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More Matthew commentaries
Matthew 12:1-14
The Sabbath Law
Matthew 12:15-21
Preaching Teaching and Healing
Matthew 12:22-37
Healing of the Blind and Mute Man
Matthew 12:46-50
Need for Personally Relationship with Jesus
Matthew 13:1-9
Teaching in Parables
Matthew 13:10-17
The Secret Message
Matthew 13:18-30
The Weeds among the Wheat
Matthew 13:31-35
The Growth of Christendom
Matthew 13:36-43
The Judgement Day
Matthew 13:44-52
The Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 13:53-58
Rejected in His Home Town
Matthew 14:1-12
Herod Antipas’ False Assumption
Matthew 14:13-21
Steps to Problem Solving
Matthew 14:22-36
The Storms of Life
Matthew 15:1-20
Ritual over Relationship
Matthew 15:21-28
The Persistant Gentile Woman
Matthew 15:29-39
Caring for the Gentile Crowd
Matthew 16:1-12
The Religious Leader’s Demand
Matthew 16:13-20
Peter’s Confession
Matthew 16:21-28
Surrender to the Cross
Matthew 17:1-13
The Transfiguration
Matthew 17:14-23
Healing of the Epileptic Son
Matthew 17:24-27
Jesus Pays the Temple Tax
Matthew 18:1-9
The Need for Humility
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The Persistant Gentile Woman
Matthew 15:21–28
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
Harvard University’s Carol Franz used personality tests to determine compassion and sympathy. The subjects: 75 of an original 379 children who were 5 when the study began. Findings:Dads who spent time alone with his kids reared the most compassionate adults.Moms who were most acc … More
Somehow a Caananite woman heard where He was and came to Him pleading that He have mercy on her demon possessed daughter (v. 22). At first Jesus did not answer (v. 23. As she was persistent the disciples said “send her away!” It appears that they were actually saying “Lord why don’t you go ahead and help this woman because she isn’t going to give up until you do."
To point out the fact that He knew she was a Gentile He referred to the Jews as children and the Gentiles as dogs (vv. 24-26). In His reply, Jesus did not actually call her a “dog” the way the Pharisees would have talked to a Gentile. She immediately seized upon His illustration about the children’s bread, which was exactly what He wanted her to do. She said that it was true that Gentiles do not sit at the table as children but as dogs under the table, and she was willing to eat some of the crumbs (v. 27)! With this testimony of faith Jesus immediately healed her daughter (v. 28).
Application
This woman’s faith was great because she persisted in asking and trusting when everything seemed against her. Has there ever been a time when it seemed like everything was against me? If so this is when I need to keep asking and trusting.
Matthew 15:21-28 (English Standard Version)
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon." But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.
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