February 23, 2016
WHO LET THE (GENTILE) DOGS OUT?
Matthew 15:21–28
Lucy Chang
Central Truth
When you ask for God’s blessing in humility and with great faith, God will answer your call!
Key Verse |
Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:28)
Matthew 15:21–28
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. 1 15:28 Greek from that hour
Dive Deeper | Matthew 15:21–28
Before you squirm on the use of “dogs” in this passage, let’s read on. Up until this point, Jesus had been ministering in primarily Jewish Galilean territory (Matthew 10:5-6). It wasn’t that God didn’t care about the Gentiles, but rather He intended to reach the Jews first before turning to the Gentiles (Romans 1:16).
The Canaanite woman was beside herself in zeal when she saw Jesus. She addressed Him as “Son of David,” meaning she probably knew He was the promised Messiah (Matthew 12:23). Jesus appeared hesitant at first, saying it was not right to “take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). Wait, what?! But Jesus wasn't insulting her, He was simply saying that the children of Israel were intended to be the first to receive the message. His usage of “dog” actually meant “little dog” and suggested affection, not insult or injury!
The woman responded with a great sense of unworthiness. She didn’t demand His healing, nor did she challenge Him. Rather, in great humility she simply asked for His grace. Jesus’ response was filled with emotion, “O woman, great is your faith!” (verse 28).
As someone who struggles with pleasing people and feeling worthless, the sense of unworthiness definitely comes easily to me. I often don’t feel like God even wants to bless me. Apart from the hope of the gospel, feeling unworthy can hinder me from coming to the Lord with great faith and great expectation. But honestly, I think God wants me to come to Him like that—as a beloved child, daughter of the King, ready and waiting expectantly for my Daddy to bestow His blessing on me.
While the plan was originally for the Jews, Jesus responds to all who call on Him; and later, Paul makes no distinction between Jews or Greeks (Romans 10:12-13). Interestingly, the interaction between Jesus and the Canaanite woman marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to the Gentiles. Ultimately, the gospel is to be preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14). It is truly the Lord’s desire that all come to know Him (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9). Hopefully, with great faith!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you find yourself coming to the Lord with a posture of “Here I am; aren’t You glad I’m here?” or with a contrite spirit, aware of your unworthiness, but expectant with great faith? How do you think Jesus wants you to come to Him?
2. Take note of the disciples’ reaction in this passage. They ask Jesus to “tell her to go away” because “she is bothering us with all her begging.” What chumps! But seriously, their response probably reflects a combination of not understanding yet how Jesus' blessing will soon extend to the Gentiles, along with a real sense of annoyance! In what ways have you been “annoyed” with people you encounter in life—folks with real physical and spiritual needs? How would God ask you to change your outlook on these relationships?
3. The gospel is now meant to be preached not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, and even to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). How are you participating in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)?