The Gentile Woman

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great…” 

Matthew 15:28

Her screams split the air, and ended the sweet escape of sleep. Helplessness washed over the woman as she made her way through the darkness to try and comfort her screaming daughter. She wondered how long this episode would last. What would the next minutes, and hours hold as her daughter’s body succumbed to the demons within her? Would her daughter try to throw herself into the fire again, or just scream and wail for hours on end? Tears slid down her face, as she approached the raging frame of her child. Her precious baby whom she held, and cuddled now looked at her with unseeing eyes. Her sweet, little one who brought her flowers, now screamed at her before picking up a wooden bowl and throwing it in her direction. What hope was there? Would her child always have to fight the demons who continually possessed her? 

Could the stories she had heard be true? She had heard tales of a Jewish man who healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. The Jews held to the belief that one day a Messiah would come who would set them free. Did they believe this man to be the Messiah? She wondered what freedom would feel like? She wondered what it would be like for her daughter to be free? She even wondered what it would be like to have the hope of freedom? She sighed, and wandered to the door. She felt the cool, night air. She gazed at the stars sprinkled across the night sky, and felt that there must be a Creator. Maybe a Messiah would come to the Jews, and just maybe he would be willing to save her, a Gentile as well.

As dawn broke through the darkness, her daughter’s screams finally subsided. Now, her daughter slept peacefully, the morning sun streaming across her angel face. The woman took a final glance at her sleeping child, and left to go to the well before the heat of the day was too much to bear. She gathered, with the other women, waiting for her time to fill her jug. One of the women, standing beside her, began talking about the latest news. “Have you heard that Jesus, the prophet from Galilee, arrived near Tyre yesterday?” As the other women continued talking, she tried to wrap her mind around this latest bit of news. Could she find this Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah? Would he heal her daughter since she wasn’t a Jew? She knew that she had to try and find him. She had to at least beg for the healing of her daughter. She lifted her water and headed home, determined to search until she found him. 

After some inquiries, she finally found where Jesus was staying. Her feet walked the dusty path as her mind wondered if this man, named Jesus, would be able to heal her child. She came to the house where Jesus was staying, and knocked on the door. As she entered the home, she saw Jesus sitting with His disciples. She went towards Him and pleaded, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” (Matthew 15:22). Jesus did not respond. Her plea and His silence filled the space. Peter said, “Send her away. She is bothering us with her begging.” Several other disciples mumbled in agreement. The room grew uncomfortable. Jesus turned to the woman and said, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep-the people of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24). In her desperation, the woman went and fell at His feet. She began to worship Him. She pleaded, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26). The woman hung her head before looking up and with all the faith she could muster, she said, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) Jesus looked at her with compassion and said, “Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted.” (Matthew 15:28)

Application

At first glance, this story seems somewhat strange. In fact, it can leave you wondering about Jesus’ reaction to this woman. It can almost seem as if He is being overly harsh, and indifferent to her struggle. But in these eight verses that span from Matthew 15:21 to Matthew 15:28 there is actually more going on than meets the eye. 

The first thing to make note of is that in verse 21 it says that “Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre” and by verse 29 Jesus returns to the Sea of Galilee. Why is this important? Jesus left Galilee, which is a Jewish city, and went to the region of Tyre. Tyre is a Gentile city, and the only thing mentioned about His stay is His exchange with this woman. Maybe He healed other people while He was there, we really don’t know but it could be that He traveled there just to meet the needs of this Gentile woman. This is something that Jesus would do. He will go to great lengths to find us where we are, in order to minister to us and meet our needs. He loves us that much. 

The second thing that we have to realize is that this woman had no right to call Jesus, “Lord, Son of David”. She was not a Jew nor was Jesus her “Messiah” yet. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He was here to make Himself known to the Jews. In Matthew 10:5, Jesus is sending out His disciples, and He tells them, “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans but only to the people of Israel”. After His death and resurrection, He would commission His disciples to go to all the nations proclaiming His name but at this moment, that time had not yet come* (Matthew 28:19).  

And this is why Jesus’ exchange with this woman feels awkward at first glance. If He is to heal her daughter, He must first teach her who He really is. So, Jesus begins by reminding her that He has been sent to help God's lost sheep, the people of Israel. What does the woman do? She falls at His feet, and begins to worship Him. She again pleads for His help. I love this part of the story. I love that this woman falls and worships Jesus even when it seems that her request will go unanswered. She still acknowledges that He is worthy of praise. She still puts herself at His feet. Her posture says that she is ready to surrender to His authority.

How does Jesus reply? He tells her that it isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. This woman agrees with Jesus but then reminds Him that even the dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table. Her response shows both humility, and great faith. She is essentially saying that she understands that she is not a Jew, but that she is putting herself under His authority. In doing this, she is no longer “under the table” but is choosing to sit at the table, as a daughter of Abraham. Her faith is great. This is one of the only times in the scriptures, where we find Jesus telling someone that their faith is great. 

Can you imagine hearing Jesus say to you, “Your faith is great”? For me, this would be one of the greatest compliments He could give me. However, great faith will only come through surrender. Surrendering says we trust that what God allows He will use for His glory, and our benefit. We can’t please God if we don’t have faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 

Lastly, we come to Jesus through faith. There is nothing we can do to earn His love. This woman brought nothing to Jesus but her faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.”  I think it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that we must somehow prove ourselves to God. We think that we have to earn His love. Nothing could be further from the truth. He loves you regardless of your background, your social standing, your mistakes, or your failures. He chose you. And He went to great lengths to be with you. 

We don’t know a lot about this woman. We don’t even know her name. However, we do know that she had great faith. Our faith is what moves the heart of God. Faith will be one of the defining characteristics of your life. You will either live a life of faith, or you will shrink back choosing to walk along your own path. Let her story remind you that Jesus is worth pursuing. He is worth worshipping even when life feels uncertain. He is worth surrendering your heart to. He is worth it all.

* I want to make it very clear that Jesus ultimately came to save both Jews and Gentiles. Before the cross, He made Himself known to the Jews, and after His death and resurrection He began making Himself known to the Gentiles. If you want to understand more about how Jesus brought peace to both Jews, and Gentiles, spend some time reading the book of Ephesians.