Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 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.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Matthew 15:21 – 28

A pause in Jesus’ ministry to the Jews – a visit to the region north of Galilee, the location of the two ancient towns of the Phoenicians, Tyre and Sidon.  Why Jesus went up there, we do not know but we have a remarkable story when he did.

Jesus met a wall of resistance in Israel, primarily Jews who simply could not believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.  In fact, the Pharisees, the strictest Jewish group, resisted Jesus in every way.  They had many reasons to disown him, but one of the major reasons was that Jesus did not encourage people to focus their religious intentions on obedience to their interpretation of the law which they believed was the highest standard possible, and the right and fitting way to please God.

Jesus, as we have been witnessing, had a different point of view, which stressed the arrival of the Kingdom of God among mankind, not the perfection of an existing kingdom or nation.

Jesus never brought into question the role of the law in human society but he gave no hope that obeying that law could possibly bring salvation, that is only possible through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Having noted that, we see Jesus, in this story, moving among non-Jews outside of Israel.  A desperate Gentile woman pled with Jesus, whom she knew was a Jew, to drive out demons in her daughter.  Jesus ignored her request.  The poor woman would not stop crying to Jesus.  The disciples wanted to send her away.  She would not be deterred because she was in huge trouble.

Finally, the woman threw herself at Jesus’ feet crying, “Lord, help me.”  Jesus reminded her that he came to minister to the Jews.  She did not dispute that but asked that a little of his charity fall her way.  This plea touched the heart of Jesus.  He healed her daughter and left us pondering his words, “Woman, you have great faith.”  Not great knowledge, or great problems, but great faith.  That is the key.