| "Did Jesus call that woman a dog?" This has been a | | | | him about this earlier in his ministry. |
| question asked by countless readers of Matthew 15: | | | | "The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you |
| 21-28. | | | | speak to the people in parables?" |
| The biblical record of the event as recorded by | | | | He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the |
| Matthew states: | | | | kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not |
| Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of | | | | to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will |
| Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that | | | | have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even |
| vicinity came to him, crying out, " Lord, Son of David, | | | | what he has will be taken from him. This is why I |
| have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly | | | | speak to them in parables: |
| from demon-possession." | | | | 'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, |
| Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to | | | | they do not hear or understand.' |
| him and urged him," Send her away, for she keeps | | | | In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: |
| crying out after us." | | | | 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;You |
| He answered," I was sent only to the lost sheep of | | | | will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this |
| Israel." | | | | people's heart has become calloused; they hardly |
| The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help | | | | hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. |
| me!" She said. | | | | Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with |
| He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread | | | | their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and |
| and toss it to their dogs." | | | | I would heal them.'" |
| "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the | | | | Mt. 13:10-15 |
| crumbs that fall from their masters' table." | | | | The setting for this incident takes place in the region |
| Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great | | | | of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus specifically mentions this |
| faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was | | | | region during his teaching: |
| healed from that very hour. | | | | "Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which |
| Mt. 15:21-28 NIV | | | | most of his miracleshad been performed, because |
| At first glance, this is certainly a fascinating | | | | they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korizin! Woe to |
| occurrence of demon possession even apart from | | | | you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed |
| the obvious question of "Did Jesus call that woman a | | | | in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they |
| dog?" By examining the characters, setting and dialog, | | | | would have repented long ago in sackcloth and |
| one can develop a more complete perspective of this | | | | ashes." Mt. 11:20-21 |
| incident. | | | | From the preceding statement made by Jesus, one |
| The woman's heritage and location makes her | | | | may conclude that the people of the region of Tyre |
| knowledge of Jesus remarkable. According to Mark's | | | | and Sidon would have been more open to Jesus' |
| account, she was a Greek born in Syrophonecia, an | | | | message than those of the regions where he did |
| area well outside of Jesus' ministry (Mk 7:24-30). Syria | | | | minister. |
| borders Judea on the north and Phoenicia is a costal | | | | The woman begins the incident by calling out to |
| strip of land within Syria along the Great Sea | | | | Jesus. The title she uses is significant. She doesn't |
| (Mediterranean Sea). Tyre, a city in Phoenicia, would | | | | address him with general titles of respect like |
| have been approximately 60 miles northwest of | | | | teacher, rabbi or master, but rather she addresses |
| Galilee, a region in which Jesus ministered. The other | | | | him as "Son of David." The title "Son of David" is a |
| area where Jesus often ministered, Judea, is much | | | | very exclusive title, which is only used to refer to the |
| more distant, lying approximately 100 miles south of | | | | Jewish Messiah. (See Mt 12:23 and Mt 22:41-42.) |
| Galilee. She is further described as a Canaanite; the | | | | Additionally, the revelation of Jesus as Messiah only |
| Canaanites being enemies of the Jews since God | | | | comes directly from God, as evidenced by Peter's |
| ordered their removal and destruction in the time of | | | | confession of Jesus as Messiah to which Jesus |
| Moses and Joshua (See Dt. 20:16 and Num. 33:50-53). | | | | replied," Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this |
| The disciples' role in this incident is motivated by the | | | | was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father |
| culture of their day. Being men, women were of little | | | | in Heaven." Mt.16: 16-17. |
| value. From a religious standpoint, Greeks had no | | | | According to Matthew's account, the woman |
| status in the Jewish religion or God's kingdom. A | | | | continues calling out even though Jesus is silent. The |
| Canaanite, the enemy of God's people, would have | | | | disciples finally intervene. Rather than being stunned |
| been despised. One might conclude that through the | | | | by her recognition of Jesus as Messiah, their |
| eyes of Jewish men, a Greek- Canaanite woman | | | | response is cultural, asking Jesus to send her away. |
| would have been considered sub-human, perhaps to | | | | Jesus doesn't send her away, but states, "I was sent |
| the extent of being unworthy of life itself. | | | | only to the lost children of Israel," and "It is not right |
| A less obvious character is the demon itself, which | | | | to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." |
| according to the mother had possessed her daughter. | | | | There are only two ways the woman can respond. |
| After casting out a demon in Matthew 12:22-23, | | | | She can assume she's being called a dog and take |
| Jesus later teaches, | | | | offense, or she can discern the spiritual message |
| "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes | | | | hidden beneath that statement. By her response, she |
| through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. | | | | appears to understand that Jesus' primary calling is to |
| Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it | | | | the Jews, but incredibly, she also recognizes that just |
| arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean | | | | crumbs, the size that would thoughtlessly fall under |
| and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it | | | | the table, are enough for what she's asking. |
| seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they | | | | If Jesus decided to cast out the demon, would "the |
| go in and live there. And the final condition of that | | | | house be unoccupied" for the demon and seven |
| man is worse than the first." Mt. 12: 43-45 | | | | more evil than itself to return and enter the girl? Or, |
| One may conclude that if removed by Jesus, a | | | | was there evidence that the daughter would be |
| demon may return with seven more worse than | | | | protected by the presence of God? |
| itself under one condition; that condition being "if the | | | | The woman's recognition of Jesus as the Son of |
| house is unoccupied" or as one might say, if the | | | | David, her comprehension of the spiritual message |
| person is without God's protecting presence. | | | | underlying Jesus' response to her, and her belief that |
| The final character is Jesus himself, whose method | | | | this miracle required nothing more than crumbs of |
| of responding to people varies from straight | | | | Jesus' power provided overwhelming evidence for |
| explanations- like those given to his disciples, to | | | | Jesus to declare, "Woman, you have great faith! |
| responses cloaked in imagery and stories, which have | | | | Your request is granted. |
| an underlying spiritual meaning. His disciples questioned | | | | |