Matthew 15:21-28 Jesus sends a demon out of a girl
I wonder if you’ve ever felt like an outcast – like you were the outsider and didn’t belong in a particular setting. It’s not pleasant to be on the receiving end of such a situation. There are many in our communities and indeed the world at large who are excluded and treated as outcasts – kept at a distance by those who would consider themselves superior or of a higher social standing.
Sadly, this is the experience of many. And the same was true in Jesus’ day. There was a great divide between the Jews and Gentiles.
For the past several weeks we’ve been journeying through Matthew’s gospel and so far, Jesus’ ministry has mainly focussed on the Jews. But in our reading today, we see the beginning of the Gentile mission in an extraordinary encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman. In this encounter we see God's extravagant and expansive love, embracing all who come to him. Because the good news of the gospel is not just for the Jews, but for Gentiles also. All are welcome at God's table where a feast awaits - not just crumbs, but the full works!
So, let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in this passage and what that might have to say to us today.
The first thing to note is that Jesus is in Gentile territory - Tyre and Sidon to be precise. He’s come to the area to get some rest and also to move away from the Pharisees and religious leaders who were getting quite hostile towards him.
The other thing to note is that earlier Jesus had been teaching about clean and unclean foods, pointing out that what really matters is the attitude of our hearts and not what we eat and drink. Basically, he was rebuking the Pharisees and teachers of the law who promoted self-righteousness by their strict adherence to Jewish Law (Matt 15:1-20).
Back in Tyre and Sidon a Canaanite woman is in great need and distress. Her daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession. She must have tried everything possible to help her, but nothing had worked. But then she hears Jesus has come to her village. No doubt she’s heard about Jesus, his teachings and all the wonderful miracles and healings he has performed. Hope that Jesus can do something begins to stir in her heart.
In desperation she hurries to find him and begs him to heal her daughter. Of course she is well aware of her social standing, and no doubt, being a woman was an extra barrier for her in that culture. But love for her daughter drives her to Jesus in search of help. Any parent can identify with her. The circumstances might be different for us today, but when our loved one is sick, we will do all we can to find help.
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me”, she cries. “Help me. My daughter is suffering terribly.”
You can hear the anguish in her voice. She cries out to Jesus several times. And all the time Jesus is silent! He doesn’t say a word. So much so, the disciples’ step in and urge him to do something. They are fed up with her nagging. They’ve come to have some peace and quiet with Jesus. All they’ve had so far is persistent nagging from this woman. Send her away they say to Jesus.
The disciples demonstrate a complete lack of compassion and sensitivity to the needs of this woman. The best they can come up with is asking Jesus to get rid of her. But, before we judge them too harshly, we must look at ourselves and consider how often we respond in a similar manner. We can become so pre-occupied with ourselves that we forget the needs of others.
Sometimes prejudice against the poor and needy causes us to respond in unloving ways, especially if they cause us inconvenience. Can I encourage us all to be open and aware of opportunities to reach out with God’s love to those in need. Be available to God so that he might use you as a channel of blessing towards others. Pray and ask God who you can bless this week – perhaps with a word of encouragement, practical help, through your generosity or in some other way.
In verses 24 – 26 we have this astonishing exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. Jesus says he’s only been sent to the lost sheep of Israel – that is the Jews. But the gospel is not exclusive to the Jews. It is for everyone. Jesus is basically saying to the woman that Jews were to have the first opportunity to accept him as the Messiah and then present the message of salvation to the world.
Back in Genesis 12, when God calls Abraham, he says that it is through Abraham that all nations will be blessed. And that is how we are to understand Jesus’ word’s here. He is not excluding or rejecting the Canaanite woman. He's not out to destroy her faith in him. Rather, he wants to develop it; he wants to rekindle her faith. And from her replies we see her faith growing. She’s not willing to let him go without an answer.
Notice the woman’s persistence and posture. She’s not giving up. She comes and kneels before Jesus demonstrating an attitude of worship and reverence. She addresses Jesus as Lord. And her plea is very simple: “Lord, help me!”. That’s it. No beating around the bush. She doesn’t try to come up with clever or persuasive words. She doesn’t use religious jargon. Simple and to the point – “Lord, help me!”
This is such an encouragement for us to be persistent in prayer and to keep it simple. When we don’t know how to pray or what to say, you can’t go wrong with Lord, help me – an honest cry from the heart.
Back to the passage and Jesus’ reply in verse 26 sounds quite shocking! He says to her, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” On the surface it seems like he’s calling her a dog! But before we get too carried away at such a reply, we have to pause and consider the context and dig a bit deeper to really understand what he’s saying. In Jesus’ time people ate with their fingers and often they would wipe their hands on chunks of bread which was thrown to the house dogs.
The word ‘dog’ was used by the Greek to mean a shameless and audacious woman. The Jews used it as a term of contempt for the Gentiles. It was an insult to use the word dog. As far as the Jews were concerned, pagan Gentiles were no more likely than dogs to receive God’s blessing.
But Jesus is not using the usual derogatory word for dog to heap insult on this poor woman. He is using the more affectionate word used for smaller household pet dogs. By doing this he takes the sting out of the word. And no doubt, the tone of his voice would have made all the difference. For example – you could call someone “an old rascal” in a voice of contempt or a voice of affection.
Moreover, Jesus is not shutting the door in her face. He’s not saying you’re not worthy to receive God’s help. No, what he’s saying is yes, first the children must be fed; but there’s always some food leftover for the pets. What Jesus means is that the offer of the gospel came first to Israel – God’s people, but it’s not just for them. It is for everyone.
The woman, of course, completely understands what Jesus is saying. Her reply is quick and witty. We could rephrase it as follows: “Ah yes. That’s true Lord. We Gentiles don’t sit at the table as children and eat the bread. But even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” In other words, she is willing to receive whatever little help Jesus offers her. What a response! In faith she is willing to receive even the crumbs that fall from the table. And Jesus commends her saying, “woman, you have great faith” and immediately heals her daughter.
One can only imagine the look on Jesus’ face. I suspect he was smiling, with a twinkle in his eye. A face full of love and compassion towards this Gentile woman, who had come to him in desperation out of great love for her daughter. And now she leaves with faith in Christ rekindled and glowing. She leaves with the blessing of Christ. She came hoping to receive the crumbs that might fall from the Lord’s table and leaves with her plate overflowing!
It is worth noting that in Matthew’s gospel both persons who had ‘great faith’ were Gentiles – this Canaanite woman and the Roman centurion (Matt 8:5-13). In both cases Jesus healed the one in need from a distance. But now in Christ Jesus all can draw near to God and know is love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Ephesus says that all those who were far off have now been brought close because of Jesus and what he did on the cross. Jesus has broken down the barriers of division. He has overcome sin and death. In him and through him we can have peace and reconciliation with God the Father. All are welcome. There is no small print with exclusions.
Everyone is invited to come, taste and see that the Lord is good. Christ invites us to his table where a feast awaits us. We don't need to hide under the table, waiting for crumbs to fall. If you know and love the Lord Jesus as your saviour, then you are seated at the table. You're a child of God - loved and cherished by him. He takes great delight in you; God rejoices over you!
Conclusion
This passage teaches us about God’s incredible love and saving purposes for all people. This is offered to us in Christ Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the bread of heaven who was broken for us so that all who feed on him might be truly satisfied. We who have received the Lord’s wonderful blessing of salvation, are to be channels of his love and grace to those around us. We are called to share the good news of Jesus with others – in practical and prayerful ways.
This passage also teaches us to persist in prayer. Don’t give up. Keep seeking the Lord. Trust him to work out his good purposes. Of course, it doesn’t mean that we always get what we pray for. Yes, in this passage the Lord graciously heals this woman’s daughter. And he continues to answer our prayers in wonderful ways even today. But he also sought to deepen this woman’s faith in him. And often that is what happens as we wait on the Lord in prayer.
"Thank you, Lord, for your great love for me. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Enable me to share your good news with others. Holy Spirit, help me to be joyful in hope, patience in affliction and faithful in prayer. Amen."