During his earthly ministry, Jesus said a lot of things that upset a lot of different people: Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians, Romans, etc. Usually we’re not troubled by what he says about those groups. But many of us are troubled by what he says to a certain Canaanite woman. Here is the troubling passage:
Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:21-26).
It’s hard to imagine the Prince of Peace referring to Canaanites as dogs, but there it is. Or is it? In a previous article, I remarked how important it is to see the context of a passage in order to understand what is really happening. To understand what Jesus is and is not saying, we need to look at what happened before and after this.
What Was Jesus Doing There?
Before going to the region of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus was ministering around the Sea of Galilee. And immediately after his exchange with the Canaanite woman he returns to Galilee. The region of Tyre and Sidon was about twenty-five miles away. This was no day trip. Nor was Jesus headed to a particularly friendly place for Jews. He had to have some reason for going there, but the text doesn’t provide any. It just says, “Jesus went from [Galilee] and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.” What might have occurred in Galilee that would inspire Jesus to go to such an out-of-the-way, and possibly inhospitable place?
A Lesson for His Disciples
While Jesus was preaching in Galilee, he faced criticism by the Pharisees, for his disciples had “broken the tradition of the elders” by not observing the ritual purity laws (see Matthew 15:2). In reply Jesus says, “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles that person; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one” (Matthew 15:11). When Peter asked Jesus to explain this Jesus replied:
Do you not realize that everything that enters the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled into the latrine? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, false witness, blasphemy. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile. (Matthew 15:17-20).
Jesus must have known that his disciples still didn’t get it. He needed to show them what he meant. It was time for a road trip.
Great Faith in an Unexpected Place
Jesus travels to the land of Tyre and Sidon for one purpose, to meet this Canaanite woman. His interaction with her will show the disciples what his words meant. Here is how the scene continues:
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour (Matthew 15:27-28).
Here we have a Canaanite woman who is ritually impure according to Jewish custom. She would have been likened by some to a dog. But Jesus did not make this trip to call the Canaanite woman a dog. He likely spoke those words facetiously to show the disciples what true purity means. His disciples wanted to send this woman away even though her daughter had a serious affliction. Instead of asking Jesus to send her away, they should have asked him to help her. No, Christ did not come to condemn the Canaanite woman. He came to heal her daughter, and to teach his disciples an important lesson. Purity is a matter of the heart.
Jesus rarely gave out compliments concerning the faith of those he met. But here he praises her for her great faith. Jesus is showing his disciples that it is not empty rituals or a particular heritage that make us worthy in the eyes of God. What good is a ritual if we continue to speak and do evil? What God desires is a pure heart. Christ did not travel to this region to further a prejudice against Canaanites. He traveled there so the Canaanite woman could teach the disciples a lesson in humility, persistence in prayer, and faith.
Note: The answers provided in this article are drawn partly from the book The Gospel of Matthew (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture), by Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri. The article was first published on thecatholicyearoffaith.com in 2013.
Ya’ll Jesus wasn’t white, don’t you.
jesus was disgusted with the canaanites who behaved like animals and cursed their nation. out of love he healed the canaanite woman just the same. there were other times when he said harsh things to those he encountered, even to his own mother who he was rather short with at the wedding feast of cana. he was often critical of many apostles for wavering. jesus did not mince words. he will be even stronger in his language at the second coming.
There is zero evidence that Jesus deliberately traveled to meet this Canaanite woman. Unlike the colt that he prophesied the disciples would find for him to ride (Mark 11:2), he did not prophesy about meeting this woman. You are spinning the story, making assertions without evidence, and engaging in wishful thinking. That is exactly what cultists do when confronted with unpleasantness or inconsistencies in their cult leaders.
And washing your hands every time before you eat has been scientifically proven to be a very good idea. What goes into your mouth can definitely defile you. Did you ever drink the water in Mexico? The Pharisees, though they didn’t know about amoebas, were correct to insist on hand washing. Jesus was wrong about hygiene. People died from poor hygiene back then and they still do today. Jesus was wrong about anatomy. Thoughts and emotions come from the brain, not the heart. The heart does not expel anything from the mouth. Care to explain how Jesus, whom you claim was also your creator, lacks the knowledge that the creator of humans would definitely have?
Your career is a joke, founded on fairy tales. If you had a degree in alchemy it would be more valuable since alchemists, though misguided, actually practiced some observation and experimentation. Your whole career is just trying to explain how what is obviously an old myth is not a myth and you will twist any words you need to in your attempt to achieve that.
Go have another pickle,
Well said Mr. Hold the pickles…Pretty messed up to think our countries leaders are led by a book of myths. The pure hatred and racism this “book” is about is staggering. Really, god spoke to the Jews and then the gentilles and if anyone else even questions this “book” they are told,”who do you think you are….god” How do those that follow the book know god only spoke to the Jews…oh ya, in full faith believing. How many deaths have occurred with this twisted warped belief that,”my god is the only god”
Stone will pretty much stand the test of a few thousand years….calling Moses….Moses? Hello? 10 commandments where are you? Hello, hello
First of all, the Pharisees knew NOTHING about hygiene. Surgeons didn’t even begin sanitizing equipment and washing their hands before surgery until ~1870. Washing hands before a meal was nothing more than a tradition to them. Jesus’ point was that their failure to adhere to this trivial custom was completely irrelevant compared to the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. Second of all, obviously the saying that emotion and thoughts come from “the heart” is still a popular saying, even though we know it is not true. It’s clearly not to be taken literally. Third of all, it’s clear when read in context with the previous chapters of Matthew that Jesus brought his disciples to the Canaanite woman to show that 1. customs and traditions (such as a cultural prejudice against Canaanites) are irrelevant compared to one’s faith, and her faith was quite strong; and 2. that true faith does not falter when tested, like Peter’s did when he began sinking on the water in Matthew 14. Finally, how miserable are you that you feel the need to log onto Christian websites just to try to belittle the Faith of complete strangers? I pray that you find peace in God before it’s too late.
I stopped reading at “Was Jesus Prejudice…”
And there’s your problem, Because the article doesn’t affirm he was full of prejudice. It actually gives a sensible answer as to why he called the woman from Tyre a dog.
Ricardo, while we are talking about problems, let’s mention the fact that the title of the article is grammatically incorrect :-). I’m not saying it’s the right reason to stop reading an article though…
Hahaha, I see. I didn’t give the title much importance, but you’re right.
My mistake. The writer had it right. He had it as “Was Jesus Prejudiced …” and I changed it to “Was Jesus Prejudice …” My apologies to everyone.
i hear you. i don’t blame you.
those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing