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Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew has been showing the increased opposition of the religious rulers to Jesus, in particular the scribes
and the Pharisees.

These legalistic Jews emphasized sanctification through external conformity to the Law and the traditions
of the elders - in particular, cleansing rituals, such as hand-washing before meals. But Jesus denounced
such traditions, showing that they had no bearing on the heart.

The heart was the source of all evil thoughts, and the sins which came from those thoughts. Without a
change of heart, the Jews’ professed worship of God was mere lip-service - their hearts remained far from
Him.

You can imagine that with Jesus denouncing the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, and correcting their
teaching before a multitude of the Jews, the religious rulers would be just furious with Him. Add to this
that these particular religious rulers were from Jerusalem - the very center of Judaism!

In the past, Matthew has brought out that when the people were stirred up - usually in religious opposition
to the teaching of Jesus - that Jesus withdrew Himself from the area, temporarily.

There would come a time, for the final confrontation with the religious rulers; but until that time, Jesus
must continue to pursue His ministry of preaching, and teaching, and healing - spreading the message that
Messiah had come to His people.

As we continue in Matthew’s gospel, we find that Jesus does indeed withdraw from the area. But He
doesn’t simply go to another area, in Galilee. He withdraws from Galilee entirely.

It is to be another mission of obedience, for Jesus - one in which His Father sends Him to a new place. The
disciples of Jesus will get a reinforcing lesson there - as to what it is that really defiles a man. A woman
will receive reward, for her faith. And the daughter of this woman will be freed from Satan’s power.

We continue with the account in verse 21.

15:21-22 Tyre and Sidon were two prominent cities located northwest of Galilee. Matthew does not say
that Jesus went into these cities, but into the region that the cities were in; that is to say, Jesus crossed from
Galilee into the region of Phoenicia; a region along the seacoast (see map). This could have been as little
as a twenty-mile journey.

Now, Matthew could have just said Phoenicia; but he specifically names Tyre and Sidon instead. For the
Jewish readers of Matthew’s gospel, this would immediately evoke images of the OT prophets pronouncing
the LORD’s judgment - because Tyre and Sidon were notoriously evil, pagan Gentile cities - and Tyre was
responsible for introducing Baal worship, to Israel.

But Matthew wasn’t done. To further emphasize where Jesus was, Matthew mentions that the woman Jesus
encounters there is “of Canaan”.

Now, Canaan did not exist anymore, by the time of Jesus. Israel had long ago conquered the land, and the
remaining people became confined to the coastal areas - again, by this time, known as Phoenicia.
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But Matthew draws on the ancient name, from the OT, where the Canaanites were located - another means
of emphasizing that Jesus had left the territory of the Jews, and had gone into pagan, non-Jewish territory -
wicked, enemy territory, to most Jews. This was a place that was unclean, to religious Jews.

Now, Jesus was not alone - we learn later in the passage that His disciples were with Him. They would
have been familiar by now with Jesus withdrawing Himself, when confrontations became a threat to His
ministry. But Jesus didn’t just go to another town in Galilee, this time - He went into Phoenicia - a
decidedly Gentile region.

The disciples must have wondered why Jesus was going there; but they need not have wondered. Jesus
always did the will of His Father. This was where the Spirit led Him - for a new opportunity to minister.
And for that opportunity, the Jews had to be left behind - for a time.

Was this the first time that Jesus had an encounter, with Gentiles? No. Remember that when Jesus was a
young child, He lived in Egypt, for a time.

And in Matthew’s gospel, during the time of His ministry, we can recall Jesus had that encounter with the
centurion, who was a Gentile. Jesus had healed the centurion’s servant, long-distance, based on the
centurion’s faith.

And Jesus had even sailed across the Sea of Galilee with His disciples to go into a predominantly Gentile
area of Galilee - the Decapolis - where Jesus healed two men who were demon-possessed.

But this was the first time in Matthew’s gospel that Jesus actually departed from the land of the Jews,
during His ministry. And as we continue through Matthew’s account, we’ll find that this is a true departure,
for Jesus; it effectively marks the conclusion of His ministry, among the Jews in Galilee. He does return to
Galilee, but it does not appear that Jesus had further ministry there, in Matthew’s gospel - just opposition.

Matthew only records one encounter at this time, as Jesus makes His incursion into this Gentile region. But
he draws the reader’s attention to it - Behold!

Take note! Of who? Of a woman of Canaan. Mark mentions in a parallel account that this woman was
Syro-Phoenician by birth - Syria and Phoenicia are two Gentile regions. He also says she was Greek,
perhaps alluding to the culture and language of the town or city she was from. This effectively seals her
identity as being a Gentile, of a pagan culture.

Clearly this woman had heard about Jesus; but how? Well, we read back in Matthew chapter 4 that the
renown of Jesus spread throughout all Syria (Mt 4:24). Mark adds that those from Tyre and Sidon, a great
multitude, when they heard how many things Jesus was doing, came to Him (Mk 3:7).

No doubt, when these people went back to their lands, they spread the report concerning this Jewish teacher
from Galilee - that He was also a healer; and the miracles He did would have been recounted, from person
to person; including His ability to cast out demons.

Because of His reputation, Jesus could not make a move without people knowing it - and communicating it
to others. When He came into a new place, crowds were already gathering, to ask Him for healing - and -
Matthew tells us over and over - He healed them all.
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This easily explains why this woman of Canaan knew of Jesus; and even knew that He had arrived in
Phoenicia. But it doesn’t fully explain why the woman cried out to Him, as she did - and she did so, again
and again - and again.

Of course, she would think to ask Jesus to extend His merciful healing upon her poor daughter - who was
possessed by a demon. But there are two unusual things, here.

One pertains to the fact that the woman’s daughter was not with her - which tells us that the woman did not
believe it was necessary for Jesus to come to her daughter, in order to heal her; that Jesus could heal her
daughter, long-distance. In other words, this woman believed Jesus possessed power that was beyond that
of just a healer; beyond the natural realm; supernatural power.

And the second thing that’s unusual here is the title the woman called Jesus; what is it? The Son of David.
That is strictly the name of Israel’s Messiah, as a descendant of David throne. This Gentile woman was
acknowledging that Jesus was the rightful heir to that throne - something that the Jews were unwilling to
acknowledge, themselves.

And this gives more weight to her address of Jesus, as Lord. The word cannot merely be a term of respect,
in her use of it with the title, “Son of David”. Putting each piece in its place, we have the sense that this
woman recognized Jesus to be the Messiah of Israel, and also that He was God - who had come in the flesh,
to Phoenicia.

And the woman went out to meet Him. She sought Jesus out, until she found Him. Wow. Another contrast
with the Jews, isn’t it? Jesus had to go to them, seeking them out. And He passed through their cities,
again and again - doing the works of God, speaking the words of God - and did they believe Him? For the
most part, they did not. He came to His own - but His own did not receive Him (Jn 1:11).

But here was a person - a Gentile - who was eagerly seeking Him out. Why? The woman had a desperate
need, for a loved one - her own daughter.

How the woman’s daughter became possessed by a demon, we don’t know. But the description suggests
that the daughter was being tormented by the demon; that she was violently possessed.

That would have been heartbreaking for the woman, as her mother. So when the woman heard that Jesus
was entering her region, she set out to find Him; she was on a mission. And once she found Jesus, she
persistently pursued Him - pleading with Him, to help her.

And so we think, of course Jesus would help her. He healed everyone who came to Him - and He did so,
immediately. Which is why we are surprised by what we read next.

15:23 Now remember, the woman was pursuing Jesus, and crying out after Him, to have compassion on
her - and heal her daughter. And she was crying out, again - and again. And Jesus not only didn’t heal her
daughter - He doesn’t answer the woman, at all. Her cries meet the stone wall of His silence.

Now, if this was anyone else, we might think, that’s unkind! But Jesus would never be unkind. So what’s
going on here?

We’ve actually seen something like this before - with the Gentile centurion. Remember that his servant
was lying at home, paralyzed. Jesus questioned the centurion: in the Greek, the sense is something like,
“You expect Me to come and heal him?”
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The implication was that this Gentile should not expect Jesus, as a Jew, to enter his home. Jews would
consider that to render them ceremonially unclean.

Of course, Jesus did not adhere to such thinking; so do you remember why He said this, to the centurion?
To encourage his faith; and indeed He did. The centurion believed that Jesus could heal his servant,
without even going to his house. And Jesus commended him for his faith - which was greater than any He
had found, in Israel. And then Jesus healed the servant - long distance (Mt 8:5-13).

Jesus recognized that this Gentile woman also had faith. His actions toward her were intended to
encourage her faith further - to make it even greater, stronger, by causing it to persist, in its objective.

So to begin with, He doesn’t even answer the woman, as she is entreating Him. After all, it is as she has
said. Jesus is the Son of David; He is Israel’s Messiah; not hers. This Gentile woman had no claim on
Him, and His silence bears this out.

Well, the disciples of Jesus pick up on their Master’s silence - and use it to urge Jesus to go further - and
dismiss the woman.

15:23-24 So the disciples caught up to Jesus - we presume they were walking along a road - and they
recommend that Jesus tell the woman to go away.

Did you notice what they said? “For she cries out” - again and again - “after us”. It would seem that they
were irritated, by the woman; it was embarrassing to have her calling out after them - what a spectacle! In
Jewish society, that was considered improper - for a woman to call out, after men.

And she was a Gentile woman, at that - all Gentiles were considered ceremonially defiling to Jews, but
women, particularly so. The disciples were in an unclean place, among unclean people, with an unclean
woman following them - shouting at them. They were urging Jesus to at least spare them the latter.

In verse 24, Jesus answered His disciples. Or did He? It would seem He directed His answer toward His
disciples; but it was really for the woman, wasn’t it? He was no longer silent, to her entreaties; now, He
was actively discouraging her.

Jesus pointed to His mission, that His Father had sent Him on - to seek out the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. Jesus was sent to the His own people, the Jews - and to them, alone. He was telling the woman that
He didn’t come for her, being a Gentile.

But the woman refused to be discouraged.

15:25 Mark mentions that Jesus entered a house, and wanted no one to know it (Mk 7:24). It would seem
Jesus was signaling His desire to be left alone - perhaps yet another rebuff, of the woman. But she refused
to be rebuffed. Presumably, the woman followed Jesus into the house - drawing even nearer to Him.

The word for “worshiped” in the Greek includes the idea of bowing down to a superior; the woman had
now prostrated herself at the feet of Jesus, and continued to implore Him to help her, by casting the demon
out of her daughter (Mk 7:26). She is making a personal and intimate appeal to Him.

Now Jesus answered the woman directly.

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15:26 So Jesus answered the woman with a little metaphor. His illustration was from the dinner table -
where the master’s children are fed.

Who would the master be? That would be God; the Father. And who did Jesus mean, by the children of
the master? He meant the Jews. Israel is the nation that God made for Himself; the Jews are His people,
whom He intended to be the sons of His kingdom.

And what would be the bread, that the children are fed upon? Bread is often an illustration of the Word of
God. But the Word of God is both the written word, as well as the Word who became flesh - Jesus. He’s
the Bread of Life. And in this illustration, Jesus is especially pointing to the children’s bread as Himself -
the Life-Giver, who also nourishes and sustains His people.

And who would be the “little dogs”, in the illustration of Jesus? The Gentiles. That was the deliberately
offensive term used by the Jews for them; labeling them as unclean animals. It was a term of the highest
contempt; and “little” doesn’t soften it; it adds the idea of insignificance.

Jesus was saying to the woman that she was one of these insignificant, little dogs - the Gentiles. It was not
good - in the Greek, it was not right or proper - for Israel’s Messiah to be taken from the Jews, and given to
such unclean animals.

And we think, that seems so harsh and unfeeling; why would Jesus say that? Jesus was voicing the
conventional thinking of the Jews in Jesus’ day. It was deeply ingrained in the Jewish mind - this concept
of ceremonial uncleanness, of non-Jews - and that it demanded separation; or that it required ritual
purification - like the washings, of the Pharisees.

The disciples of Jesus still had this thinking - and no doubt that was part of the reason they wanted Jesus to
dismiss the woman. What Jesus did here was to voice an expression of this concept - by which people are
avoided, because they are considered unclean, and subhuman; and they are viewed as unworthy of salvation
- but only fit for the fires of Hell.

That was the standard Jewish thinking, about the Gentiles - religious thinking - thinking which Jesus would
be completely dispelling, in a moment - through the response of this woman’s faith.

v. 27 The words of Jesus caused us to cringe - but the woman’s response takes our breath away. Far from
being offended by the words of Jesus, the woman out-and-out agrees with Him; “Yes, Lord; it’s not good to
take away the children’s bread”.

It is right that Messiah should come to His own, first. But the woman ingeniously points out a way that the
children can have their bread, but the little dogs can eat, too - from the crumbs which fall from their
master’s table.

Beautiful. There is so much to see in her words. That the little dogs know they have a master - this woman
does. That they must come to the master, for provision. That not all the “bread” will be consumed, by the
children - by Israel. And that crumbs can be enough for little dogs - when they fall from the master’s table.

The woman’s faith was on display, for all to see - as she acknowledged the God of Israel as her God; as she
came to the One He sent, with her need; and as she persistently requested just a crumb of Him, which she
knew would more that meet her need; and as she showed her confidence, that He would indeed give of
Himself, to her. She never wavered.
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And now Jesus responded to the woman, with absolute delight.

15:28 The “O woman” here is an expression of the pleasure of Jesus, to witness this expression of the
woman’s faith in Him. It could also read, “My dear woman!”

He welcomed her faith, which has persevered to achieve its end - and which never lost sight of the means,
to that end - Jesus Himself. And He commended her faith as great - a word He used only of the centurion’s
faith, also a Gentile - faith greater than any He had found, in Israel (Mt 8:10).

And now, the reward for her faith was given - the demon was immediately cast out of her daughter, and she
was completely healed - long-distance - something the woman never doubted, that Jesus could do. And
freed from the bondage of that possession, the daughter was ready to hear from her mother about the One
who had delivered her.

And the disciples could be freed from some bondage of their own, couldn’t they? Far from Jesus being in
agreement with the Jewish scruples concerning the Gentiles, they now see that He is ready to welcome
them as His own people - as He responds to this Gentile woman, extending to her the same grace and favor
that He has shown, to the Jews. Were they beginning to get the idea that there is no partiality, with God
(Acts 10:34)?

This moment is a real turn-point, in the ministry of Jesus. The Jews in Galilee had generally rejected the
good news of their Messiah, as seen in the response of the cities where the message was preached.

And as the scribes and Pharisees demanded the compliance of Jesus to their religious traditions, and
separation from all that is defiled, Jesus departed from them, following His Father’s leading on what would
be perceived as an unclean mission, among the Gentiles. In reality, Jesus was always surrounded by
uncleanness, when He came to the earth; unclean hearts of both Jews and Gentiles, which He would touch
and make clean through His blood.

This singular incident with the Phoenician woman paints a picture of the new path, that Jesus is pursuing -
a path that His disciples will tread after His death, as they take the gospel out to the ends of the earth. Let’s
go back and look at the story, to find the pattern, and see this picture.

First we have to set the story, in its historical context - which takes us back in our minds to the book of
Genesis. Remember that the families of the earth rebelled against the LORD, at Babel (Gen 11). In Romans,
Paul says that they exchanged the truth of God for the lie - and worshiped and served the creature -
themselves - rather than the Creator (Rm 1:25).

Since they rejected the LORD, He had to give them up, for a time - and those families developed into the
nations of the world - the Gentiles. Paul said God gave them over to uncleanness; to vile passions; to a
debased mind (Rm 1:24, 26, 28). This is what becomes of men, when they reject the LORD; when they are
without God, in the world.

But out of one man, Abraham, God made a nation for Himself - Israel - which He lifted up above the other
nations. Israel was privileged to have God dwelling in their midst; to be given the light of truth, by God -
the Scriptures - which revealed the Savior that God would send, whom all men need - in order to be
delivered from their bondage to sin.

Jesus came to His own people first - for Israel was even further privileged - to bring Him forth, as one of
their own; their Messiah.
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But what did Israel do? They rejected Him. And so God now would set Israel aside, for a time, while He
extended an offer to the Gentiles - to become the people of God - the church age. This is what we see in
Jesus departing from Galilee, and going to Phoenicia; going from the territory of the Jews, to the Gentiles.

Both the woman and her daughter represent those Gentile nations. The geographic markers indicate that
Jesus is in Gentile territory; enemy territory - the place of the woman’s origin.

The Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Eph 2:12). Here we see the desperate
mother, pleading with Jesus to extend His mercy.

The daughter, the fruit of the mother’s womb, is demon-possessed; she is in bondage to the evil one. This
is the fruit that the Gentiles have borne, apart from God - they are slaves of sin; slaves of uncleanness (Rm
6:19-21); in bondage to Satan (Acts 26:18; Heb 2:15) in bondage to his world system (Col 1:13); walking
according to the course of this world, according to prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2).

The woman recognizes her need, and voices it, but is met by the silence of Jesus, at first. Then when Jesus
finally speaks, He makes it clear that He has been sent just to Israel. The Gentiles have no claim on Jesus;
they rejected the LORD long ago, and chose not to be His people.

The woman casts herself at the feet of Jesus, persisting in her entreaty. Here we see the submission of the
Gentiles, and the recognition that their salvation can only be realized if God extends it to them, through His
grace.

Jesus restates the privilege of Israel, as the people that God made for Himself, to receive their Messiah - the
Bread of Life. But the woman sees further, through her belief - that Jesus is sufficient to save all people -
even the Gentiles. The crumbs can be viewed as the simple gospel truths, that went out to all the earth -
where eager Gentiles gobbled them up.

I’m sure this woman had no idea that actually, her thought about the crumbs came directly out of Israel’s
Scriptures. Turn to Isaiah 49. This is what Isaiah prophesied of the Servant of Jehovah - the Coming
Messiah.

[Isaiah 49:5-6] It is too small a thing that Messiah would save Israel alone. He would save - the entire
world.

It is not unlikely that this woman and her daughter would have lived to see the gospel preached in
Phoenicia, which occurred when persecution drove Hellenist Jews who believed in Jesus out of Jerusalem
(Acts 11:19). Later the record states that there were believers in Phoenicia (Acts 15:3, 21:2).

The long-distance healing of the woman’s daughter shows the Lord extending His grace to the Gentiles - to
deliver from bondage, to the uttermost parts of the earth. And He is still freeing men from bondage today -
for any little dog who is willing to receive Him.

Reading: Matt 15:29-39, 16:1-12; Mk 7:31-37, 8:1-21