3 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Matthew 15:28 (CSB): “Then Jesus replied to her, ‘Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.’ And from that moment her daughter was healed.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
In Matthew 15:21-28, we are introduced to a lady who immediately gains our sympathy. We know next to nothing about her, but our hearts go out to her. Kim has told me that when a woman has a child, it feels like her heart is now outside of her chest. So when a mom grieves over a child, there is a depth to it that apparently a father cannot understand.
So, as the desperate Canaanite woman begged Jesus to heal her demon-tormented daughter, we find ourselves empathizing with her. We want Jesus to help her. She’s desperate, her child is in serious trouble, and Jesus can fix it. So she pleads; she begs for Him to help her.
But Jesus initially appeared to disregard her and act like He would do nothing to alleviate her suffering.
Matthew 15:23-24 (CSB): “Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples approached him and urged him, ‘Send her away because she’s crying out after us.’ He replied, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
If we had been there, we may have joined in and cried out to Jesus: “Bend the rules for this dear lady! Yes, she’s a Canaanite and not a Jew, but she needs help! After all, King David ate the Bread that the Old Testament law said was only for the priests. Yet, You seemed to excuse him since there was a greater need.” (see Matthew 12:3-8).
And then, when the lady could get near Jesus so that she could no longer be ignored, Jesus seemed to demonstrate a rudeness that was not appropriate for one hurting so badly.
Matthew 15:25-26 (CSB): “But she came, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, help me!’ He answered, ‘It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’”
If you or I were to call someone a “dog,” that would be unspeakably rude. To call someone who is hurting so badly such a horrible name would be heartless. So, we read those previous verses and assume that Jesus was being cruel to a hurting mom.
But that’s not at all what was going on. Jesus wasn’t being rude. The word for “dog” in Jesus’ words wasn’t talking about the canine scavengers that roamed the streets. Instead, the specific word He used referred to household pets. It was a word that was used for the loved animals that would scurry around the table at mealtime, ready to pounce on any food that fell from the table to the floor.
So, Jesus wasn’t being rude. He was saying, in a picturesque way, that His primary objective was to spend time with the Jews. He was sent to call them back into a relationship with the Father. The blessings He brought with Him were intended for the Jews sitting at the table, not for the beloved house pet that scampered around waiting for a blessing to drop.
What was Jesus doing? I believe He was testing this Canaanite mother’s persistence. Was she willing to keep fighting for God’s blessings even when they didn’t come when she first asked? I also believe that Jesus wanted the watching Jews to see that the non-Jewish peoples of the world were hungry for the Lord and His blessings. He may have wanted the Jewish people to see such things and realize what they had in the Messiah.
Whatever the reason, we observe as we finish the story that Jesus met the woman’s needs. He commended her faith in front of everyone and healed her daughter.
Friend, let’s learn from this Canaanite woman. Let’s persist in prayer. Even when it seems like the Lord isn’t hearing and answering, persist! Keep praying! Wrestle with Him until you get what you are asking for, or the Holy Spirit reveals that you are asking for the wrong thing.
Let’s also observe that Jesus doesn’t merely love a small segment of society but that He really does love those people that others look down upon. So, as we go through this day, let’s be Jesus’ hands and feet. Let him love others through us. If we see people in need, let’s not look down on them but see them as someone that Jesus loves. Let Him serve them through us.
Spend Time in Prayer
Lord God, I know that the Bible presents You as a God who is sovereign over all, a Law-giver, and a Judge who will one day assess our lives and our compliance to Your perfect Law. But thank You that You love us so much that You sent Your only Son to die on the cross and rise from the dead so that those of us who trust in Him can be forgiven and declared perfectly righteous according to Your law. And thank You that Your love extends to the whole world (John 3:16). Help us this day to let You love others through me, just as You loved and served the Canaanite woman. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Going Deeper
If you want to go deeper, check out this article by Got Questions: “What does it mean that even the dogs eat the crumbs (Matthew 15:27)?”
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com).
Matt’s Musings 