Matthew 15:22, commentary and pictures

A despised Canaanite mother from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon comes crying to Jesus for mercy on herself, hailing Him as Lord and Son of David because her daughter is grievously possessed and tormented by a devil. Jesus had withdrawn to that heathen border country after the Pharisees rejected His teaching and sought His life, hoping for retirement and to prepare His disciples, and her healing was the only miracle He did on that journey, undertaken on purpose to answer her cry. Though He feels at once divine compassion for her woe, He seems for a time cold and indifferent, echoing Jewish prejudice in order to test her faith and to show the disciples how wrongly they would treat the distressed heathen. She persists humbly without losing faith, willing to take even a dog's crumb of His mercy, and when her great faith is made clear He commends it as greater than He had found in Israel and frees her daughter from that hour. Her case stands on record to show that no soul who asks in faith will be left to perish, to assure distressed mothers that Christ hears and helps them and their children, and to reveal that salvation is for all outside Israel who hunger for truth.

Journey Setting and Timing

The cry of the Canaanite woman came after the encounter with the Pharisees, when Jesus withdrew from Capernaum and crossed Galilee to the hill country on the borders of Phenicia overlooking Tyre and Sidon. From those heights could be seen their heathen temples and palaces, their marts of trade and harbors full of shipping, with the Mediterranean beyond. He withdrew to the borders of Tyre and Sidon after laying bare the hollowness of Pharisaic piety and the unscripturalness of their teachings, to avoid an outbreak of hostility.

He left His field of labor because scribes and Pharisees murmured and complained, manifested unbelief and bitterness, refused the salvation freely offered them, and sought to take His life. He left the vicinity of Jerusalem for the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Though entering a house and desiring that no one know it, He could not be hidden, because His Godlike character, wise gracious words, and deeds of mercy revealed a power far above priests and rulers.

He came hoping to find the retirement He had failed to secure at Bethsaida and to prepare His disciples for their mission. The time had not yet come for messengers of the gospel to carry its glad tidings across the sea to the centers of the world's great empire. This healing was the only miracle He did on that journey. He went there on purpose to relieve the afflicted woman and answer her cry for mercy.

Woman, Plea and Titles

The one who cries is a mother of the old Canaanite race around Tyre and Sidon, a Syro-Phoenician, Canaanitish, non-Jewish woman from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. She is an idolater and heathen from a despised people hated by the Jews, excluded from the advantages Jews daily enjoyed and without the light of God's word. She knows that Jews have no dealings with Canaanites and refuse even to speak to them. Her daughter is grievously vexed with a devil, severely afflicted, possessed, and under terrible affliction and suffering.

She comes out of those borders and cries to Jesus for mercy on herself, addressing Him as Lord, thou Son of David. After He has noticed her case she bows at His feet and presses her plea with greater earnestness. “Son of David” is the prophetic title of the Messiah, and her appeal is one of several public acknowledgments of Jesus by that title. Many who used it did not recognize that the Son of David was also the Son of God.

Having heard through Jews living among the Phenicians who had listened to His words and seen His works, and hearing that this prophet healed all manner of diseases for rich or poor and performed miracles of mercy, hope sprang in her heart. She believed that He alone could help and must heal her child. She had sought help from heathen gods with no relief and was tempted to doubt what a Jewish teacher could do for her. Yet inspired by a mother’s love she formed the resolute purpose to bring her affliction to Jesus with perfect faith in His power and the conviction not to lose her only hope.

She yields at once to His divine influence with implicit faith, having no national or religious pride, prejudice, or claim to hinder her. She immediately acknowledges Jesus as Redeemer able to do all she asks. She listens to His instruction deeply impressed by the word of truth. In this she represents the great human family who knew not God or the truth but felt a soul-longing for something they had not.

Lesson for Disciples and Nations

His dealing with the Canaanite mother was a lesson acted out for the disciples, taking for a time the ideas and sentiments that controlled many who were then following Him and acting for a short time as the Pharisees taught the people to act toward the heathen. His cold reception, apparent indifference, delay, and answer about being sent to the lost sheep of Israel echoed Jewish prejudice, showing the disciples how coldly the Jews would treat such a request. That display was meant to teach them not to meet people in distress with that prejudice, but with compassion.

His mercy to one of a despised people both relieved her and left an example of the compassion with which they should answer such appeals after He would no longer be with them. The encounter was deliberately brought before them to show the needs, deep sorrows, and longing for the Healer's help and for the truth given to Israel among Gentiles beyond Judea. Israel's blessings had been given to equip the Jews to bless other nations, but pride and self-sufficiency had led them to neglect those around them. Even their religious leaders failed to understand the true meaning of Scripture and the duty to minister to people in need.

The meeting challenged Jewish exclusiveness and rebuked the disciples, for He came to save and to gather into His fold all who seek Him and are ready to believe and accept Him, not Israel only. It belongs to His direct work among people outside acknowledged Israel, in the conversion of the Syrophoenician woman. It reveals that those outside Israel, even those regarded as unworthy of salvation, can hunger for truth and receive help, and that God's kingdom has no boundary between Jew and Gentile.

Her appeal and her daughter's need pointed to a gospel mission among the Gentiles, preparing the disciples to carry the gospel beyond their own nation and beyond custom and nationality and to work for others besides their own people. That lesson later helped direct their work and guide His representatives when the division was broken down through Christ's death. It foreshadowed the later sustained preaching of the gospel to Gentile communities and the continuing gathering of Gentiles into God's church who receive the gospel and glorify God.

Testing Faith and Healing

His heart was moved with divine compassion and pitying tenderness at the mother's woe and grief, and He longed to assure her at once that her prayer was heard and her request fulfilled. Her cry was made to a compassionate Saviour who did not share the disciples' prejudice against her people, and His seeming delay and neglect was no sign that prayer is ignored. He delayed and seemed to neglect and even repulse her in order to draw out her faith and to test her faith and sincerity and her confidence in His power and goodness. The initially cold reception tested her and at the same time exposed how such a plea would be treated under Jewish prejudice.

Though He appeared not to hear her and appeared to reject her, she continued to seek His help in faith and persisted humbly without losing faith. After her case was noticed she pressed her plea with still greater earnestness, bowing at His feet. She was willing to be regarded as a dog if she might have the privilege of a dog, begging for the crumbs that fall from the Master's table. In this she humbly acknowledged that she had no claim to the blessings given to Israel, yet asked for even a small share of His abundant mercy.

He knew her heart, the sorrow pressing on her soul, and her persistent determination not to be driven away until her request was granted. That persistence in her heart was itself inspired by Christ, and He rewards the confidence He has planted. When her faith was made clear He commended her great faith, greater than He had found in Israel, and granted the precious boon she asked. Her earnest, humble, persistent supplication was answered with healing, for her daughter was freed from the demon and from that hour the demon troubled her no more.

The healing came through His word and touch with tender attention to mother and child. In this He was revealed as the great Medical Missionary whose whole life represented God, and the account shows His great love for suffering people. Her confiding trust refreshed the spirit of Jesus. That trust stands together with the glad reception given Him by the heathen people of Decapolis, in contrast to the contemptuous unbelief He met in Galilee where most of His works had been done.

Prayer and Mothers Encouraged

The case stands on record to show the result of persevering in presenting needs to the Hearer of prayer and the result of persevering prayer. No soul who asks in faith for the help of Christ will be left to perish, and the weakest struggling soul may live and find hope and sufficiency in God, for He rewards the confidence He has planted. The sorrowful mother cried to Jesus as Lord and Son of David because her daughter was grievously vexed with a devil and grievously afflicted, and Jesus felt divine compassion and pitying tenderness at her woe and grief and longed to assure her at once that her prayer was heard and her request fulfilled. His apparent delay does not mean prayer is ignored, for He delayed and seemed to neglect and even repulse her cry in order to draw out her faith and to teach His disciples a lesson, acting for a short time as the Pharisees taught the people to act toward the heathen. He knew her heart, the sorrow pressing on her soul, and her persistent determination not to be driven away until her request was granted, and the persistence in her heart was itself inspired by Christ. Her persevering answer asking only for the crumbs from the table brought commendation for great faith, greater than He had found in Israel, and when her faith was made clear He granted her the precious boon she asked.

Jesus made a long journey to relieve her anxious heart, showing His sympathy for mothers in distress and His willingness to answer their prayers and bless their children. He is moved by a mother's sorrow and gives comfort and help in grief and need, and His compassion reveals that He helps mothers in their sorrow and need. He hears the desperate plea and the earnest prayers of afflicted mothers, notices determined suffering mothers and their sick children, welcomes their appeals, and is ready to help them when they trust in Him. The Canaanite mother appealed for mercy because her daughter was possessed by a devil and severely afflicted and suffering, and He brings healing and comfort and gives comfort, help, and blessing to them and their children.

The mother's determined effort to reach Him and her urgent appeal for her sick and suffering child, with Christ's tender attention to mother and child through His word and touch followed by healing, belong to the times when people of other nations came to Christ to be healed or to make request for relatives or friends. She represents the great human family who knew not God or the truth but felt a soul-longing for something they had not, and she listened to Christ's instruction and was deeply impressed as she heard the word of truth. Christ's words of hope to her as a weary, unsatisfied soul and His healing of infirmity in answer to her coming set an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another, showing He was speaking and acting for humanity at large.