1. Having met with rejection from the Pharisees, Jesus goes to Gentile territory and encounters faith in an unexpected place, in the Canaanite woman. His mission had previously been to his own people. This adds a new
dimension to his mission. Have you had occasions when a chance encounter set your life off in a new direction?


2. The Canaanite woman was not concerned for herself but for her daughter. Recall people you have known who have been committed to a noble cause.


3. The initial reaction of Jesus to the woman was one of rejection but her persistence won a response from him. When have you found that persistence was needed to gain what you sought? What did that experience teach you?


4. Who are the ‘Canaanite women’ who call out for attention today – people in Church or State whose needs are not being attended to?