THE CANAANITE WOMAN'S FAITH

“And Jesus…withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she is shouting out after us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’” “But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ And He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’” “But she said, ‘Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.’” “Then Jesus answered and said to her, ‘O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed at once” (Matthew 15:21-28 NASB). When I read this Scripture passage in the past, I got very distracted wondering why Jesus called the woman and her daughter dogs. I looked in a commentary and discovered that in Jewish society in New Testament times, Gentiles were scorned by Jews. So Jesus was just voicing the prevailing point of view. I don’t think it was His point of view. I think He liked this woman very much from the outset, and He was setting her up to be greatly honored. The desperate mommy displayed unwavering faith in Jesus’s power and received a huge compliment from Jesus. Lord Jesus, thank You that we don’t have to make it into a certain social group to receive Your kindness and healing. It thrills our hearts to know that if we persevere in believing in Your power and mercy, You greatly appreciate it, and You will praise us for it.