The healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter is found in the narrative section of Matthew's gospel following Jesus' third discourse, the Parables of the Kingdom. This story is extremely important in that it heralds a change in God's purpose for the kingdom of God. The Pharisees, representing the historic people of God, are defective in their understanding of scripture and offended by the conduct of Jesus and his disciples, and so they oppose God's purpose in Jesus. Thus, the working out of God's purpose begins to move away from the historic people of Israel. This shift is illustrated in a pagan woman, a descendant of the ancient enemies of Israel, who approaches the Jewish messiah with great faith, asks for grace, and receive it with no strings attached.

v21. Following the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus withdraws from the crowds and increasingly ministers to his disciples. The crowds are obviously stirred-up by his miracles. Some of the people had even tried to make him their king. This news, no doubt, got Herod going, as well as further enraging the religious establishment. So, Jesus moves North into pagan territory, out of harm's way.

v22. Matthew sets the direction of the episode by giving this Syrophoenician woman her ancient ancestry. She comes from a nation set for destruction by God under the hand of Israel, a nation bitterly opposed to the people of Israel and their God. She knowingly comes to Israel's messiah for blessing, very aware of Jesus' messianic credentials. For her, Jesus is the "Son of David." She also recognizes Jesus' capacity to heal, for demon possession is the most difficult of healings since it requires one greater than Satan to break his hold.

v23-24. Jesus doesn't respond to the woman and so the disciples, obviously aggravated by her persistence, ask Jesus to deal with her request so that they can be on their way. Jesus then explains that his mission (under the authority of God) is to call out the faithful remnant of Israel. This doesn't deny a future mission to the Gentiles, only that for the present, "salvation is from the Jews", Jn.4:23-26.

v25. The woman cries to Jesus for her child as only a mother can.

v26. Although Jesus' reply seems terribly harsh, it is not as strong as it is usually translated. What he is saying is that "the children get fed first". For the present, the blessings of the dawning kingdom are for Israel.

v27. The woman's reply demonstrates that she understands that the children must be fed first, but in the meantime, she can eat of the crumbs that fall from their table. Indeed she can! She doesn't claim that justice demands that she has as much right as Israel to God's covenant mercies. She doesn't argue that God's sovereign will, his divine election of Israel, is unfair. She simply asks for divine help, for grace. "She is confident that even if she is not entitled to sit down as a guest at Messiah's table, ..... yet at least she may be allowed to receive a crumb of the uncovenanted mercies of God", R. Tasker.

v28. The actual words of Jesus in the original Greek demonstrate emotional force, "O woman". The point is simple enough, "the faith that simply seeks mercy is honoured", D. Carson.

Our passage for study has held an important place in the life of the Christian church. The Clementine homilies (late 2nd century) even went so far as to name the woman Justa and her daughter as Berenice. The names were obviously invented. The story was used to authenticate the Gentile nature of the early church. The Jews reject God's blessings in Christ and so the Gentiles get to eat the crumbs.

Modern Redaction Criticism tends to run the line that this story emerged out of Matthew's Jewish Christian circles and so served to encourage Gentile evangelism, while affirming the priority of Jewish Christianity over Gentile Christianity. This is probably a bit wide of the mark.

The story certainly does show where the future lies. As Israel continues to reject God's mercy in Christ, that mercy will inevitably move toward the Gentile faithful. It also shows that God's kindness, his mercy, is freely given for the asking. Grace is not given because of status, either family association (children of Abraham), or goodness (obedience to the Law). Grace is given through the instrument of faith. The woman believed that Jesus was God's messiah and that he could and would dispense God's mercy for the asking.

This story serves to further establish the notion of God's gracious gift of salvation (eternal right-standing in the sight of God) freely offered and appropriated through faith in Christ (by asking Christ). The healing of the Canaanite women's daughter fixes the substance of the gospel, reminding us that salvation is by grace through faith.

1. Why does Jesus initially ignore the pleas of this "Canaanite" woman?

2. Discuss the rather harsh nature of Jesus' response to her.

3. We may define "grace" as "God's covenant mercy" - forgiveness bestowed on members of the covenant where a just condemnation would be more appropriate. Discuss how this story further defines God's sovereign grace.