Matthew 15:26-32

Mat 15:26 (KJB)
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs.

Here Jesus makes a statement which sounds like He is mocking her but He is doing far from something like that. He is testing her faith even further to see how strong a faith she has. The “children” in the passage refers to the Jews, who were to be heirs of the kingdom of God and children of the house of Israel which was built by God. (Mat 10:6-7 KJV) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. {7} And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. The dog was considered an unclean animal because it was a scavenger, it had a ferocious attitude, it even ate garbage and sometimes it would eat dead animals or even humans. The word “dog” came to be identified with the Gentiles by the Jews who considered them to be unclean people. Jesus uses this metaphor when addressing the woman, however, He was not speaking of the dog of the streets but in some homes there were lapdogs which often ate table scraps from the master’s plate and that is what the word in the Greek signifies.

Mat 15:27 (KJB)
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

The woman did not deny what Jesus had spoken concerning the dogs and the children’s bread. Then the woman answers Jesus by stating that even the dogs eat of the food which comes from the table of the master. By making this statement, she was showing that her faith was unshakeable and that she believed that Jesus was going to answer her request. She knew that even the smallest crumb of power from Jesus would be sufficient enough to drive the devil out of her daughter. This woman showed the utmost persistence and would not be deterred from her petition. She could have left in rage after being compared to a dog, but she did not. (Luke 18:1 KJV) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; She gives a good lesson on the persistent prayer life.

Mat 15:28 (KJB)
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

It seemed the resistance that she met from Jesus only served to strengthen her faith even more. Sometimes when we pray about a situation, the situation seems to get worse or more intense but when the answer comes, that intensity will serve to make the answer more welcome. Jesus then finally verbally acknowledges her great faith to all around them. She would not relent one bit and that resulted in her receiving the petition about her daughter and the result was that her daughter was freed from the possession by that devil. One other great principle taught in this story and that is the woman did not plead for herself, but for her daughter. Her faith was great on behalf of someone else. How many times will we remain persistent in prayer for ourselves but will pray only glib prayers for others, even family members?

Mat 15:29 (KJB)
And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

It is not written as to how long Jesus stayed in the area of Tyre and Sidon, but from that outside area He did much traveling around the countryside near the Sea of Galilee. This was another teaching scenario which was about to get underway. He did not go up into the mountain to rest but it was to work. The term “sat down there” does not mean He was just sitting around on a sunny afternoon but it points to the fact that He was there for several days. (Luke 24:49 KJV) And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. The same word used for “tarry” in Luke 24:49 is used in the verse above for “sat down.”

Mat 15:30 (KJB)
And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

Dumb - Both blind and deaf
Maimed - Those with arms or legs missing or deformed also those with debilitating diseases

It would have taken a few days for the crowds to know that Jesus was in their region and once word had spread that He was there, then the crowds began to assemble. These people had brought others with them who were physically sick and handicapped and as they arrived they would cast them down at the feet of Jesus and He would heal them. The word “cast down” in the Geek literally means a tossing of the people down, not out of anger or disgust but as of haste to get them healed. The people who brought them had great faith that Jesus could heal their friends and family that they did not even have to give a Jesus a list of what was wrong with each one. Jesus saw their faith and acted accordingly. The area that Jesus was healing was close to where He healed the Gadarene demoniac. At that time the people asked Him to leave the area but now He is welcomed back because many probably knew or heard about the healing of that possessed man and how he is in his right mind.

Mat 15:31 (KJB)
Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

Wondered - Astonished or amazed

Since Jesus was doing this in the area of Decapolis, the crowd would probably been made up of mostly Gentiles but there were probably also many Jews in the area who may have come just as spies for the Pharisees. When the people started seeing the sick and handicapped people becoming healed, there was a sense of amazement in the crowd. The Jews in the crowd looked upon these miracles in astonishment because their religion had become lifeless and dead and all they had to remember the past with Elijah, Moses, and Elisha and the miracles they performed. Now they were seeing for themselves something which had life in it. The Gentiles also would have marveled because their heathen religions with all their idols could produce nothing like what was happening now. When these things were occurring, they all gave glory to God because now they knew it was all real. This brings to life the words of Isaiah. (Isa 35:4-6 KJV) Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. {5} Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. {6} Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Mat 15:32 (KJB)
Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

So we see that the crowd has been with Jesus for three days. He knew that the people were so joyful because of so many who had become healed that when they arrived, it was in haste and they probably never packed any food to take along with them. Here the caring of Jesus comes to light as He knows the crowd has been with Him for three days and had nothing to eat. He did not want to dismiss them because He did not want to see them become weary and then faint while traveling since they had no food. Some had come from long distances according to the Mark account. (Mark 8:3 KJV) And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. If you notice, Jesus is taking the initiative to feed the people before there was anyone fainting from lack of food.

Back