, whether daily and trivial or shocking and severe, always invites a compassionate and empathetic response. Fortunately for us, Jesus embodies those characteristics. He just asks that we be willing to commit ourselves to him, no matter who we are. He is ultimately awaiting all of us despite what others might say or do to make that meeting difficult.