On this 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, we have two Scripture readings indicating that Jesus was sent not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles.
In Romans (11: 13-15; 29-32), Paul tells his Gentile followers that he is their apostle, the Apostle of the Gentiles. He gives them the good news that God’s mercy is for all humanity. Though this is “old news” to us in the 21st century, in the time of St. Paul, this was indeed amazing news, for most people thought the “messiah” was to be only for the Hebrew (Jewish) people.
Then, in the Book of Matthew (15: 21-28), a non-Jewish woman approached Jesus to heal her daughter. At first, Jesus says he was sent only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But when he saw how great the woman’s faith was, he said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” The woman’s daughter was healed from that very hour.