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20th August 2019 Trinity 10/Proper 15 

Matthew 15.21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 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." 23 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."24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus wanted to get away from it all. He wanted to escape the Pharisees, with whom he had just had a theological dispute (15.1-20). So he goes abroad! This is the only instance recorded of Jesus going outside Palestine. He went North West from the sea of Galilee to the region of Tyre and Sidon. No respectable Jew would have gone there at the time, because they thought they would be corrupted by contact with foreigners.

He was looking forward to some peace and quiet. He is recognised by a woman who has a demon-possessed daughter. She is a Canaanite. Matthew wrote his gospel for Jews, and they would have known Canaanites as the bitter enemiess of Israel when they entered the promised land. Yet, she is aware of the Jewish hope of a Messiah from the house of David, so she addresses Jesus from a Jewish perspective, v22. "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!" She acutely feels her daughter's discomfort.

In contrast to her noise, Jesus is silent. Yet she keeps pestering Jesus and his disciples. They are selfish v23 "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

Jesus said, "You are not my problem. I've come to the lost sheep of Israel." Jesus draws on the picture of God's people straying like sheep, as found in Isaiah 53.6 and Jeremiah 50.6. He is the good shepherd whose mission is to focus on God's people.

This woman is nothing if not persistant and clever. She changes her approach, begs and calls Jesus "Lord". V25 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

We have two cats, just over a year old. They both love food and Charlie will go up to Melanie and stretch her paw up to pull down the plate so she can steal food. Jesus used the picture of a household meal with pets to say the primary reason for a meal is to feed the children, and it would be wrong for someone to take the food off the plate of the children and throw it on the floor for the dogs, or even cats!

27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." The woman is humbly and cleverly using Jesus' parable to make the point that pet dogs will eat up the small scraps that fall, often unnoticed. She understood Jesus lordship and his primary mission, and she responded by continuing to trust in Him. So much so that the praised her for her confidence in Him and delivered her daughter from a distance. This showed the power of Jesus, and also reflected the way the woman was distanced from Jesus by her history and geography, but not her RE.

The woman humbly recognises that Jesus has come away from Israel for a short time, so why cannot she have his crumbs.

This is the second instance of Jesus commending the faith of a Gentile, or non-Jews, that Matthew records. In Chapter 8.10 Jesus praised the faith of the Centurion who trusted Jesus to heal his servant, again at a distance.

The faith of the woman and the centurion contrasts with the rejection of Jesus by the Pharisees, mentioned in verses 1-20. Whilst Jesus came to the Jews first, He came for everyone. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…" John 3.16

What can we learn from today's gospel?

The good news of Jesus is for anyone and everyone. Of every race, sex, age, colour, personality, and box you might like to categorise people with. Galatians 3.28 says, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

The good news of Jesus is not always easy. Jesus did not make it easy for this woman to trust in Him. He teased out and challenged her faith in Him. Sometimes in our journey of faith we will go through difficult times that will help us to grow in our love, understanding and trust of Jesus. The good news of Jesus is not about the right words, calling Him "Son of David" or "Messiah" or "Christ".The woman not only recognised who He is but showed her understanding of his mission and still grasped at the crumb of grace He had left over for her.

Don't let yourself be put off by anything in your walk with Jesus. Persevere in your faith. As Winston Churchill said. "If you're going through hell, keep going!" Also, try not to be what causes others to stumble in their walk with Jesus.

The good news of Jesus is about humble faith, shown by this woman, echoed in our communion "Prayer of Humble Access"; We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table.

One commentator stated. "Her only claim of blessing was on the grounds of pure grace". May you grasp and continue to hold on to God's grace in Jesus, and, with the help of the Holy Spirit living within you, try to be gracious and loving to others as He is to you.



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14th August 2005 - Year A : Sunday 20/Proper 15/Trinity 12 : Matthew 15:21-28

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