Matthew 15:22-28
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 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. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment
The Woman
The woman is said to be from Syria Phoenicia (Mark 7:26).
Jesus treats the Canaanite woman strangely. It is out of character. She pleads for her daughter. He ignores her.
This poor Canaanite woman steps in front of him – desperate for healing, she pleads for her daughter. Jesus ignores her. Walks past.
She is desperate, she refuses to be snubbed. As he passes by she continues to shout, persisting in her request – healing for her daughter.
The Canaanites hated the Jews and were in turn hated by them. Jews referred to the Canaanites - as dogs.
Jesus reaction
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." As if to say: The Jewish people, my people, are my first concern.
She will not take silence for an answer: She kneels before Jesus: “Lord help me.” She is desperate, persistent and powerless. “Lord help me”.
Jesus still refuses her, even goads her. “It is not fair to give the children’s bread to dogs”. She refuses to take offence. In fact, she outwits Jesus. She is his teacher. In effect she says: Call us what you like, I don’t care: “Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”
The Healing
She overwhelms him. “Woman you have great faith!” She breaks through his silence, his belittling of her people, challenges Jesus in her need. “Woman you have great faith. Be it done for you as you desire”Her daughter was immediately cured.
The work of Jesus is no longer limited to the Jews but reaches out to non-Jews as well. “Go and make disciples of all nations…”
She comes to Jesus in faith
This Canaanite woman is a model of faith.
Jesus frequently tested people to prove their intentions, often through response questions or challenges
Jesus was testing the faith of the woman and teaching an important lesson to His disciples.
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