Matthew 15:21-28
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
This account is also found in the gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:24-30) with more detailed information in some areas.
Chapter 15 of Matthew begins with the tension between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders as Jesus challenges their teachings. Following that, Jesus continued traveling away from the Jewish dominated cities and reached the outskirts of the Israelite territory. Jesus went thirty to fifty miles north to the region of Tyre and Sidon (modern day Lebanon). These were the two main Phoenician cities just north of Mouth Carmel on the coast. The Phoenicans were better known in the Old Testament as Canaanites. This territory was predominantly occupied by the Gentiles who did not follow Israel’s religion. They were not Jews. They did not worship Jehovah. They were pagan worshippers. These people were a remnant of those chased out of the Promised Land by the Israelites several centuries ago. Although these Canaanites were Gentiles, yet they were in enough proximity, to have some knowledge about the religion and God of Israel.
Mark 7:24,25 - From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.
Jesus goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon and entered a house. He didn’t want anyone to know that He was there. But the fact remains, He could not be hidden. The woman heard about it and came looking for him. Matthew describes her as a Canaanite woman. Mark describes her as the “Syrophoenician” woman, based on the region where she was from.
1. Firstly, a woman – who had no rights to come out in public and authoritative demand a healing
2. Secondly, a gentile – who were treated as inferior as Jews
3. Thirdly, a Canaanite – treated as an enemy by the Jews
Most importantly, the woman knew all this but still comes seeking Jesus.
Matthew 15:22 - And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
She approached Jesus because she had a need. Her daughter was severely demon-possessed and she wanted her deliverance. We can safely assume that she would have sought help from every source possible – the physicians of her times, the religious pagan priests… But all were futile. Nobody could deliver her daughter.
She probably would have heard about Jesus. This Gentile district borders Galilee and she would have heard about Jesus and his miracles.
Mark 1:27 - All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!” And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee.
Mark 1:32-34a - That evening, after sunset, people brought to Jesus all who were sick and demon-possessed, and the whole town gathered at the door. And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons.
Matthew 8:16 - When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
She would have heard that Jesus could heal all the demon-possessed. This must have built her faith. So she must have taken the boldness to approach Jesus for her daughter.
She cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
The second title that she addresses Jesus with – Son of David. This is the one that is very amusing. This was meant to be the title of the Messiah. How does this Gentile woman know this title? She would have probably been aware of the Jewish hopes of the Messiah. She would have heard the people saying that the son of David, called Jesus, drove out demons. She trusts that this Jesus is that Messiah, the Son of David. To this trust, she attached her hope of her daughter’s deliverance. This is the strange contradiction to the Jewish religious leaders who refused to accept Jesus as the Messiah. She pleads with Him for mercy. You can imagine the cry of a desperate mother for her suffering daughter!
Jesus knew the pain of the spiritually oppressed. He was moved with compassion and delivered all the demon-possessed who were brought to him in his country. But what was Jesus’ initial response to this woman crying out of agony.
Bible says - But He answered her not a word.
How many times have we experienced this? Sometimes, we pray but we are met with the silence of God. We cry out in agony but God seems to be silent. It may appear that God doesn’t hear our prayers. There are times that things get worse before they get better. God sometimes remains silent to test our faith and perseverance. This is a mystery. His silence is not because God is cold-hearted or he wants to destroy her faith…but to explore it.
This woman keeps crying out. Like the persistence of the little child who wants to get something from his mom…
Faith, at times, need to be tested.
James 2:17 - Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Illustration - Can you imagine a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile and spanning the breadth of Niagara Falls? The thundering sound of the pounding water drowning out all other sounds as you watch a man step onto the rope and walk across!
This stunning feat made Charles Blondin famous in the summer of 1859. He walked 160 feet above the falls several times back and forth between Canada and the United States as huge crowds on both sides looked on with shock and awe. Once he crossed in a sack, once on stilts, another time on a bicycle, and once he even carried a stove and cooked an omlet!
On July 15, Blondin walked backward across the tightrope to Canada and returned pushing a wheelbarrow.
The Blondin story is told that it was after pushing a wheelbarrow across while blindfolded that Blondin asked for some audience participation. The crowds had watched and "Ooooohed" and "Aaaaahed!" He had proven that he could do it; of that, there was no doubt. But now he was asking for a volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow and take a ride across the Falls with him!
It is said that he asked his audience, "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?" Of course the crowd shouted that yes, they believed!
It was then that Blondin posed the question - "Who will get in the wheelbarrow?'
Of course...none did.
(Source - https://www.creativebiblestudy.com/Blondin-story.html)
We all take about faith but demonstrating our faith is not that easy.
This lady was persistent despite Jesus’ silence. The noise that she made got on the disciples' nerves. They told Jesus, "Send her away for she cries after us". We expect Jesus to put the disciples in their place and to help this woman. (Just like how Jesus rebuked the disciples when they forbade little children to come to him).
Jesus’ reply is even more shocking than His silence.
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The response is not the kind that we expect from Jesus. Firstly, he ignores her. “He does not answer a word (v. 23). Now, he answers her very coldly.
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
This means, "I was sent only to bless and help the Jews." How disappointing!
This may surprise us as well. Our thoughts may run - He came to love the whole world. Then why does Jesus make such an exclusionary statement? It’s pretty much like saying to her – I have not come to help you or your daughter.
The statement that Jesus made was true. We need to be clear about the plan of God. God so loved the world and sent Jesus to save not just Israel but all who believe in His name. But it all began with Him revealing Himself initially to One people and dying on the cross. The disciples were to carry out the gospel to the world. Salvation was primarily for the Jews. From them, it extends to all the Gentiles. John 4:22 - You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.
Although the promise of blessing began with Israel, we see from the beginning that it did not exclude Gentiles who come into contact with Israel. Egyptians were also allowed to join Israel in their journey to Canaan. We see how Rahab and Ruth were able up to “rub up” against the blessing of Israel.
It looks like it is over with it but the woman doesn’t stop with it. She now knows that all that she can seek for His mercy. She has not right to reach him out with the right of a child. But she doesn’t stop. She throws herself at His feet and cried out the most appropriate three words that could be spoken - “Lord…help me.”
The second response of Jesus is very shocking! This may sound harsh and hard for us to understand.
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
To understand the intensity of this statement, we need to look at the original language – Greek. In Greek, there are two words to refer to dogs. The Jews usually refer to Gentiles as dogs, to disrespect them, using the word Kuon which meant a street dog that was a scavenger and unclean. But the word Jesus uses here is Kunarion which means little house pet dogs – doggies. It is a more endearing term used for pet dogs that are well taken care of. So, Jesus reply was that it is not right to take the blessings that belongs to the children of Israel and give them away to Gentiles. Jesus meant that, in any family, children come first although pets have their place. It is a way of telling this woman that he has a responsibility now to Jews. Gentiles will get their part but not yet.
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
We would have been taken aback by Jesus’ cold response, but the reaction of the woman is even surprising. At this point, one may wonder if0 she would declare in pride, “Don’t you dare call me a dog.” But this woman doesn’t react in anger. She is doesn’t argue about equality and righteousness of God. Many of us do this. When God doesn’t do certain things our way and when we see the wicked prospering, we question the righteousness of God. She agrees with everything Jesus says. She accepts His statement as it is. She accepts that she has no right to demand the covenanted blessing.
While keeping with the analogy, she displays her great faith.
V27 - And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
She acknowledges that she may not be able to sit at Jesus’ table and eat with the children of Israel but she, as a pet dog, must be allowed to pick up some of the crumbs that drop from the table. She may not be part of the covenant but was seeking uncovenanted mercy.
Her faith was so great that she believed that even the crumbs that fall from the table was more than enough. She passes the test because she knows who Jesus is and what Jesus does. She knows that if Jesus was offering crumbs to her, that was enough. His crumbs are our banquet feast. This is the total trust in Him!
She catches Him in His own words.
Usually, the Pharisees did that. They tried to catch Jesus at His words.
Matthew 22:15 - Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.
But they did that out of wickedness and Jesus rebuked them.
Matthew 22:18 - But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?
But this woman caught Him in His words by faith. Isn’t this faith to hear what the Lord is saying and clinging onto it?
Jesus loves to be caught that way. She won the argument, the only time in the life of Jesus as recorded in the Bible.
Jesus sees she passes the test. Imagine the scenario now. You can see the smile emerging on Jesus’ face. Suddenly, His tones softens and he says, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” I can feel the joy in His words. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
She received her miracle. Probably Jesus wanted to check if she had faith to step over even if He would put stumbling blocks in her way.
The supposedly superior Jewish religious leaders of the day had no faith in Jesus. They condemned Him. Jesus was having a tough time trying to convince them that He was the promised Messiah. He was challenged to prove that with a sign. But here, in this Gentile territory, Jesus finds a woman, most convinced that He was the Messiah, a woman who had great faith in His power and His mercies.
Did you know that it is recorded that Jesus was amazed at great faith only twice? And both the times, such great faith came from Gentiles.
One was this Canaanite woman and another was the centurion from the Gentile nation Capernaum, who pleaded for his servant’s healing.
Matthew 8:10 - When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
This is the faith that God is pleased with and expects from all of us. Faith is not just needed for our salvation. To receive our miracles, God expects a demonstration of our faith. Even when God appears to be silent, faith doesn’t walk away. Faith catches God at His word. Faith finds reasons to believe when there are reasons to give up.
In faith, catch Jesus at His words. God is faithful and will keep His word.
