Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

- Matthew 15:21-28

Yesterday, we read about the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, who criticized Jesus because His disciples did not practice the ritual purity of washing their hands. Jesus countered with an accusation of His own, that their traditions actually prevented the Law of Moses from being carried out -- and He gave the example of property that was dedicated to the temple, and therefore could not be used by dependent relatives, such as a father and mother. He said, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." His disciples told Him the Pharisees were offended at what He said. Jesus replied, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Later, He explained His earlier saying to the disciples, that whatever goes into the mouth is eliminated, but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and they defile a man -- "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Today, Jesus is in Gentile territory.

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." But He answered her not a word. To think about Canaan and its character in the Old Testament, we have to understand that this was a land promised by God to Israel. But it was never fulfilled fully and permanently -- its population lived side-by-side with Jews, but was considered to be a kind of enemy territory, distinguished theologically from the Israelites. In Genesis, we may read of the curse of her ancestor Canaan, in which his descendants are to be "slaves of slaves." So here, we have this woman of this "inferior" people coming to Christ and calling Him "Son of David," and "Lord." She is calling for mercy. She accords Him royal Jewish lineage even in His humanity, and shows great humility in calling Him Lord.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Not only is she a Canaanite, but to approach the men publicly is not customary in any case. My study bible says that Matthew's Gospel is written primarily with a Jewish orientation, hence the great pains to make this distinction. We must also understand the historical theological distinction between these peoples, and the context of the Old Testament scriptures.

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." This is Jesus' third refusal of the woman: first He doesn't answer her, next He tells her He's sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Here, she even worships Him! But He tells her what sounds like a great insult -- and we have to keep in mind the historical context. This text is illustrative of just that. But Jesus' refusal is seen as a kind of prompting or goading, and she replies.

And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Her persistence and faith in Christ proceeds even out of every refusal. She doesn't respond in kind, but rather in humility and directness -- with persistence in her faith in Him for what she wants and needs. In a sense, we can read the fulfillment of the Israelite promise of Canaan into this encounter: Jesus' Church will become also a Gentile Church; in Christian context, the true Israel. She also is one of the people of God. The Gospel has already taught us that Jesus is the knower-of-hearts; here, we must presume His goading was prompting her great expression of faith.

For modern ears, this story may seem distasteful and harsh. We don't like to think of Jesus saying such things to anyone, let alone a woman whose daughter needs healing. But the Gospel writer is trying to make a very distinguishing point: that the Gentile church -- even believers who are Canaanites -- is incorporated into the people of God, the new Israel. It is a clear illustration that in faith in Christ, there are no boundaries. It is also an illustration of His authority and majesty: in Him, all is reconciled. Canaan may once again be a part of Israel. We note that this text illustrates that it does not overturn the Scriptures nor the Old Testament past: her humility and her addressing of Jesus as Son of David teach us that. But something new and great has come, and with great authority to reconcile, and that is in the person of Christ. So let us consider this text as an extraordinary declaration of inclusion and fulfillment, a promise of New Covenant. Even those whom we may consider our inferiors, our enemies, may be included in this faith. Everyone is included. He is here for all of those with faith and understanding. He transcends all barriers and boundaries, and in Him is all authority. And His relationship is with everyone who comes to Him in true and steadfast faith, and in humility. May we all be blessed with her kind of faith and persistence. Thanks to this Evangelist, she becomes an example for us all, among the first fruits of the Gentiles. There are going to be times when any one of us may be tried in our sense of worthiness, and our need for our own humility. We may be tested in cultural differences, no matter how subtle. Let us recall for ourselves her great courage and dignity. Let us remember her tremendous faith!