NOT TOO PROUD FOR CRUMBS (MATTHEW 15:21-28)
The story of the Canaanite woman and her demon-possessed daughter is ridden with tough questions, negative overtones and hard feelings. A scholar said, “It is difficult to find a harsher and more unfeeling reply in the four Gospels than that which our Lord made to the Canaanite woman. In our present climate, if someone just overheard the first part of this Gospel reading, Jesus would be finished. Jesus of Nazareth would be called an anti-feminist, and I doubt if He would ever have been able to re-establish himself again for the highly considerate and sensitive man He was.” (Richard McCullen)
The Canaanites were a loose company of tribes who were already occupying and terrorizing the land of Palestine before Abraham’s arrival there (Gen 10:15). Their checkered history with the Jews was understandable. Noah had cursed his son Ham, the ancestor of Canaan, to be a slave to his brother Shem, ancestor of the Jews (Gen 9:25-26). After entering the Promised Land, the Israelites suffered the Lord’s wrath for mingling with the nations, adopting their customs and worshipping their idols, including sacrificing their sons and their daughters to the idols of Canaan (Ps 106:38). The last Old Testament prophecy concerning the Canaanites was a damning exclusion of the Canaanites in the house of the LORD Almighty (Zech 14:21).
In this passage, the Canaanite woman not only survived the obstacles, opposition and odds in her path, but more importantly, she succeeded in the most unlikely place of Judah in the most unlikely fashion and with the most unlikely ending.
How did she triumph amidst the adversity? She sidestepped her misfortune in life with her rousing appeal to Jesus, then combated opposition from the disciples with her relentless aim for Jesus’ feet, and stated her deposition of faith with real admiration from Jesus.
How do we face and approach obstacles on the way to Christ? Should we give up, be angry or become bitter? Why is faith unafraid of roadblocks, ridicule and rudeness?
Send the Message
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." (Matt 15:21-22)
In a Peanuts comic strip Charlie Brown was playing catch with Lucy to prepare their old hapless losing team for the new baseball season. Charlie Brown proceeded to throw a high ball across the field to her. Lucy was ready for the ball to fly into her mitt. She lifted her head up to the sky, her hands were ready to field the ball, but not only did she not catch the ball, it hit her on the head instead. Then she suffered the ultimate indignity of the clueless Charlie Brown yelling at her: “Lucy, you’re the worst player in the history of the game!”
Of course, Lucy would not accept that from Charlie Brown or anyone else, for that matter. She shouted defiantly to Charlie Brown across the filed: “You can’t prove that! You should never say things that you can’t prove!” That made Charlie Brown think. Charlie Brown corrected himself and hollered back: “In all probability, you are the worst player in the history of the game!” Hearing that, Lucy whispered quietly and meekly, but triumphantly: “I can accept that.”
The Canaanite rose above her outsider status with her rousing appeal to Jesus.
The woman’s appeal to Jesus was the turning point not only for the well-being of her demon-possessed daughter, but also for the promotion of Jewish-Canaanite ties and for the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s kingdom. Her story was more compelling when readers realize she was the first pagan in a non-Jewish terrain to publicly embrace Jesus and the first and only woman to cry publicly for a hearing from Jesus. The verb “cry out” means scream, shrieking even, a very unlady-like outburst!
It was shocking enough for a Jew to believe in Jesus, rare for a Gentile to welcome the Jewish Messiah in Palestine, but scandalous for a Gentile woman to acknowledge Jesus before fellow Canaanites outside of Palestine. Therefore, the confession of the woman in distant Tyre and Sidon, a city 100 miles northwest to Capernaum, was extremely challenging, controversial and courageous.
Previously, the only Jews that made the attempt to approach Jesus were all healed, from men who were demon-possessed (Mt 8:29, 9:32) to the crippled (Mt 9:2) and the blind, who could walk (Mt 9:27) and see (Mt 14:26), but this was the first and only time a Canaanite, a Gentile and a Jewish adversary was healed. Further, she did not make things easy for herself or Jesus by asking in foreign territory. Even the Gentile centurion, whose sick servant was unidentified by race, made his request to Jesus in the friendly confines of Palestine when Jesus entered Capernaum (Matt 8:5).
In the process, not only did the Canaanite woman renounce her forefathers’ pagan gods, beliefs and practices when she addressed Jesus as Lord and Son of David, she also stunned, embarrassed and offended her family, friends and neighbors when she made a commotion, caused a scene, and drew attention to herself, her daughter and Jesus with her loud, daring and passionate plea to Him in public. She cried, screamed and begged for attention. From now on she was recognized and identified as a Jewish sympathizer, a prodigal daughter and a curious sight - a Gentile woman who disregarded historical animosity, cultural taboos and racial differences to embrace Jesus in faith for the sake of her daughter. It made her an outsider, a minority, an oddball and an oxymoron in the worst places and to her own people, but her appeal was worthwhile for her daughter’s sake. Though it cost her before her people, it gained a hearing from Jesus.
Silence Your Critics
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
(Matt 15:23-25)
A story that appeared in the Daily Bread told about an old grandfather clock that had stood for three generations in the same corner of a room, faithfully ticking off the minutes and hours, day after day. In the clock was a heavy weight that was pulled to the top each night to keep it running.
Then one day the clock was sold, and the new owner noticed the heavy weight. “Too bad,” he said, “that such an old clock would have to bear so great a load.” So he took the weight off the chain. At once the clock stopped ticking.
“Why did you do that?” asked the clock. “I wanted to lighten your burden,” the man said. “Please put it back,” the clock pleaded. “That’s what kept me going.” (Daily Bread 4/20/98)
The Canaanite woman demonstrated her perseverance and dignity when opposition arrived from the disciples, not her people. She showed that she had the poise of presence, the perseverance in character and the peace of mind that no one could fake, shake or take. The Canaanite woman’s temperament, attitude and calm were amazing when opposition rained on her from the most unlikely source: Jesus’ disciples. Opposition, however, did not hinder her but hurried her to act, did not confuse her but convinced her to act, did not prohibit her but possessed her to act. So she kept crying and she cried non-stop for the Lord’s attention.
The disciples, on the other hand, were protective of Jesus. Already, on arrival at Tyre, Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; however, the Canaanite woman found out where He lived, and decided to act quickly, as soon as she knew where He could be found (Mk 7:24)
Even then, the disciples’ words, behavior and attitude were inexcusable. Their actions and words that day were appalling, inexcusable and discriminatory, but their attitude was worst. They refused, rejected and rebuked the woman outright. They could have done a lot of damage to her faith, the Jewish Messiah’s reputation and Jewish-Gentile relationship. Sadly, the disciples acted by themselves. Interestingly, the Greek verb to describe the disciples’ “urging” in Matthew 15:23 is the same verb to describe the Canaanite woman’s “begging” before Jesus in Mark’s version (Mark 7:26), suggesting that the woman pleaded relentlessly with Jesus, but the disciples worked on Jesus just as hard, but with more people. The odds against her were high: at least twelve Jewish men against an outnumbered Gentile woman! For the first time, the Greek word “besought” lost its nobility, decency history and credibility in the life of disciples. The disciples did not “beseech” Jesus to do something positive or proper like they used to, such as explaining a puzzle (Matt 16:13, Mark 4:10, John 9:2) or urging him to eat (John 4:31); instead, they urged him to do something negative and turn down someone in need.
To their surprise, not only did they fail in persuading Jesus to send the woman away, they could not bar or ban her either from Jesus. She crept nearer and nearer, closer and closer, as she made stride, made progress and made contact. The turn of events did not make her make her bitter but it made her more determined to succeed, and she did. Not only did she outrage the disciples, she outdid and outclassed them, begging Jesus passionately not with words from afar but on her knees before Him, under His nose, in front of His eyes. Before they knew it, she had made her way, knelt before him and pleaded to Him: “Lord, help me!” (v 25).
In your troubles or sadness, have you rushed to that special spot before Jesus? Have you told Him about your plight? Have things, people and feelings prevented or obstructed you from having faith in and getting close to Jesus?
Support Your Case
26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matt 15:26-28)
Dogs are more pests than pets or guardians in those days. No matter how lovable, friendly, well-bred, well-groomed or well-trained they are, they contribute nothing to the family and bring nothing to the table! Sheep, on the other hand, give of their wool, milk and meat; and if that wasn’t enough, their young ended up on the owner’s table too! No wonder Jesus used the sheep analogy for Israel and the dog for Gentiles.
Jews were not allowed to keep dogs for pets. The Muslims forbid that too. Dogs were dirty, wild and numerous in Jesus’ days. Without owners, they stray; without baths, they stink; without food, they starve.
The only way dogs subsist and survive is to live off strangers, garbage or open air dining. Fearful dogs go to the trashcan for food, but smart, hungry, friendly dogs take their place by the table or with strange people. Anyone can chase dogs away but no one can stop them from returning, unless they are hit with a stick or a stone. Their place cannot be denied. Crumbs are free. Not even the most frugal man in the world would or could save morsels. Diners can save the last piece of bread or maybe even its crust, but not crumbs or scraps that are left on the table or dropped from the table.
The Canaanite woman, interestingly, created an opening despite Jesus’ emphatic, pointed, forceful statement (Mt 15:26). By saying, “Yes, Lord,” she demonstrated that she did not need a direct question to answer Jesus (Mt 15:27). She wisely portrayed herself as a Gentile underdog who was not picky, greedy, moody, flaky or testy. The foreigner willed for herself nothing but unwanted and unfeasible crumbs from the table and she did not even ask for a helping hand or a deserving turn.
Jesus’ actions were enigmatic. Though Jesus did not send the woman away, he did not rebuke nor reward the disciples either. While his initial silence was confusing, his final remarks were crucial. Jesus did not aid her defense or scorn her presence; in fact, he ignored her to make her determination and initiative even more remarkable. He wisely used withdrawal, silence and delay to extract, emphasize and endorse her great faith. She called Jesus Lord three times, tying her with the two blind men (Mt 20:30-31) in calling Him “Lord” the most number of times. She humbly, respectfully and audibly called Him Lord the three times she spoke to him.
Jesus openly congratulated and commended the woman for her great faith. Along with the centurion (Lk 7:9), the two Gentiles were the only ones Jesus admired for their great faith, but she was the only one to hear from Jesus first-hand His direct praise, which Jesus highlighted to emphasize His purpose. Jesus made the trip to Tyre and Sidon to make the sharp contrast between the stubbornness of the Jews and the repentance of Gentiles. He rebuked the Jews for their unbelief: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” In fact, Jesus visited the farthest and most hostile places to reveal the great faith of a Canaanite woman in faraway Tyre and Sidon who had NOT seen Jesus perform miracles to highlight the Jews’ stubborn unbelief in Palestine even after seeing up-close Jesus’ miracles in their land.
Conclusion: God knows our heart, our actions and our mind. While it is true that Jesus was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, He has not denied, forsaken or rejected those who come to Him. Ultimately, God’s forgiveness, salvation and goodness are freely available to those who come sincerely, patiently and tirelessly to Him. Have you come to the Source, the Giver and the Fountain of Life? Have you confessed your need to Him? Have you called on Him and cried to Him for help? Do you allow people’s words and deeds stumble and not stimulate your relationship with God? All who receive him, all who believe in the name of Christ, are considered children of God, not wild dogs or lost sheep, but sons and daughters of God.
Victor Yap
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