Sermon A: 14 Pent: Mt 15:26

Of the three assigned readings for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost–Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Romans 11:1-2a, 13-15, 28-32 and Matthew 15:21-28–the Gospel text chosen to preach on is Matthew 15:26 with Jesus saying to the woman, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

That’s correct. Jesus is not speaking to some mangy dog; he is speaking to a woman from Canaan, a Gentile. Was Jesus swept up in the hatred of His day against Gentiles or was it because she was a woman that He said such words to her? More to the point for our day, do members of the congregation think at times that God looks upon them as dogs?

Let’s clear up a few details right now. First of all, Jesus had already healed a centurion’s servant so that should put to rest any notion that Jesus is against Gentiles. Second, He had also spoken with a woman at a Samaritan well and then had the whole town believe in Him as the Messiah. So that puts to rest that Jesus is against women.

Then why these words of apparent dislike towards this woman? It’s not as though she was calling him names or was possessed by a demon. In fact, she is not the one possessed; she is coming to Jesus to ask him to relieve her own daughter of being demon possessed.

Jesus does not appear to be very kind to her. First of all, he does not answer her a word, ignoring her pleas. Then after the disciples urge Him to send her away because she is such a nuisance, He appears to join in their distress against her by saying, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel!”

But then she worships Him according to verse 25. This word can be traced back to the idea of a dog licking his master’s hand out of devotion to the master. How appropriate. For the next words of Jesus are, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Now most English translations use “dogs” but some, like the New King James properly translate the word as “little dogs.”

She replies that “even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Jesus then compliments not her works of worship and humility but her faith and grants her desire resulting in her daughter being healed from that very hour. Why then all the “bad talk” from Jesus to the woman?

Some might suggest that Jesus was testing her. Another view which I support is that Jesus was testing the disciples. And the idea of “testing” can be compared to the process of testing steel when it is made so that it becomes stronger. It is of some note that Matthew, who wrote of this event, was one of the disciples who told Jesus to get rid of her. Yet he writes by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of his own inappropriate behavior toward the woman.

The fact is that as we pointed out in an earlier blog, while this woman may not have been of the lost sheep of the physical house of Israel who were related to Abraham by flesh, she certainly was a member of the lost sheep of the spiritual house of Israel; that is, the holy Christian Church! Jesus knew that her face was sufficient to withstand the words which He spoke for the sake of the disciples just as Jesus knew how far to permit Job to suffer in order to test (strengthen) his faith.

Members of the congregation may often feel as though God treats them as dogs. However, His promises are sure. That means that He will always treat us as the favorite pet or child of the house because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for us. While the words of Jesus may sound mean at times, “Get thee behind Me Satan” they are always intended to provide the proper dose of Law and Gospel so that the faith of the hearer is strengthened by the Holy Spirit.