Jesus Meets: The Canaanite Woman
Matthew 15:25 (NIV) —
‘The woman came and knelt before him. ‘Lord, help me!’ she said. He replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’ ‘Yes, it is Lord,’ she said. ‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.’
This is a slightly puzzling meeting because, on first reading, it appears that Jesus is being uncharacteristically rude to this clearly desperate woman. But the context for this meeting is key to unlocking what Jesus wants to say through this encounter.
He has just come from a heated exchange with some Jewish religious leaders about the disciples not ceremonially washing their hands (very topical!) Jesus is trying to teach them and us that it’s not the dirt on the outside of our bodies that makes us unclean, but what’s in our hearts. The disciples tell Jesus that ‘the religious leaders were offended when they heard this’
So what does Jesus do? He travels 30+ miles to this random Canaanite town to meet this ‘unclean’ non-Jewish woman. To begin with, it seems Jesus is ignoring her cries for help. But this is all part of Jesus’ plan. She pleads with Jesus again for help for her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus tells her bluntly that he’s come to save Jewish people, not Gentiles like her. But she’s convinced that her faith in Jesus is not misplaced; that he’s the only one who can help her daughter. She pleads again, and Jesus deliberately offends her. But the woman is unperturbed. She knows she’s the lowest of the low, she knows she’s ‘unclean’, but she chooses not to take offence but to continue to put her faith in Jesus. This is exactly what Jesus wants us to see. Rather than being rude, Jesus holds her up as an example.
The religious leaders are so easily offended that they can’t see the Messiah standing right in front of them. The hypocritical state of their hearts has blinded them to the truth of the gospel. And yet this woman, who has cause to be offended, chooses to look beyond the offence, and in doing so reveals what’s in her heart: pure faith in Jesus.
Prayer - Lord Jesus, would you give me the gift of faith like the Canaanite woman. I’m sorry when I’m so easily offended by unimportant things. Examine my heart again and make it clean.