During one of Jesus’ ministry to Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus begging for healing for her demon-possessed daughter. But the response of Jesus in this case was cold and unkind (for many modern readers). Let’s see the response of Jesus closely;
First response: Jesus did not answer a word. (Matthew 15:23)
Second response: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (v. 24)
Third response: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (v. 26)
Final response: “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (v. 28)
Lesson 1: Jesus’ First Response
Jesus’ silence speaks a lot about God’s character. God is able to heal but he does not. The silence of God does not mean He is absent. God’s silence to our prayers does not negate his presence. Sometimes we don’t get the answer to all of life’s miseries and suffering. God has his own reasons (purpose) for why He does what He does. So, we have to trust Him no matter what the circumstances or situation we are up against (Life of Joseph and Job).
Lesson 2: Jesus’ Second Response
The primary purpose of Jesus’ coming (even in this case) was for the Israelites. He is their Messiah (Matthew 27:11). That is plain as day. Therefore, Jesus reminds the woman of the priorities of his mission to the world (Matthew 10:5, 6). Only after his death and resurrection, there will be a full swing mission to the Gentiles (Matthew 28:19) but for now, it’s limited to the special group of people, the Israelites.
Lesson 3: Jesus’ Third Response
The picture is that of a household family where all the children are seated at the table to eat. Now, Jesus is right in stating that it would not be logical for him to throw the bread straight to the dogs instead of feeding the children who are at the table. During this time, the Jews considered the pagan/gentiles as “dogs” (Bible Knowledge Commentary, p-56). In fact, calling someone a “dog” is one of the harshest insult even in antiquity (IVP Bible Background Commentary, p-85). But as we study the word in Greek, there is a huge difference of the word “dog” used here. For instance, in Matthew 7:6, Jesus said, “Do not give dogswhat is sacred,” the word “dog” (kusin) in Greek here simply refers to a dog, universally despised in the East (Strong’s Lexicon). But the word used in this passage is kunarion, referring to a little dog, a house dog (a puppy) (Strong’s Lexicon). Therefore, Jesus was not insulting her but referring to her as a puppy for her persistence and humility.
Lesson 4: Jesus’ Fourth Response
God hears our prayers and is ever ready to help us in our time of need (Psalm 46:1). But sometimes, He tests our faith (1 Peter 1:7) to see if we would humble ourselves and be persistent to ask Him (Matthew 7:7). The fact that Jesus calls her possessing great faith is an indirect shaming of the disciples who were with him the whole time (Jesus said, “You of little faith,” Matthew 8:26). God does grant our request if we will continue to trust Him. He will come to our aid and see that our prayers are answered for His glory, amen.
