Dear friends,
We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
You are welcome to share this and include in your church newsletters if you wish; we just ask that you please give credit to NTC and the author. Thank you!
Matthew 15:21-28
21 Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Devotional Thought:
This is a difficult passage for many as it seems to present Jesus as less than generous toward Gentiles in general and this Canaanite woman and her daughter in particular. Yet, Matthew’s gospel has made clear that Jesus’ ministry is primarily to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” which makes sense in a Gospel written to Jews. This is one of only two places (the other being Matt 8:5-13) where Jesus ministers to Gentiles. In both cases they approach him, he showed some hesitation in granting their requests, they evidence extraordinary faith, and he intentionally emphasised this faith. These points are important. Here, as in Matt 8:5-13, Jesus appears to be teaching his disciples (and the crowds around them) a valuable lesson about “faith lived out.” It is interesting that Jesus did not originally answer the woman when she cried out to him; he appeared to ignore her and didn’t address her directly until after the disciples pleaded with him to send her away (verses 22-23).
Could it be that Jesus was hoping that his disciples would step up and take the lead in offering comfort to this mother and maybe even healing to her daughter? Yet, they lacked the faith and the compassion. Jesus’ dialogue with the women and his reference to her and other Gentiles as “dogs” was most likely for the disciples’ benefit. Jews were known to refer to Gentiles as dogs (cf. Phil 3:2), a way of referencing their impurity before God. Could it be that this was the reason his disciples showed no compassion toward this woman and her situation? Nevertheless, her response revealed a deeper faith in who God was and God’s love for both Jews and Gentiles alike. Have we tended to judge others based on externals rather than extend love and compassion regardless of what they have done or how they look? If so, Jesus’ words remind us that we lack faith in who God really is and how God’s love works.
Prayer:
Lord, we come confessing that we have not always loved you well and we have definitely not always loved others well. Please forgive us. Help us to see the world through your eyes. Help us to see the worth of every person. Lord, grant that we might have faith like this Canaanite woman so as to witness your love and transformation today and every day. Amen.
Rev Dr Rob A. Fringer, NTC Principal
Nazarene Theological College
40 Woodlands Drive
Thornlands QLD 4164