Even the dogs . .

[Nazianzen]

In Matthew 15:22-28, when the Canaanite woman asks Jesus to help her daugher who is possessed, Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Why do you suppose he says this? I wonder who he means are the lost sheep? Only the Israelites? The gentiles? Why not the Canaanites?

It seems to me that what happens here is that the woman, moved by her faith to approach Jesus because she believes and trusts that he can help her daughter, only gets what she desires when she allows herself to be humbled. I wonder if this means that when Jesus says, “great is your faith,” he means that her faith is evidenced by her willingness to be humbled before him, or her faith is great because of her humility.

Do you suppose that, if Jesus means that he was not sent to the Canaanites because of their sinfulness, by saying so he is offering her the opportunity to humble herself and thereby make her faith great?

 

[PraRFLEsEkHm]

Hi

If my understanding, and remembrance, is correct - the Canaanites are the descendants of Cain - the one who killed Able, by way of Ham the son of Noah. (This from a Protestant Preacher ) The same Ham who had relations with his mother.

Whether the first part of that is true, genetically speaking, or not - the second part is true. The canaanites are the descendants of Ham. (Gen 9:24, forward) and were cursed from that day forward. God specifically told the children of Israel NOT to marry a Canaanite woman - Gen 28:1.

When we move forward to Joshuas time we find that those same Canaanites occupied most of Israel and were marked for destruction by God through Joshua. However, they allowed some to live, Judges 1:1-3, and were told they would become a thorn in their side (modern day Palestinians), again - if my understanding is correct.

In Jesus day, these Canaanites were second-class citizens, they barely had the status of slaves. Jesus message prior to His Ascension was meant ONLY for the Children of Israel. Not for Gentiles outside of those living among, and observing the statutes of, the Israelites - nor for the Canaanites because He came for the elect of God - the Israelites. Everyone else would come later - through the Apostles.

The Canaanite woman was shown mercy simply because she KNEW who Jesus was, and I would think the same thing applied to her as it did to Peter - “Blessed are you Simon bar Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” Great was her Faith because she was persistant (convinced) and because most of the the Canaanites still practiced Idolotry. She acknowleged her place among the people of God, but recognized that God could, and would have mercy on all His children even if only because of their association with, and the mercy shown to them from the beginnig by Gods children. “Even dogs get the scraps from their masters table”

That is my understanding at least.

Hope it makes sense and helps

Peace

John