Jesus and the Crumb-Catcher

When it comes to mothers, Jesus “gets it.” He could spot ‘em a mile away—in the prison visiting area, the ER waiting room, the interminable preschool pageant, awaiting a new driver in the DMV lot, accompanying a guerney ‘til the operating room doors clanged shut. Of all the humans he knew, they (also some dads and other nurturers) were most like himself in their over-the-top, tender adoration of a son or daughter who’d melt their hardened edges and break their hearts with love.

In today’s gospel, he learns Lesson 1: Moms can’t be deterred. Racist slurs like comparing them to dogs, belittling comments like “eat the crumbs” don’t prevent their obstinate, defiant defense of their child. The Canaanite woman might say bluntly, “Ignore and tease me all you want, but she is sick and I’m not leaving ‘til she gets well.”

It’s heartening, how he waffles—just like us. He’d long revered his Hebrew tradition, sung its psalms, followed its customs. Could he cast it aside so easily? No wonder he was silent, thinking hard. Maybe then he looked into her eyes, saw the exhaustion, the pleading—and called her “great.” Assured of healing, she felt as if she ate the whole, fat loaf.

In Letters Catherine of Siena says of this story: “And there’s more.” (With Jesus, isn’t there always more?) “God wanted to show how pleased [God] was with her, and … wanted to give her trust in the Lord credit for the victory.” Not only does he cure the daughter, he gives mom credit! What prodigiously, outrageously magnanimous person does that? 

Kathy Coffey, “Jesus and the Crumb-Catcher,” from the August 2026 issue of Give Us This Day giveusthisday.org (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2026). Used with permission.