And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
Jesus assured a despised Gentile mother that because of her humble, persistent answer her grievously afflicted daughter was freed that very hour by His word alone from a distance. She was a Canaanite idolater outside Israel who came in a mother's love after earthly help failed, and yielded to the test that it was not right to give the children's bread to dogs by willingly taking a dog's place to share its crumbs. Her saying revealed perfect faith in Him as Redeemer and Saviour, free from national prejudice and pride. Her persevering prayer was answered with pity and love to teach that all who keep bringing their need to Christ in faith will receive help and find sufficiency in God. The healing was wrought on purpose as a lesson to leave Jewish exclusiveness behind, for the outcast is made a child in God's household and Christ's mercy and salvation are for all mankind without barrier of custom or nationality.
Setting and Healing
After conflict with the Pharisees Jesus withdrew from Capernaum and crossed Galilee to the hill country on the borders of Phenicia overlooking Tyre and Sidon and the Mediterranean. The time for messengers to carry the gospel across the sea to the centers of empire had not yet come, so His work then was to prepare His disciples. He sought the retirement He had failed to secure at Bethsaida, with more than retirement in purpose.
Though He had withdrawn and entered a house so as not to be known, He could not be hidden. His words and deeds of mercy revealed His divine character and power. The woman who sought Him was a Canaanite of the old Canaanite race, described as Greek and Syrophoenician, an idolater, heathen, and despised outcast excluded from advantages enjoyed by Jews. She had sought help from heathen gods without relief and was tempted to doubt what a Jewish teacher could do. She heard among the Phenicians that Jesus healed all diseases for rich or poor, and inspired by a mother's love came with resolute purpose not to lose her only hope for her grievously devil-vexed daughter.
Falling at His feet she begged Him to cast the devil out, and He tested her by saying the children must first be filled and it was not right to take the children's bread for dogs. She answered with humble persistence that even dogs under the table share the children's crumbs, yielding at once to divine influence, willing to take a dog's place to have a dog's privilege. Because of that saying He sent her away with assurance that the devil had gone out of her daughter.
He freed her by His word alone, exercising authority over unclean spirits by addressing the demon as an intelligent being and commanding departure without further torment. The deliverance was immediate and at a distance, effective from that hour. When the mother reached her house she found her daughter lying upon the bed whole and untroubled, with the demon gone.
This was the only miracle He performed on that journey to the coast of Tyre and Sidon. It was undertaken for the very purpose of relieving this afflicted woman and showing mercy to one from a despised people.
Faith and Gentile Mission
The saying for which deliverance was granted revealed perfect and implicit faith resting on recognition of Jesus as Redeemer able to do all that was asked. That faith yielded at once to divine influence, with no national or religious prejudice or pride, asking only for crumbs and willing to take a dog's place to have a dog's privilege. It was an unconditional acknowledgment of Him as Saviour.
She persisted despite apparent indifference and seeming neglect, not taking offense or leaving but continuing to follow with supplication because she believed He would relieve her. One strand of the teaching stresses this persistent faith and His pity without detailing the specific saying that led to healing.
His words about being sent only to the lost sheep of Israel were spoken according to Jewish prejudice yet implied a rebuke of the disciples. They had been annoyed by her importunity, felt no sympathy for her distress, asked Him to send her away, and assumed His indifference meant Jewish prejudice against Canaanites pleased Him. The rebuke taught that He came to save all who would accept Him, and all who seek Him ready to believe are the lost sheep He came to gather into His fold.
Satisfied by her confidence, He turned to her with pity and love, commended her faith, and granted her request. He sent her away happy with her prayer answered and her daughter freed from that hour. The outcome teaches that persevering presentation of needs to Christ in faith brings help, so that even the weakest soul may find hope and sufficiency in God.
The act was arranged as an example and lesson to the disciples to meet distress with compassion rather than coldness and prejudice, including toward those of a despised race. It was meant to lead them away from Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people, and it opened their minds more fully to the labor before them among the Gentiles. It showed that Christ's mercy and the gospel work are unrestricted by custom or nationality. This lesson with similar ones later brought a powerful influence to bear upon His representatives in directing their labors, when the Jews turned still more persistently from the disciples because they declared Jesus to be Saviour of the world, and when the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down by the death of Christ. The encounter was also arranged so they could see needs outside Israel and learn to help them, teaching that Israel's blessings were meant to make the Jews a blessing to other nations in spiritual darkness, not to justify pride or neglect.
The grant means one regarded as an outcast from Israel is no longer an alien but a child in God's household with privilege to share the Father's gifts. It made plain that Gentiles regarded as unworthy of salvation could hunger for truth and receive His help, teaching that salvation is for all mankind. It shows Christ working directly outside Israel and recognizing Gentiles as children of God.
The conversion and deliverance anticipate the later sustained preaching of the gospel among Gentile communities as an instance of His direct work beyond the acknowledged people of Israel. It foreshadowed the gathering of Gentiles into God's church, when whole communities would receive the gospel. Then those who had not been called God's people were shown mercy and welcomed as His people, grafted into Israel.
The verse rebukes selfish neglect of the unfortunate, the blind, lame, afflicted, widow, fatherless, suffering, and discouraged. It calls for greater missionary effort right at home in families and neighborhoods in caring for the afflicted, the suffering, and the discouraged. It teaches that Israel's blessings were meant to make Jews a blessing to nations in spiritual darkness, not a ground for pride or neglect.
Jesus assured a despised Gentile mother that because of her humble, persistent answer her grievously afflicted daughter was freed that very hour by His word alone from a distance. She was a Canaanite idolater outside Israel who came in a mother's love after earthly help failed, and yielded to the test that it was not right to give the children's bread to dogs by willingly taking a dog's place to share its crumbs. Her saying revealed perfect faith in Him as Redeemer and Saviour, free from national prejudice and pride. Her persevering prayer was answered with pity and love to teach that all who keep bringing their need to Christ in faith will receive help and find sufficiency in God. The healing was wrought on purpose as a lesson to leave Jewish exclusiveness behind, for the outcast is made a child in God's household and Christ's mercy and salvation are for all mankind without barrier of custom or nationality.
Setting and Healing
After conflict with the Pharisees Jesus withdrew from Capernaum and crossed Galilee to the hill country on the borders of Phenicia overlooking Tyre and Sidon and the Mediterranean. The time for messengers to carry the gospel across the sea to the centers of empire had not yet come, so His work then was to prepare His disciples. He sought the retirement He had failed to secure at Bethsaida, with more than retirement in purpose.
Though He had withdrawn and entered a house so as not to be known, He could not be hidden. His words and deeds of mercy revealed His divine character and power. The woman who sought Him was a Canaanite of the old Canaanite race, described as Greek and Syrophoenician, an idolater, heathen, and despised outcast excluded from advantages enjoyed by Jews. She had sought help from heathen gods without relief and was tempted to doubt what a Jewish teacher could do. She heard among the Phenicians that Jesus healed all diseases for rich or poor, and inspired by a mother's love came with resolute purpose not to lose her only hope for her grievously devil-vexed daughter.
Falling at His feet she begged Him to cast the devil out, and He tested her by saying the children must first be filled and it was not right to take the children's bread for dogs. She answered with humble persistence that even dogs under the table share the children's crumbs, yielding at once to divine influence, willing to take a dog's place to have a dog's privilege. Because of that saying He sent her away with assurance that the devil had gone out of her daughter.
He freed her by His word alone, exercising authority over unclean spirits by addressing the demon as an intelligent being and commanding departure without further torment. The deliverance was immediate and at a distance, effective from that hour. When the mother reached her house she found her daughter lying upon the bed whole and untroubled, with the demon gone.
This was the only miracle He performed on that journey to the coast of Tyre and Sidon. It was undertaken for the very purpose of relieving this afflicted woman and showing mercy to one from a despised people.
Faith and Gentile Mission
The saying for which deliverance was granted revealed perfect and implicit faith resting on recognition of Jesus as Redeemer able to do all that was asked. That faith yielded at once to divine influence, with no national or religious prejudice or pride, asking only for crumbs and willing to take a dog's place to have a dog's privilege. It was an unconditional acknowledgment of Him as Saviour.
She persisted despite apparent indifference and seeming neglect, not taking offense or leaving but continuing to follow with supplication because she believed He would relieve her. One strand of the teaching stresses this persistent faith and His pity without detailing the specific saying that led to healing.
His words about being sent only to the lost sheep of Israel were spoken according to Jewish prejudice yet implied a rebuke of the disciples. They had been annoyed by her importunity, felt no sympathy for her distress, asked Him to send her away, and assumed His indifference meant Jewish prejudice against Canaanites pleased Him. The rebuke taught that He came to save all who would accept Him, and all who seek Him ready to believe are the lost sheep He came to gather into His fold.
Satisfied by her confidence, He turned to her with pity and love, commended her faith, and granted her request. He sent her away happy with her prayer answered and her daughter freed from that hour. The outcome teaches that persevering presentation of needs to Christ in faith brings help, so that even the weakest soul may find hope and sufficiency in God.
The act was arranged as an example and lesson to the disciples to meet distress with compassion rather than coldness and prejudice, including toward those of a despised race. It was meant to lead them away from Jewish exclusiveness to be interested in working for others besides their own people, and it opened their minds more fully to the labor before them among the Gentiles. It showed that Christ's mercy and the gospel work are unrestricted by custom or nationality. This lesson with similar ones later brought a powerful influence to bear upon His representatives in directing their labors, when the Jews turned still more persistently from the disciples because they declared Jesus to be Saviour of the world, and when the partition wall between Jew and Gentile was broken down by the death of Christ. The encounter was also arranged so they could see needs outside Israel and learn to help them, teaching that Israel's blessings were meant to make the Jews a blessing to other nations in spiritual darkness, not to justify pride or neglect.
The grant means one regarded as an outcast from Israel is no longer an alien but a child in God's household with privilege to share the Father's gifts. It made plain that Gentiles regarded as unworthy of salvation could hunger for truth and receive His help, teaching that salvation is for all mankind. It shows Christ working directly outside Israel and recognizing Gentiles as children of God.
The conversion and deliverance anticipate the later sustained preaching of the gospel among Gentile communities as an instance of His direct work beyond the acknowledged people of Israel. It foreshadowed the gathering of Gentiles into God's church, when whole communities would receive the gospel. Then those who had not been called God's people were shown mercy and welcomed as His people, grafted into Israel.
The verse rebukes selfish neglect of the unfortunate, the blind, lame, afflicted, widow, fatherless, suffering, and discouraged. It calls for greater missionary effort right at home in families and neighborhoods in caring for the afflicted, the suffering, and the discouraged. It teaches that Israel's blessings were meant to make Jews a blessing to nations in spiritual darkness, not a ground for pride or neglect.