The Caananite Woman

Reading the Caananite woman narrative in Matthew 15:21-28, my ESV translation puts a subtitle: The Faith of a Caananite Woman. I agree that the woman’s faith was indeed exemplary compared to the Pharisees (Matthew 15:1-20) who are a part of the lost sheep of the house of Israel to whom Jesus Christ was sent to (15:24) . But according to the advise of many wise bible teachers whom I respect, I must get used to reading the Scriptures without the subtitles and verse numbers.

Looking to that particular narrative, what jumps out of it are the two ways the Caananite woman called the Lord.  First, as “Lord, Son of David” to which the Lord Jesus answered her about what we have noted above (15:24). You see there was nothing essentially wrong about the title because Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of David who has come – a messianic title if you please. However, her second call was markedly different (15:25), “Lord…”  Did you notice that?

Someone might say she was persistent that is why she got her answer. I am sure she was persistent and good for her! But the real difference was that the first call, she seems to be identifying herself with the Israelites by saying “Son of David”.  This gentile woman does not have the Jewish covenant to merit the help.  By the Lord’s answer, He stressed that she does not belong to that household. But, then you see the dramatic change; all of a sudden the pretention was removed. She no longer tried to identify with the Jews but came to the Lord plainly: a person who does not deserve anything (“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” 15:26) but begged Him who is merciful even to the lost outside the household of Israel.  She simply called Him, “Lord”.

And from where she stood, the Lord richly commended her and on which readers twenty centuries later are still marvelling at (15:28)!  She was not like the Pharisees who praised Him with their lips, yet whose hearts are distant from Him (15:7-9), but she was drawn to Him… now exhibiting a heart that was so poor, as someone who waits for crumbs that would fall from the master’s table, drawn by the very Lord of mercy who alone can heal both body and spirit.  There was nothing in the text that tells us explicitly that she was following Him constantly but she could have witnessed or heard all His marvelous works from chapter 14 alone. These miracles were indeed significant for even Herod the tetrarch could have sworn that the power (the Holy Spirit whom Herod does not know) in John the Baptist – who had no physical miracles to display and yet so powerfully proclaimed the word of God – is all the more at work in Jesus who had both the powerfully proclaimed Gospel accompanied by miracles to prove that He is indeed Immanuel (Matthew 14:1-2; 1:21-23).

And yes, the Caananite woman’s daughter was healed but more importantly, she went home with the greatest miracle - a heart that was transformed by the same Holy Spirit and be drawn with great faith to the Lord Jesus Himself .

Glory be to the Triune God!