Back to the Bible: Matthew 15:21-31
Matthew explains that Jesus went into a Gentile region and that the woman he encountered was a Gentile. She cried out for mercy, recognizing Jesus as Lord and King. But, when she asked Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter, He didn’t even respond. The disciples were bothered by her and asked Jesus to send her away. Jesus explained to her that His work was for the Jews first. He illustrated by saying it would be inappropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Jesus’ earthly mission was to the Jews. The gospel would be for everyone (Mk. 16:15; Rom. 1:16, 17). Though the Jews would be blessed first, the whole world would ultimately be blessed by Jesus (Gen. 12:1-3). I take it to be that Jesus knows exactly what kind of woman she is and is using this to teach His disciples a powerful lesson. She understood, but pleaded with Him. She’s said, in effect, “I get it. I’ll take the role of a little dog; I just need a crumb.” She realized that His miracles were just a fraction of His immense power. She had great faith— she knew she only needed a crumb. Thus, she was incredibly humble—she fell at His feet and she would not be deterred by Jesus’ abrasive statement. He had what she needed. Her statement revealed her great faith and great humility and Jesus healed her daughter. Jesus went back to Galilee. Again, the crowds came to Him, bringing their sick and disabled. He healed them and they glorified God in response. As the crowds came, Jesus, in His compassion, wanted to feed them. The disciples, again, didn’t know how they’d provide food. But, they had seven loaves and a few fish. Jesus, again, used that small amount of food to feed the crowd— 4,000 men, plus women and children– to their satisfaction. They had seven baskets of leftovers. Jesus then sent them away and took a boat to Magadan.
Lessons to Learn:
Great faith always equals great humility. What if Jesus says something you don’t like? Will you respond with faith and humility, knowing He has what you most need? Or, will you stomp off in arrogant disgust? We must be willing to sacrifice our “dignity” in the presence of the great power of Jesus.
We’re thankful to share these considerations of God’s word. It’s best if you have a Bible close to evaluate what we say. We want to go “back to the Bible” for all we teach.
Tune in to 100.7 WGOL Sunday at 8:30am for our Back to the Bible Radio Program. Reach out with your questions, comments, or requests for personal Bible study at backtothebiblepodcast.com or at info@backtothebiblepodcast.com.
