DOGS
Mt 15:21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Mt 15:22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
Mt 15:23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
Mt 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Mt 15:25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
Mt 15:26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
Mt 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Mt 15:28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mt 15:21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Mt 15:22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
Mt 15:23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
Mt 15:24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Mt 15:25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
Mt 15:26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
Mt 15:27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Mt 15:28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus ha s purposefully gone to Tyre and Sidon. These were two non Jewish cities. In fact in the Old Testament these two cities were known for their ungodliness and paganism. They were poster children for the judgment of God. The Israelites did not associate with such people…this carried on into the culture in which Jesus is in.
This woman approaches Jesus in all the right ways. She approaches him in a Jewish manner…Son of David. She is loud enough and the implications are that she was persistent and passionate in her approach. She seems to be the ideal person for Jesus to help. She knows the right way to approach Him or the right thing to say..she has the right mix of humility and faith. Don’t we think that is the formula for approaching Jesus? Isn’t that what we teach our kids? Surely Jesus is going to help her, right?
How does Jesus answer this woman who has come to him in all the right ways? First of all (v23) he ignores her. This pleased the disciples. They were ready to go home and kick it back. They had no time to deal with the unclean pagan woman. Jesus does what the disciples wanted him to do..it seems. Then he tells her that he was sent for Israel only. The woman is still persistent (25) with her request. Jesus then says something we would never think he would say. He tells her that he can’t take the goodness that is for Israel and give it to dogs (26). So not only does Jesus ignore the woman but he also insults her by calling her a dog.
What was really going on in this encounter? What was Jesus really saying? You have to look Matthew 15:1-20. In these verses Jesus had a show down with the Pharisees about what is clean and unclean. Should I eat with dirty hands or wash my hands.. He moves from that show down to this context of taking his disciples to the most unclean places in that area (Tyre and Sidon). Maybe Jesus is not ignoring or insulting the woman but maybe he is about to give the disciples a lesson on real purity.
The woman just seems to play a long with it (v27). She is basically saying that she may as well be a dog because that is how much she needed him in her life.
NOW if this is a lesson on purity then we might ought to look at our own lives in this story. Do we spend most of our Christian life trying to look the part and trying to say the part and deep down our hearts are far from God? Do we try to accomplish things in our power or do we depend on Jesus?
In his wanting to teach his disciples about purity he goes to the dirtiest places around and finds a very unworthy woman. In that dirtiness and in that unworthiness he finds something clean. What could be clean about a woman willing to be called a dog? She was a Gentile and according to the Jews, she was not any better than a dog. Dogs were not pets in this culture. Do you know what it was that made Jesus pay attention to her? It is called desperation. She was desperate and in need and went to the person who could fill that need, even if it meant being called a dog. You see, we go to worship and to small group and we move into the week thinking we can handle the world and we never turn to the one who created the world. When was the last time you entered a worship setting really desperate for God. I am not talking about wanting to meet with God, or hear from God, or sing to God. When was the last time you entered a worship setting wanting God?
When we come in need we are lowering ourselves and exalting Jesus Christ. When we come in desperation we are saying to God that we believe that he is All Powerful and Almighty and that he is the only source we need to fill all of our needs.
This woman was looked down on and even compared to a dog. She still humbled herself and went to the only source that could help her. She went out of desperation and humility. When we prepare for worship, we need to drop the pride and arrogance and approach Him with desperation and humility.
This woman approaches Jesus in all the right ways. She approaches him in a Jewish manner…Son of David. She is loud enough and the implications are that she was persistent and passionate in her approach. She seems to be the ideal person for Jesus to help. She knows the right way to approach Him or the right thing to say..she has the right mix of humility and faith. Don’t we think that is the formula for approaching Jesus? Isn’t that what we teach our kids? Surely Jesus is going to help her, right?
How does Jesus answer this woman who has come to him in all the right ways? First of all (v23) he ignores her. This pleased the disciples. They were ready to go home and kick it back. They had no time to deal with the unclean pagan woman. Jesus does what the disciples wanted him to do..it seems. Then he tells her that he was sent for Israel only. The woman is still persistent (25) with her request. Jesus then says something we would never think he would say. He tells her that he can’t take the goodness that is for Israel and give it to dogs (26). So not only does Jesus ignore the woman but he also insults her by calling her a dog.
What was really going on in this encounter? What was Jesus really saying? You have to look Matthew 15:1-20. In these verses Jesus had a show down with the Pharisees about what is clean and unclean. Should I eat with dirty hands or wash my hands.. He moves from that show down to this context of taking his disciples to the most unclean places in that area (Tyre and Sidon). Maybe Jesus is not ignoring or insulting the woman but maybe he is about to give the disciples a lesson on real purity.
The woman just seems to play a long with it (v27). She is basically saying that she may as well be a dog because that is how much she needed him in her life.
NOW if this is a lesson on purity then we might ought to look at our own lives in this story. Do we spend most of our Christian life trying to look the part and trying to say the part and deep down our hearts are far from God? Do we try to accomplish things in our power or do we depend on Jesus?
In his wanting to teach his disciples about purity he goes to the dirtiest places around and finds a very unworthy woman. In that dirtiness and in that unworthiness he finds something clean. What could be clean about a woman willing to be called a dog? She was a Gentile and according to the Jews, she was not any better than a dog. Dogs were not pets in this culture. Do you know what it was that made Jesus pay attention to her? It is called desperation. She was desperate and in need and went to the person who could fill that need, even if it meant being called a dog. You see, we go to worship and to small group and we move into the week thinking we can handle the world and we never turn to the one who created the world. When was the last time you entered a worship setting really desperate for God. I am not talking about wanting to meet with God, or hear from God, or sing to God. When was the last time you entered a worship setting wanting God?
When we come in need we are lowering ourselves and exalting Jesus Christ. When we come in desperation we are saying to God that we believe that he is All Powerful and Almighty and that he is the only source we need to fill all of our needs.
This woman was looked down on and even compared to a dog. She still humbled herself and went to the only source that could help her. She went out of desperation and humility. When we prepare for worship, we need to drop the pride and arrogance and approach Him with desperation and humility.
I think it will change our lives if we do.
In Him
CW
In Him
CW
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