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And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28)
This story creates a problem for many Christians. They read it and ask: Why is Jesus being so mean? Is He really racist? If so, isn’t that a sin?
I really don’t think that’s what’s going on. I think Jesus was testing His disciples. In less than three years, Jesus is going to lay down His life for all people, and then rise from the dead to give life to us who trust Him. And His disciples will be responsible for taking that Gospel message to the whole world, Jews and Gentiles alike. Are they ready for that? Ready to love people who aren’t Jews?
Jesus starts by bringing them to Gentile territory. Sure enough, a mother in need shows up to beg for Jesus’ help. She’s a Canaanite, not a Jew; but Jesus has cared for many non-Jewish people during His ministry. Surely He’s going to heal this mother’s little girl, like He always does.
But this time, surprise! Jesus refuses to speak to the woman at all.
What will the disciples do? Will they try to help? Will they say, “Lord, You heal everybody; why are You acting weird?” No. In their eyes, Jesus is finally behaving like a proper Jewish rabbi! So they urge Him to send her away. What a disappointment for Jesus!
But He carries on. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” He says, truly enough, since He’s got only three years before the cross, and it’s the disciples who are supposed to reach the rest of the world. Still, the woman doesn’t give up—because Jesus hasn’t actually said “no” or “go away.”
And then Jesus gets outrageous, using language He’s never used to anyone in need. “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Will the disciples intervene now? No. They stay silent. No compassion there. They’ve got a long way to go before they’re ready for Pentecost.
So Jesus gives up on the disciples for the moment and goes back to His usual behavior. The woman gives Him a wise answer, and Jesus praises her, saying, “Great is your faith! Let your daughter be healed.” And she is.
The disciples, now—they aren’t healed yet. Not healed of their racism, their self-centeredness, their lack of love. But they will be. Because Jesus will give His life to make it so.
WE PRAY: Lord, teach me to love all the people You love. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- As far as we can tell from the Gospels, Jesus did nothing else during this long trip but heal this little girl. Why would Jesus walk all that distance just to care for her?
- What groups of people do you have trouble loving?
- Who is one person you could care for this week that you don’t usually care for?
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