Homily For The Second Sunday in Lent 2026
Last week, we had the account of temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness and the OT lesson presents the truly acceptable fast to the Lord. In both we have the offer of a feast amidst fasting. God promises to make his people satisfied with the joy of the Lord, which comes from a fast coupled with true care for the poor and vulnerable. Jesus showed us what it looks like to feast on the Word of God amidst the fast in the Wilderness. Feasting on the Word of God through obedience.
This morning Our Old Testament Lesson is found in I Kings 8 where we read of the dedication of Solomon’s temple - the culmination of centuries of the Ark dwelling in tents, God’s covenantal presence promised to Israel is moved about from place to place.
Now, the ark has a resting place, a place of permanence. And Solomon, in the dedication, prays and asks the Lord to hear the prayers of his people when they call unto him - when either they come to the Temple in person or even pray in its general direction. He asks the Lord to receive the repentance of his people when they sin and there are consequences indicating their rebellion. Solomon prays that if God’s people are in the midst of defeat, varied natural disasters, even exile, that God will hear in heaven and “give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest.”
This is a bold prayer even for those who are joined with God in covenant. Israel was given God’s special favor through Abraham’s covenant, the Mosaic covenant, the Davidic covenant. God promised blessings and curses attending those covenants, and in this prayer Solomon is calling for God to show mercy and hear from heaven when rebellious people, facing the rightful consequences for sin, cry out.
What is even more incredible and of particular interest as we consider our Gospel for today is that God would hear “the strangers” - those not of God’s covenant people - when they pray toward God’s temple. Solomon prays that God will hear even those outside the covenant.
Notice that Solomon mentions people coming to the God of Israel because they have heard of “his great name, his strong arm, and of thy outstretched arm.” This would have been the testimony of one of Solomon’s ancestor’s Rahab - recall she, amidst the unrepentant masses in Jericho, turned her heart toward the God of Israel because she and all of the Canaanites had heard what God did to the Egyptians. Her conviction of God’s power moved her to protect the spies and ask to be spared from the destruction of Jericho - she and her family were the only ones to be saved in that city.
Her faith as a stranger is the only reference of a Canaanite in the 11th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews - her name is there alongside Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, the Judges, for we read in verse 31: “By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because because she had received the spies in peace.
It was by faith that Ruth, a Moabitess, followed Naomi into Israel - she did so because she trusted in the great name of the Lord and made the God of Naomi her God and Naomi’s people her people. Both Rahab and Ruth, both faithful strangers, were the ancestors of Solomon. During Solomon’s own lifetime, we have the Queen of Sheba coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon and she believed in the God of Israel and blessed the Lord and most certainly prayed to the temple from her native land.
Later, in the divided kingdom, there would be fulfillment as we read of the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian leper and then his taking back of soil to Syria so that he could pray to only the God of heaven, praying, one would suspect, toward the temple in Jerusalem.
Solomon asks that God would hear in heaven and do according to all the stranger’s requests. Hear them like you would hear those of the covenant - even as those gathered in obedience to your laws, even as the patriarchs and prophets were heard. Solomon prays this so that all the people of the earth may trust in the Lord - believe him and take the Lord as their God.
In Our Gospel, we have a stranger - a Canaanite woman - who falls down before Jesus and worships him and asks him to deliver the woman’s daughter from the power of a demon. This is more than an isolated incident. Last week, we had Jesus recapitulating Israel’s time in the Wilderness.
Now, we have Jesus conquering the Canaanites. Just as Rahab signalled the coming of Joshua and the conquest of Canaan. We have the Canaanite woman being conquered by faith in Him.
How does the OT lesson inform our understanding of the Gospel for today? In the Gospels, Jesus confounds those around him by speaking of the destruction of the Temple and the raising of it in three days. In John’s Gospel, we read that Jesus was not speaking of Herod’s Temple rather he was referring to the temple of his body. (John 2:21). This aligns with the prologue of John’s Gospel where we read that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. True worship that centered on the Temple was being restored by Jesus tabernacling, dwelling among the people, becoming the true Temple. So when the Canaanite woman, a stranger, prays to Jesus with the faith of the strangers mentioned by Solomon she can trust that God will hear her prayers and do what she asks for in earnest faith.
She is a Gentile - she is a dog according to the mind of the Jews. Yet, she is the type of stranger that Solomon prayed for. Perhaps her diligence is an answer to that prayer. Perhaps the response of the Gentiles - in the Gospels, Acts of Apostles, even our present day - perhaps even now as we gather to worship the Word become flesh. Let us cry out for help to the God who has promised to listen.
She sought him out - she begs for help from the Son of David. David the great conqueror of the enemies of God. Now, in her presence, he has power over all the enemies of all Adam’s children. Her daughter is possessed and tormented by a demon; Jesus remains silent. Most would turn away. Yet, the faith of this woman compels her to press on. The disciples advocate against her - they are tired of hearing her cries. Now, we read in our Gospel, that Jesus turns the ambiguity of silence into what many would consider a closed door - a refusal. Jesus says he came for the Jews. He came to rescue the lost sheep among his own people.
Then, St. Matthew tells us that she drew near and worshipped Him. She was not distracted - she heard his words and still pleads for help. Help me. She worships toward the Temple, she begs for help for she has heard of the mighty works that God has done in Jesus. Jesus puts her off again - it is not proper to give the children’s bread to the dogs. There is buried in this a glimmer of hope for although Jesus uses a word for dogs - a term that Jews used for Gentiles - he uses a term of endearment - little dogs - the pets - dogs yes but beloved of their owners. She presses forward and argues for how her request fits the analogy of children and dogs. She acknowledges that Jesus came for the Jews, that he came to save his people, but there is an abundance in the love of God and surely there will be some leftovers - some of the crumbs that even the undeserving dogs may eat. He used the name of a dog referring to her status, but she described the action of the dog, the eagerness of a dog’s searching. They will find whatever crumbs fall to the floor. She will gladly be a dog if such blessing falls to her.
To this, Jesus announces one of the greatest compliments in the Gospels - Great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Great was her faith and great is the Lord who hears the faithful prayers of those who earnestly seek him. The Lord hears the faithful prayers of those who pray toward His Temple.
The Church Fathers often remarked on the combination of humility and faith in this woman. She was willing to identify herself as a dog and to acknowledge the Jews as masters. In contrast, the Jews who opposed Jesus often were puffed up with pride - “We are Abraham’s seed and were never in bondage to any man.” “We are born of God.” Even though she was a Gentile dog and Jesus came to the Jews first, she has hope. Humility is the mother of faith. It acknowledges the truth of circumstances - one’s true bargaining position. Humility admits true need and seeks its rest only in the Lord.
When humility sees the Lord, when it sees the power of God, it gives birth to a faith that is not deterred by opposition, it presses in and receives God’s blessing.
This is a Sunday to feed on faith and repentance. The same Lord who hears those who repent and pray toward his holy Temple hears us when we turn to Him. Lent is a time for repentance, a time to return home - come home by turning from our sins and receive assurance that God hears and forgives. What are you struggling with today? Are you concerned about your health? Are there problems in your family? Are the bills piling up? Do you find yourself awake in the wee hours of the morning anxious about things in your life? Use whatever causes you stress and tempts you to anxiety to become a faithful petitioner, calling out towards God. Pray to the one who can truly change things - the one who loves to answer us when we call - when we turn to him in faith and repentance.
