Matthew 15:21-39

Matthew 15:21 - 39

On the heels of a conversation about real purity Jesus retreats away for peace and quiet. But his reputation precedes Him. Jesus’ dialogue with a Canaanite woman is the most challenging saying of Jesus. The list of reasons why this woman was unacceptable is long. Nevertheless, she comes to Jesus with two expressions of faith. She calls him Lord, which might mean only respect, but she also called him Son of David a Messianic title. Was this lip service and parrot talk? The only way to find out is to offer resistance! The disciples simply want her to go away and healing the child may be the easiest way to get her to leave. She gets close to the Lord and in verse 25 and verse 26 Jesus has his famous "dog" comment.

There are three possible answers to what Jesus was meaning. First, dog may be a reference to a lap dog. But it's hardly better to call a person a Chihuahua then to call them a Labrador retriever. Second, Jesus may have had a twinkle in his eyes as he spoke inviting her to come closer. Third, Jesus was using the cultural expectations of the day to test the resolve of this woman. The first explanation seems to lack any historical support. The second makes the record dependent on what hasn’t been recorded. The third makes this a story about faith that overcomes resistance. Jesus was working with an individual and He was using non-supportive, cultural barriers. Part of faith is how bad do you want it. Faith has to be more than a whim or a vague wish. It is here that faith intersects with a preferred vision of the future.

This is followed by general healing in a remote area. But nothing is said about teaching at this point and the mission is still to the house of Israel yet blessings overflow to all us unworthy people. A lot of people could be healed in 3 days and now they face a large crowd on a 3-day fast. So, Jesus meets their physical needs. Grace and kindness is demonstrated while there is a strong lesson about persistence. Many of us have dreams or fantasies about our faith and spiritual service. But often these vanish in the face of the least resistance. Do we have the faith to push on in the face of a challenge?

"Lord, inspire me to be faithful regardless of any resistance. AMEN"