Jesus and the Canaanite Woman

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer

Given below is an incident appearing in the bible in the gospels of Mathew and Mark which I considered a little strange at the first read but soon was guided to realize the truth that was hidden in between the lines.

Matthew-15:21-28

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 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."

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."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

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 their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The same incident can be again found in Mark 7:24-30. At first you might wonder why Jesus answered this woman in such a rude manner. In the book of Mathew we see that when the woman begged and pleaded Jesus to heal her daughter the first time, he just plainly ignores her. As the woman kept pleading Jesus told his disciples who were by now fed up with the woman’s constant pleading and who were asking Jesus to just get rid of her by granting her request, very loudly so that the woman can hear him that he had come only to the lost sheep of Israel (which was I think a deliberate bluff to test the woman).  But this did not deter the woman who still kept asking Jesus to heal her daughter.  Jesus then told her something really unimaginable to us Christian’s. He called her and her people Dogs and said he is not willing to oblige the woman.

Let me pause here for a moment and draw your attention to another incident in the bible. In John Chapter 4 meets the Samaritan women. The Samaritans were considered to be sinners in those days and the Jews used to keep away from them. But Jesus spoke to that woman and blessed her, stayed with her people and healed and saved many of them.  If Jesus did indeed do this, why do you think Jesus treated the Cannanite woman who was as much a gentile as the Samaritan woman in the manner in which he did? Jesus came for the lost and here was a woman who was lost. Jesus loved the gentiles which was evident from John Chapter 4. Then why did Jesus speak to her to way he did.

Well the ways of the Lord are indeed marvelous and beyond our human understanding (Isaiah 55:8). In this current situation I think the answer is found in the next few lines in that chapter in the book of Mathew. The woman replied to Jesus telling that even dogs get their due share from the master table. You see the woman was more that confident in the love of Jesus and his ability to heal her daughter. I am sure she had been observing Jesus, the way he healed people, the way he preached and the way he had a loving heart. She had faith that Jesus CAN heal her daughter and he WILL heal her daughter and hence kept on persisting. Jesus on the other hand knew of her faith very well and I guess wanted to test her faith and see the extent of patience she has. And finally, when she saw that the woman’s faith was for real despite his rude remarks, he grants her wish and heals her daughter

Jesus always wanted to heal her daughter, but he was testing her and that too using really harsh words. But the woman simply did not give up. She was confident in Jesus and hence kept persisting.

In Romans 12V12, Paul has a similar advise to the church at Rome. He asks them to be happy with hope and rejoice in times of sufferings. He then tells them the same thing what the Cannanite woman did in practice i.e being persisting in our prayers. In Luke Chap 18, Jesus tells us the story of the persistant widow who goes to a judge for justice and keep persisting till she gets it. The judge despite being corrupt heard the woman just to get rid of her. Jesus then said that if a judge who is so corrupt gave that widow the justice she was seeking how much more will God our father who loves us will listen to those who persistently ask him for justice or for that matter anything.

So I guess God is really teaching us to keep praying and praying and praying till the Lord decides that the time is right for our prayers to be answered. So lets keep praying. Lets be praying people and not people who say prayers (Acts 9:11). And as we do this, lets as the Psalmist says in Psalm 27vv 14 “Rely on the Lord, Be Strong, Take Heart and Wait for the Lord”. 

The Sign of Jonah

Mathew Chap 16: 1- 4

Here is an interesting little episode where the certain Jewish teachers of the law came to test Jesus and demanded a sign of heaven from Jesus. But Jesus offered them none. He replied saying “A wicked generation looks for signs but none will be given to them, except the sign of Jonah”. On deeper thought what Jesus I think is saying is and which I  think is very true is that people today and in Jesus times  only looked for some evidence to believe in something.  We need proof of God’s existence. We need a sign to believe that Jesus will come again. But the Kingdom of God is all to do with faith. 2 Corinthians says “We walk by faith and not by sight”.  The only sign Jesus said will be given to us is the sign of Jonah which he explains in Mathew Chap 12 vv 38 onwards where he referred to his death and resurrection.  I think this is what prompted Peter in 2 Peter Chap – 1: 16 to tell the Chruch which was at that time being persecuted that whatever he or the other apostles have told about Jesus are not just stories they made up, but they actually saw and accomplished it.

Believers, its true that during some of our life situations we doubt God and his existence. But let’s always keep this little biblical incident in mind as we go about doing our everyday work. Let’s believe in what the entire Lord has said and has promised. He lives and I think our lives as believers are a testimony to that.