Now here’s a disturbing story. Jesus encounters a Gentile, called Syrophoenician in the gospel of Mark, a Canaanite here in Matthew, whose daughter is in need of healing. The woman keeps on entreating Jesus, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David,” indicating she clearly understands that Jesus is the Messiah promised by the scriptures. Instead of helping her, Jesus at first ignores her, then lets her know he did not come to be the Messiah for people like her. This doesn’t sound like the Jesus we know, does it? What’s going on here?
A couple of things to note. First, the gospel of Mark has it right in terms of identifying her nationality. In Jesus’ time, Gentiles from this area were known as Syrophoenicians. The term “Canaanite” had not been used for centuries. It would be like describing a person from Great Britain as an Anglo Saxon, or a Celt, terms long since obsolete. But the word “Canaanite” has theological overtones. The Canaanites were those who lived in the Promised Land prior to the arrival of the Israelites. The Canaanites worshipped idols and thus were a threat to God’s people, whose first commandment ordered them “You shall have no other gods.” Canaanites were considered the enemies of God’s people, indeed, the enemies of God. To call this woman a Canaanite is make her a total outsider, unworthy of God’s grace.
The disciples want to send her away. It is interesting that Jesus does not do that. First, he is silent. Then he says that he listens to prayers, but only to Jewish prayers, not to the prayers of one such as her. Sounds harsh, but then, I’ve been there. I’ve prayed and encountered the silence of God. I’ve found my prayer requests ignored, even as I’ve seen signs that the prayers of others are being heard and answered. What is intriguing about this woman is that she will not take “no” for an answer. She hangs on in faith, knowing that her only hope is in the one who is “Lord,” and “Son of David.” And Jesus cites her faith as the reason for finally granting her request.
Not long after this, the disciples will be confronted by the question of what to do when Gentiles, even those they had thought were enemies of God, exhibit such faith. The conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 was one of those times. Cornelius was a Centurion, an enforcer of the Empire, one who clearly could be seen as an enemy of God’s people, even an enemy of God. But upon hearing Peter’s preaching, the Holy Spirit grants him a faith that is undeniable. What were the faithful, Jewish disciples of Jesus to do when confronted with the faith of a Gentile, one they thought was an enemy of God? In Acts 15, they decided that faith was the sign that the Spirit had reached that enemy and made them a friend. I think the disciples looked back on what happened to the woman from this story and recognized that faith, not past works or affiliations or nationalities, made one right with God. When Cornelius exhibited such faith, he was welcome as a member of God’s people.
There is a danger in this text. Often, this Bible passage has been used to say to people that if they had enough faith, they would get the answers they want to the prayers they make. Many have wondered if a spouse, child, parent, or other loved one died because they did not have enough faith in their prayers. I would counter that there is another story in the gospel of Matthew about one with great faith who prayed and did not receive what he requested. Jesus prayed, “Let this cup pass from me,” but did not receive what he requested. He, like the woman, experienced the silence of God when he cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He became, like the woman, the total outsider, and was considered the enemy of God when the sins of the world were laid upon him. Yet, despite God’s silence, despite the negative response to Christ’s prayer, God was powerfully at work in the death of Jesus, bringing about the forgiveness of sins which leads to the reconciliation of the world. God was powerfully at work in the death of Jesus, in ways that were hidden to the human eye, just as God was at work in this story of the “Canaanite” woman, in ways we often find hard to understand.
To our preachers, what will you preach about this Sunday? To those of you who do not preach, what do you take from this lesson? Feel free to leave your comments below.
M. Kaine says
loving ones enemy is not an easy thing to do. To me it seems like a lesson in love that has no end; until it does. Then I have found myself in a relationship like no other, with God as the common ground. Like a reconciled marriage where you have been the one never giving up, except there was never a marriage. Not sure if that makes sense.
Preacher Sicario says
We are All Enemies of God. As said. Filthy rags in the sight of God. Truth comes in Judgement before God Not Prior because of Prayers But Faith That is Blind. Blind Faith. As to come down from your Throne and leave this Body Alone Somebody must Pay. Jesus was and is The Key as We near The End. For that which substains us. The Blood of Christ.
Noble Muse says
We are ALL children of God, Abba, through Christ Jesus. Preach truth if you are to preach at all.
Rev Mark Thomas says
In a racially aligned society like ours today, the passage calls us to embrace the spirit of inclusiveness. There are many positive cultural expressions around us. We have a lot to learn from one another. By virtue of her being a Canaanite, the woman in the passage and her daughter were excluded from the blessings of God in the eyes of the Jews. Yet Jesus was willing to engage her in a discussion that made a way for the deliverance of her daughter. Her faith made a difference. We need to treat one another with love irrespective of our racial and cultural differences. If the Church can do this, it will change so many narratives.
Charles Sawyer says
Thank you, Rev Thomas, for your response to the story of the Canaanite Woman. I am scheduled to lead or Sunday school class in a study of this story.
When we treat one another with love and respect in Christ’s name, it seems to move one closer to fulfillment of our purpose here. Gaining an understanding of God’s purpose for me is an ongoing pursuit. Surely continued development of love and respect for all others figure heavily in attaining that goal.
Sincerely,
Charles Sawyer
Damascus says
Your response had nothing to do with the passage
It was about faith
Laurel Gray says
This is a strange text in many ways. The original attitude of Jesus towards the woman is hard to explain even though it fitted in with the cultural prejudices of that day. And pray without ceasing does not necessarily bring results; as you say, sometimes God seems to not answer at all. It raises the whole issue of what is prayer? That would make for a good discussion if we had time for such in a typical Sunday morning experience.
Corey Andres says
God always answers prayers. It may not be in the timely manner people impatiently want or maybe not answered in the way they would have thought or even notice because it is not how they wanted the prayer answered but our heavenly father answers every time.
Dan says
Prayer is ALWAYS supposed to be “In God’s will”. Prayer is not about me getting what I want, but agreeing that God’s will is what is best. God sees the whole picture and we see only one small part. I f we are right with God, we only desire what He wants.
Deah says
Praying only for his will for us and the power to carry that out
AJ says
Please don’t quote AA.
Joaquin says
I just heard a sermon themed “Scream” using this text, the preacher referenced it to talk about The gift of Faith. This woman knew not who Jesus was, when the disciples tried shunning her she stayed at a distance for she didn’t know Jesus. Once the disciples engaged Jesus she immediately appealed to Him directly. Her faith was so great that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I took that sometimes we get discouraged at God’s silence and go as far as leaving the church and turning our hearts away from God. I believe the lesson here is yes, Jesus came to His own but they didn’t receive . But to those of us that did receive by Faith He gives us the right to be called sons & daughters of God. The woman knew good and well Jesus could heal her daughter, and she refused to return home empty handed. God is telling us The it is the measure of our Faith that provokes Him to take action in our lives. The reference of Faith of a Mustard Seed is an example that we all have Faith. But as Jesus was quoted as saying “ I haven’t found greater faith in all of Israel” when he encountered the centurion. We all have faith but we all have been given a measure.
Kevin Walker says
FACT: Canaanites are AFRICANS!!!! The son of HAM (Canaan) and the great grandson of Noah. They were a CURSED by Noah because Ham saw his father nakedness.
Brian M Carpenter says
And Gentiles are from Japeths Europeans what’s the difference?
kenny peace says
Jesus plainly tells all of us that he was not sent here for anyone other than the children of Israel just like Muhammad was sent for the Muslims. I think up to date Oral Roberts is as close as any messenger from God we have seen.. I think alot of the stories in the KJV has been misleading people for centuries and needs to be interpreted different to where it brings it up to date more and people will understand it better and be people will be saved more from it…IMO…
Alek says
Where does it “clearly” say that? Could you use a scripture to support it? Clinging to nationalities and race is as earthly as it gets. Jesus sent his apostles to preach to all nations as we all come from Adam.
AJ says
Matthew
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Kenny Peace and others is using single sentence scripture to promote the religion of the Hebrew Israelites. They conveniently disregard scripture that doesn’t and straight up cancels it.
For example, Jesus said that in regard to a gentile’s request for a cure – by a Greek woman whose daughter was possessed. The Hebrew Israelite’s disregard what happens in the next few verses: Jesus’ awe at the faith of a gentile and that He proceeded to heal the child.
The gospel of Mark is more clear. Jesus’ response to the woman was in regard to the prophecy of his coming in the OT – informing the woman that He has come to fulfill that (as He does). However it doesn’t change God’s will that ALL nations hear the gospel as well as His desire that all are saved. This is undeniable and gets repeated over and again in every gospel. Praise God.
Donald says
I take this text to illustrate one things frequently overlooked in all of the commentaries: It’s presence in the corpus authenticates the historicity of the gospel. This is such an unflattering portrayal of Jesus that no self-respecting public information officer / official biographer would dare to allow something like this in the “official version of Jesus” … unless it actually happened. It shows that at this point in his holy ministry, The Christ was still learning…still adapting his message and his ministry to the actual needs of people on the ground!
Of course it “lays the groundwork for the Great Commission.” But unless we view Jesus as wildly intentional in a way that no ordinary human would be (“I will say this because in another year I’m going to be resurrected and give the disciples a world-spanning mission”), we have to acknowledge that Jesus learned something new here.
Nichol R Thompson says
Or perhaps that he was teaching his disciples a lesson.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
Jennifer says
THANK you. My gosh, the unbelievable reactions to this story..
Bob says
Indeed. Amen.
Lori Johnson says
In kosuke Koyama’s book, “Three Mile an Hour God” (which is the average speed by which humans walk) he makes an argument for Jesus answering this woman’s prayer by inviting her into a “desert experience” with Him as her companion on the way. Each response to her, His silence and words, to draw out from within her only what a wilderness experience can do in His hands, which is a deeper knowledge of God experientially and foundationally. Jesus does not send her away. He engages her personally, for her spiritual formation as one who looks on the heart and knows the thoughts of a person before they are spoken, He is the master physician, healer, counselor, true friend who gets to the heart if the matter. She is drawn deeper into the one she initially recognized as the Lord, and Son of David. Just as Job new about God and after his wilderness experience of compounding losses, he proclaimed he moved from head knowledge of God to experiential knowledge of God which produced in job a deeper faith and love for God. What Jesus is after is who we become in our inner being.
Joan says
I believe JESUS was expanding the lesson from the previous verse in this chapter, paraphrase .
“What you put in your mouth doesn’t defile you, but what comes out of your mouth, (speak) because it’s in your heart.”
The disciples where prejudice, by what they were taught by man’s traditions; Jesus was telling them,
that faith in him, is limitless…….& so is the Fathers Love, Mercy & Grace.
Even those who are/were against God, can be/are with God!
That’s the commission!
AJ says
Amen.
Jennifer says
..Wow, for the most part there’s nothing but negativity here, including one giant racist and one anti-Gentile bigot. Other comments include suggesting God ignores prayer or that praying without ceasing doesn’t always get results; just wow. God does not IGNORE prayers said in faith, even if we don’t get the answers we expect. Same thing goes with praying without ceasing. I found this blog by chance when looking up the story of the Canaanite woman and frankly wish I hadn’t; nothing fruitful to be found here.
June Jones says
June Jones says
When the Lord said, It is finished! I believe He meant I have done all I need to do for those who accept Jesus’ death as payment for our sins to the Father. Also as Isaiah prophesied (Isa.53:5), His wounds brought about forgiveness for our trespasses, His bruises for our sinfulness, and the punishments for our peace were upon Him. And the awful beating he took, resulting in Him not being able to be recognized as a man or an animal (Isa 52: 14), we receive our healing from. In King Asa’s reprimand(2 Chron. 16:9), God stated that his eyes search the earth looking for those who He can show himself strong to who will commit themselves to Him. This passage in Matt 15:21-28 or the same in Mark 7:24-30 was an example of this. God the father heard the cry of this Syrophoenician woman. She knew the only one who could heal her daughter was the messiah, the Glory of God, the revealed Son of God. Because of the love, she had for her daughter she took rejection from the disciples and seemingly silence and rejection from Jesus and showed that she will be devoted to Him because He is the Messiah. He granted that healing as a result of her reliance on Him to do what He could only do, be strong, and cast out the demons who tormented her daughter. Hallelujah!! He is our Great and Mighty King. He is our Wonderful Savior! Lord, We Thank You!
Cathine Garner says
Very inspiring message. So great to know that when one has Faith in God, the problems do not seem so harsh. When we believe in God and trust God we can see the problem with a different set of eyes, and when we face challenges, and trust God, the solution is easier.
Clairopatra Henry-Joseph says
I am in agreement.
Hallelujah indeed! What a blessing to know that our Lord and Saviour also answers the prayers of the rejected. The Cannanite woman was rejected because of her genealogy and her initial religious beliefs and practices. However, when she was placed in a desperate position of need she was forced to seek out the only one she thought could help. I believe that her persistence evidenced that she renounced her former beliefs in exchange for her faith in Jesus. Jesus responds to our faith, believe and trust in Him. He gives mercy to all who are willing to access it.
Blessings!
Thelmon young says
I am a living wintness jesus here a sinners prayer at the times I, call out to him in need I was not saved but I believed that he was going to help me out and he did .i learned about him in school not church didn’t no”anything about salvation are what being saved was but on the inside of me new , he can save so when I called out to him he came to my aides .now that I”am saved I no why because he loved me a sinner it was Grace and mercy kept me alive thou “ it” all I thank God for his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
Josette says
I have been in situations like this woman. I believe Jesus knew her faith. Jesus was being a good father and letting her test the feet of her faith. Did she realize her own faith? As I look back over my life I realize the times I thought would break me drew me closer and strengthened my faith or better put revealed to me my faith.
Josette says
I have been in situations like this woman. I believe Jesus knew her faith. Jesus was being a good father and letting her test the feet of her faith. Did she realize her own faith? As I look back over my life I realize the times I thought would break me drew me closer and strengthened my faith or better put revealed to me my faith.
Leo says
When God doesn’t answer you prayers;
When you are taking a test at school, the teacher will never communicate with you during the test. This is where our Faith comes into play……Trust in God, as he will speak to you after the test. “I Trust in you Jesus”
Lee says
Yawn…..we’re HUMAN, we get depressed and tired, what do you expect??
Stephen Huntsucker says
Jesus makes it so plain when he says, “I am not sent but into the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” His earthly ministry was to Israel to be their Messiah. He had no business with Gentiles until after the cross. He condescends to this woman because of her faith. Two Gentiles- only two in his whole earthly ministry does he have anything to do with.
G Ford says
I agree with your comment 100%.
TruthLover says
Errr you are not entirely right. The ‘Gentiles’ were the cut off Israelites, the northern Kingdom, the 10 Lost Tribes who were not Jewish!
Judah/Judea was the home of Jewish people, the other Tribes were scattered by the time of Christ in the Black Sea area and Europe!
Read Josephus and stop being so damn ignorant like most Xtians!!
TruthLover says
Errr you are not entirely right. The ‘Gentiles’ were the cut off Israelites, the northern Kingdom, the 10 Lost Tribes who were not Jewish!
Judah/Judea was the home of Jewish people, the other Tribes were scattered by the time of Christ in the Black Sea area and Europe!
Read Josephus and stop being so damn ignorant like most Xtians!
TruthLover says
Errr… you are not entirely right. The ‘Gentiles’ were the cut off Israelites, the northern Kingdom, the 10 Lost Tribes who were not Jewish!
Judah/Judea was the home of Jewish people, the other Tribes were scattered by the time of Christ in the Black Sea area and Europe!
Read Josephus and stop being so damn ignorant like most Xtians!
Ys sajiv says
Christ died once for everybody’s sins. There is no other way nor any other Seco d time crucifying. Only taking part in Christ suffering is left out
Lee says
Yeshua suffered for only a few years, many have suffered for DECADES!
Christ never went through a divorce and had his children poisoned by an ex-spouse that their Daddy ‘touched’ one of them!
Again, foolish and fake Churchians are clueless!!!
Lee says
Hmmmm here we go, nice feel good factor let-God-off-the-hook comments when he blatantly ignores us!! Have you Mr/Mrs Author ever suffered loss or trauma??
You write about ‘ideals’ yet fail to show HOW a person is to achieve such!
RockHardplace says
Hi.
I wanted to commit suicide when I lost my family through a divorce case-I lost everything. When I was diagnoses with cancer I had questions will I die of this sickness. When I had my second stroke and faced blindness in the eye-I asked what life would be without eyes and how will I read the word of God. When I was ordered and investigated for fraud -I was traumatised by the brutality of the enemy
So many times i was tossed around by the waves of dispair and the spirit of heaviness
But Like a David in Psalm 46 i have learned . God show me your church. Show me your way. I will praise you the God of my victory
Berry says
Wow! After reading all this, I am very confused. I came seeking answers and truth, but now I am very dizzy. I don’t know what to think or feel. I just hope I used proper sentence structure.
Fred Scanlan says
How unfortunate, yet provocative! The blind still leading the blind. A nation who actually believe that they are the apple of God’s eye! So simple, and yet these who are predisposed to fall into the same ditch, will take the world with them. The sand He is teaching Her on ,will become the place of a blood sacrifice this woman kneels on today! He provokes Her In the site of her future enemies. Teaching what true faith is!Yet , will they come to know the truth of who Christ is? Shall you be the preacher that should tell them ? They reject Him, even so as they do now! The stone they have rejected, shall become the head of the corner! Repent and be Baptised! Watch once again as history repeats itself, Only this time the veil shall never be rent again!
Anna Marie Sardina says
Who am i to Question Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh …he had his reasons for everything. He is everything.