It is not too hard for one to imagine how the Canaanite woman felt, deep in her heart - before, during and after - her encounter with Jesus. Motivated by her strong love for her daughter, she was brave enough to approach the "Lord, Son of David" with the risk of being rejected, for she knew she was a pagan, a despised foreigner in the eyes of the Jews. Was she afraid? She dared to "argue" with the Lord when He was trying to explain to her His role and mission. Praised by Jesus for her strong faith and knowing her daughter was healed, she was pleased and relieved with joy. How does this passage assure that we can even "change" Jesus' mind? How, indeed, does the Lord invite us to turn our hope and desire to Him to satisfy us?

Jesus, through His interaction with the Canaanite woman, knows that He is the healer and saviour of all, regardless of gender, origin, place of birth or nationality. What matters is but the sincerity of the heart, and the depth of one's faith. He also shows us that the most important thing is to discern His Father's will and desire. Although no words explicitly state this aspect, one can't help but imagine that He changed his mind to fulfill His Father's will, in addition to answer the Canaanite woman's wish. Even the Son of God has to go through a discernment process to understand his role and mission.