Mark 7:24-30
24 Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice.
25 But after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician descent. And she repeatedly asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
28 But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30 And after going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
The Healing of the Canaanite Woman’s Daughter
To the region of Tyre
Jesus went away to the region of Tyre (modern-day Lebanon). This was more of a secret trip for Jesus and His disciples to spend time away from the public eye. However, His reputation had also reached this region, and He could not remain hidden. There, a woman appeared before Him, pleading for Him to cast out the demon from her daughter. To understand this passage, it’s essential to know the following context: (1) Jesus came into the world as the Messiah for the Jewish people. Therefore, the primary target of His ministry was the Jews. (2) However, the Jews rejected Jesus. (3) At this point, Jesus had not yet been crucified. In other words, His ministry to the Gentiles had not yet begun.
Even the dogs feed on the crumbs
Let’s interpret this passage: (1) Matthew wrote that this woman was a “Canaanite,” referring to the people who lived in that region (ref. Matt. 15:22). Mark, on the other hand, specified that this woman was a Greek, born in that area. (2) According to Matthew, she addressed Jesus as “Lord, Son of David” and sought healing for her demon-possessed daughter. “Son of David” is a Messianic title. This means that she, being a Gentile, recognized Jesus as the Messiah and sought His help. (3) Jesus said that as He came as the Messiah for the Jews (children), He couldn’t take what is theirs and bless the Gentiles (dogs). The nuance of the word “dogs” in this context was milder than its modern connotation. (4) The woman replied that she was not trying to steal the blessings reserved for the Jews but was merely seeking the blessings that could overflow to the Gentiles. (5) Jesus was moved by her faith and granted her request. We live in the New Testament times. Through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, we, too, have access to the same blessings as the Jews. If God listened to the request of the Canaanite woman, there’s no reason He wouldn’t listen to our prayers. Through Jesus, the Lamb of God, let’s approach the throne of grace and boldly offer our requests to God.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me have the same humbleness, faith, and patience as the Canaanite woman. I pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.