Children and Dogs

Children and Dogs

(Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)

Yearly Theme:  “Kindness is… Astounding”

Series Title:  “Kindness 24/7”

October 15^th, 2023

Something to think about:

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Today we come to a miracle of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark that is important to understand but difficult to comprehend.  Not only is there a need for healing and deliverance made known to Jesus, but His response seems uncharacteristic of His very nature.  What we will learn through this passage is more than meets the eye; what we will learn through this miracle is the very heart of GOD.  Let’s take a look:

Matthew 15:21-28 (NLT),

²¹ Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.   ²² A Gentile^* woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

²³ But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.  Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said.  “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

²⁵ But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

²⁸ “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.”  And her daughter was instantly healed.

Joan Petch said “Superheroes are only shown as superheroes when they find themselves in super challenging situations and have to call upon superpowers to overcome the super difficulties.  Otherwise, they just look like ordinary folks.”

Though difficult to comprehend through our cultural lens, there are some important things to understand about the specific dynamics within this particular passage of Scripture.  But before we get to the specifics let’s consider the main takeaway this morning…

Key Point:  “When kindness is tested, kindness always prevails.”

So what’s really going on in this passage?  Was Jesus being mean here or is there something more to the story than meets the eye?  Well, let’s consider the following:

• A  woman approaches Jesus for  for her daughter.

Matthew 15:21-22 (NLT),  ²¹ Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.   ²² A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!  For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

• Jesus’ initial  is followed by a  .

Matthew 15:23-26 (NLT),  ²³ But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word.  Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said.  “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

²⁴ Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”

²⁵ But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

²⁶ Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”

• The woman’s  brings  to her daughter.

Matthew 15:27-28 (NLT),  ²⁷ She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

²⁸ “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.”  And her daughter was instantly healed.

Something to take home:

It’s been said that “Strength and courage aren’t always measured in medals and victories.  They are measured in the struggles they overcome.  The strongest people aren’t always the people who win, they are the people who don’t give up when they lose.”

When faced with desperate circumstances and uncertainty, and there’s nowhere else to turn for help, don’t be surprised when you turn to GOD and find silence and testing.  It’s during times of silence and testing that most people give up and walk away, but this Gentile woman pushed through and was met with praise for her faith and healing for her daughter.

If you're in a boat off-shore, coming into the beach, sometimes you'll be on the crest of the wave and sometimes you'll be in the trough. You can't always be on the crest, but that doesn't mean you're not heading for the shore.  Just remember that life is full of ups and downs, but there is a Savior who traversed the brutalities of the cross to bring us salvation and hope from our desperately hopeless circumstances. 

Key Point:  “When kindness is tested, kindness always prevails.”

^* 15:22 Greek Canaanite.