26 But He (Jesus) answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Matthew 15
As good an example as any, for insensitivity and brusqueness.
Not quite in character for the gentle, loving, compassionate Jesus – what? As a matter of fact, His behaviour is quite strange from the moment He crossed over from Galilee into Lebanon.
Let’s review the story:
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word.
Coming immediately after the subtitles of feeding of the 5000, walking on the sea and , many touch him and are made well we read in chapter 14, what the Dickens is Jesus doing in this region if He cannot even respond to a heart-cry of a desperate woman?
His subsequent behaviour makes us wonder if He is a downright misogynist taking pleasure in humiliating a hapless foreign woman.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
Who are these guys? An empowered lot! See Luke 10:19 Behold, I (Jesus)give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
Ah……. one on one
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”…… PING
27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”…….PONG
Game over!
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
The matter could not have been left to the disciples. They were ready to shoo her away. Apparently the woman was first crying from the outer periphery of the throng that surrounded Jesus. He heard her and said not a word. The disciples got their cue from the attitude of their master. Since the first appeal was made directly to the Lord Himself, they decided that it is best that He deal with this unscheduled intrusion. “Send her away” they pleaded.
I think they had the power to address the woman’s daughter’s condition, but were hesitant, reluctant to exercise their gifts, afraid that the girl would not be cured and they will end up as failures. What an embarrassment that would be? It is even possible that they were thinking that their master too was not equal to the task and that’s why he was keeping mum; pretending not to hear.
Best that they sweep the issue under the carpet. Pretend that all is hunky dory and go on their way. After all this girl was but only one of the many that were demon possessed in the region. If Jesus should do something extraordinary here, they might well get swamped.
But the woman had faith; she had no doubt at all that Jesus was able. True, she was a little perplexed at Jesus’s unusual conduct but she wasn’t giving up.
Can the same be said of us? Are we convinced in our hearts that “all things are possible with God“? Oh, yes, do we believe that Jesus is God?
Do we display the kind of tenacious, dogged faith (pun intended) that wrestles and overcomes? Are we desperate enough to go on knocking the door till it opens?
Jesus is not playing games; He is looking for persevering faith, faith.
Why do you suppose He left Galilee and crossed over to Lebanon?
For immediately after this episode : 29 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.
The only reason: to reward one faithful mother and heal her little girl.
Mind blowing!