Second Sunday in Lent AD 2024

“Great is thy faith!” This is what Jesus said to the Canaanite woman who asked the Lord to help her daughter. Jesus healed her daughter when He saw her great faith.

What is faith?

In Hebrew, the word for faith is 'ĕmûnâ. Literally, it means firmness, fidelity, steadfastness, steadiness. This word comes from the verb āman – to support, confirm, be faithful –, and the word āmēn – verily, truly, amen, so be it – comes from the same verb.

The Greek word pistis – faith – has a slightly different etymology. This also primarily means trust, but not so much the steadfastness of the believer as his conviction that the one he believes in is trustworthy and faithful.

In the case of that Canaanite woman, we can see both. On the one hand, she is unwavering in her trust in Jesus – she knows that the Lord can help her daughter, and she is convinced that Jesus will eventually heal her. On the other hand, that woman is also steadfast and consistent. She doesn’t stop until she gets what she asks for. Jesus says to him: “O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”

By initially rejecting the Canaanite woman, Jesus taught His disciples and us an important lesson: we need faith in both of the senses described above. We must be firm and steadfast in our faith, especially when it is tested, as Jesus tested that woman’s faith. And we must be firm and steadfast in our trust in the Lord, knowing that He not only can, but also wants to help and save us.

Sometimes it is asked, how can God expect faith from us, since faith is our work and we know that we are not justified by works. In fact, faith is not our work, but God's – He is the one who, by His absolute trustworthiness, brings forth faith in us. Faith is the gift of God for the salvation of our souls.