John Chrysostom, On Canaan

these demons who practice sorcery and enlarge the wound; but she left the workshop of the devil, and comes to the Savior of our souls. Have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously possessed by a demon. You know the suffering, as many of you as have become fathers; help me in my speech, as many of you as have become mothers. I cannot describe the storm which the poor woman endured. Have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously possessed by a demon. Have you seen the wisdom of the woman? Have you seen her perseverance? her courage? her patience? But He answered her not a word. Strange things. She beseeches, she begs, she weeps for her misfortune, she magnifies the tragedy, she describes the suffering; and the Lover of mankind does not answer; the Word is silent, the fountain is closed, the physician withholds the medicines. What is this new thing? What is this paradox? You run to others, and you drive away this one who runs to You? But consider the physician's wisdom. But He answered her not a word. For what reason? Because He was not examining her words, but was learning the secrets of her mind. But He answered her not a word. But what of the disciples? Since the woman did not receive an answer, they came to Him, saying; Send her away, for she cries after us. But you hear the cry from without, while I hear the one from within; great is the voice of the mouth, but greater is that of the mind. Send her away, for she cries after us; but another evangelist says, "Before us." The things said are contradictory, but not false; for she was doing both.

For at first she was crying from behind; but when He did not answer, she came before Him, like a dog licking the feet of its master. Send her away; she has made a spectacle, she has gathered a crowd; they were seeing the human anguish, but the Master was seeing the love of mankind, and the salvation of the woman. Send her away, for she cries after us. What then does Christ say? I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. When He answered, He made her wound worse; for He was a physician cutting, not to divide, but to join together.

2. Here pay close attention to me, and focus your mind for me.

For I wish to investigate a deep question. I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Is this all? For this reason did You become man, did You take on flesh, did You work so many dispensations, that You might save one corner, and that one perishing? Is the whole inhabited world a desert, Scythians, Thracians, Indians, Moors, Cilicians, Cappadocians, Syrians, Phoenicians, as much land as the sun looks upon? Did You come for the Jews alone, and do You overlook the nations in the wilderness? and do You overlook the savor of burnt offerings? do You overlook the smoke? do You overlook Your Father being insulted? idols being worshiped? demons being served? And yet the prophets do not say these things, but what does Your forefather according to the flesh say? Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. And Isaiah, the seer of the Seraphim; And there shall be the root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to rule over the nations; in Him shall the nations hope. 52.454 And Jacob; A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, until He comes for whom it is reserved, and He is the expectation of nations. And Malachi; For among you brazen gates shall be shut, and they shall not alter what is set before them, because from the rising of the sun even to its setting Your name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to the Lord, and a pure offering.

And David again; All you nations, clap your hands, shout to God with a voice of exultation; for the Lord is most high, terrible, a great king over all the earth. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. And another; Rejoice, you nations, with His people. And did You Yourself, having come, not immediately call the magi, the citadel of the nations? the tyranny of the devil? the power of the demons? having come down, did you not make them prophets? You call magi; the prophets

ταύτας τὰς γοητευούσας δαίμονας καὶ αὐξούσας τὸ ἕλκος· ἀλλ' ἀφῆκε τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ ἐργαστήριον, καὶ ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα τῶν ψυχῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων. Ἐλέησόν με· ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Ἴστε τὸ πάθος, ὅσοι πατέρες ἐγένεσθε· βοηθήσατέ μου τῷ λόγῳ, ὅσαι μητέρες ἐγένεσθε. Οὐ δύναμαι ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὸν χειμῶνα, ὃν ὑπέμεινε τὸ γύναιον. Ἐλέησόν με· ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Εἶδες τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τῆς γυναικός; εἶδες τὴν καρτερίαν; τὴν ἀνδρείαν; τὴν ὑπομονήν; Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῇ λόγον. Καινὰ πράγματα. Παρακαλεῖ, δέεται, κλαίει τὴν συμφορὰν, αὔξει τὴν τραγῳδίαν, διηγεῖται τὸ πάθος· καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος οὐκ ἀποκρίνεται· ὁ Λόγος σιωπᾷ, ἡ πηγὴ κλείεται, ὁ ἰατρὸς τὰ φάρμακα συστέλλει. Τί τὸ καινόν; τί τὸ παράδοξον; Ἄλλοις ἐπιτρέχεις, καὶ ταύτην ἐπιτρέχουσαν ἐλαύνεις; Ἀλλ' ἐννόησον τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῇ λόγον. Τίνος ἕνεκα; Ὅτι οὐ τὰ ῥήματα ἐξήταζεν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας κατεμάνθανεν. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο αὐτῇ λόγον. Τί δὲ οἱ μαθηταί; Ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔτυχεν ἡ γυνὴ ἀποκρίσεως, προσελθόντες αὐτῷ λέγουσιν· Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀκούεις κραυγῆς, ἐγὼ δὲ τῆς ἔνδοθεν· μεγάλη ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ στόματος, ἀλλὰ μείζων ἡ τῆς διανοίας. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν· ἄλλος δὲ λέγει εὐαγγελιστὴς, Ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν. Ἐναντία τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλ' οὐ ψευδῆ· ἀμφότερα γὰρ ἐποίει.

Πρότερον γὰρ ὄπισθεν ἔκραζεν· ὅτε δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη, ἦλθεν ἔμπροσθεν, καθάπερ κύων λείχων τοὺς πόδας τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτήν· θέατρον περιέστησε, δῆμον συνήγαγε· τὴν ὀδύνην ἐθεώρουν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐκεῖνοι, ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς γυναικός. Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. Ὅτε ἀπεκρίνατο, χεῖρον αὐτῆς ἐποίησε τὸ ἕλκος· ἰατρὸς γὰρ ἦν τέμνων, οὐχ ἵνα διέλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα συνάψῃ.

ʹ. Ἐνταῦθα προσέχετέ μοι μετὰ ἀκριβείας, καὶ συντείνατέ μοι τὴν διάνοιαν.

Ζήτημα γὰρ βαθὺ ἀνερευνῆσαι βούλομαι. Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. Τοῦτο ὅλον; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἄνθρωπος ἐγένου, σάρκα ἀνέλαβες, οἰκονομίας τοσαύτας εἰργάσω, ἵνα μίαν γωνίαν σώσῃς, καὶ ταύτην ἀπολλυμένην; ἡ δὲ οἰκουμένη πᾶσα ἔρημος, Σκύθαι, Θρᾷκες, Ἰνδοὶ, Μαῦροι, Κίλικες, Καππάδοκες, Σύροι, Φοίνικες, ὅσην ὁ ἥλιος ἐφορᾷ γῆν; ∆ιὰ Ἰουδαίους μόνους ἦλθες, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ὑπερορᾷς; καὶ περιορᾷς κνίσσαν; περιορᾷς καπνόν; περιορᾷς τὸν Πατέρα σου ὑβριζόμενον; εἴδωλα προσκυνούμενα; δαίμονας θεραπευομένους; Καίτοι οἱ προφῆται οὐ ταῦτα λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' ὁ πρόγονός σου ὁ κατὰ σάρκα τί φησιν; Αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. Ἡσαΐας δὲ ὁ τῶν Σεραφὶμ θεωρός· Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν· ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσι. 52.454 Καὶ Ἰακώβ· Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, οὐδὲ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως οὗ ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν. Καὶ Μαλαχίας· ∆ιότι ἐν ὑμῖν συγκλεισθήσονται πύλαι χαλκαῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀλλάξονται τὸ προκείμενον, ὅτι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ μέχρι δυσμῶν ἡλίου τὸ ὄνομά σου δοξάζεται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ θυμίαμα προσφέρεται τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ θυσία καθαρά.

Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ πάλιν· Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, κροτήσατε χεῖρας, ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως· ὅτι Κύριος ὕψιστος, φοβερὸς, βασιλεὺς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. Ἀνέβη ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἀλαλαγμῷ, Κύριος ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος. Καὶ ἄλλος· Εὐφράνθητε, ἔθνη, μετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ σὺ αὐτὸς ἐλθὼν οὐ μάγους εὐθέως ἐκάλεσας, τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῶν ἐθνῶν; τὴν τυραννίδα τοῦ διαβόλου; τὴν δύναμιν τῶν δαιμόνων; οὐ καταβὰς προφήτας αὐτοὺς ἐποίησας; Σὺ μάγους καλεῖς· οἱ προφῆται