One of the harshest statements to come from Jesus was “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). When we realize that these words were spoken to a widow in distress they seem to defy the virtues of love and mercy. How can we properly understand these harsh words? What is the significance of this narrative?
The story of the Canaanite widow must be understood in the context of Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees (Matthew 15:1ff). The Pharisees were devoted to the preservation of the Torah. They developed the “tradition of the elders,” that is, the interpretive traditions and commentaries, to assist in keeping their faith. They confronted Jesus because his disciples failed to honor one of their ritual washing traditions. Jesus responded by demonstrating that their ancestral traditions actually transgressed the commandment of God: “And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matthew 15:6).
“This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).
Throughout the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is presented as the new Moses, or as the enfleshed Torah. As the Messiah of the Jews, Jesus reinterpreted their received tradition. Sometimes he utterly rejected the tradition of the elders. His reinterpretation, or rejection, of the tradition of the elders was offensive to the Pharisees. But the tradition of the elders must be uprooted lest the tradition lead to spiritual blindness (Matthew 15:12-14). Jesus came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17). In order to fulfill the Law, the tradition of the elders had to be uprooted – abolished.
The story of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:21-28) provided an opportunity for Jesus to offer a major reinterpretation of Jewish covenantal understanding – that the children of Abraham are the exclusive people of God. The widow was a Canaanite and as such she was a member of a disinherited and displaced people. In the eyes of the Jews she was a dog – a dehumanized, godless pagan.
When the Canaanite widow approached Jesus, “He did not answer her a word.” Jesus was setting the stage for a theological confrontation. Keep in mind that this was a public event; there was an audience waiting to hear and see. Jesus’ silence provoked his disciples to implore Him to “Send her away.” Jesus, aware of his audience, declared, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” These words were exactly what the audience, and the disciples, expected. According to the theological tradition of the elders, the Canaanite widow was excluded from the Abrahamic covenant, not worthy of an audience with the Messiah.
But the woman persisted. She cried out, “Lord, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” It appeared that Jesus was reaffirming the tradition of exclusivity, and exclusion.
The Canaanite woman schooled the disciples about faith. She replied, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Her words shed light upon the blindness of the Jewish tradition of exclusivity. The woman’s daring and faithful response gave Jesus the opportunity to reinterpret the elder’s tradition regarding the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus affirmed her faith: “O woman, your faith is great.” By faith, the Canaanite woman became a daughter of Abraham (Romans 4:9-13; Galatians 3:7-9). Her faith was superior to the ancestral tradition of the Pharisees (Romans 9:30-31). Because of her faith, healing came to her house. By affirming her faith, Jesus uprooted the tradition of exclusivity and reinterpreted the Abrahamic covenant. God’s covenant with Abraham was never meant to be exclusive, but inclusive. God’s promise was “…in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). The “master’s table” is for all nations!
The Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow, and refined, aged wine. And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, even the veil which is stretched over all nations (Isaiah 25:6-7).
Jesus fulfilled the covenant of Abraham. He is descended from Israel for the sake of the world. This is reflected in his Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Matthew 28:19). This was anticipated in the prophetic imagination of Isaiah: “In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:24-25). The covenant of Abraham was for the salvation of all nations.
Like the Pharisees, our well-intended theological traditions can often supersede, or invalidate, the inspired Scriptures. This is especially true when war flares up in the Middle East. Holding to a dispensational theological model many well-intended Christians immediately declare that Israel has an exclusive, divine right to the land. While I affirm Israel’s rights, I am compelled to affirm Palestinian rights as well. Maybe it’s time to uproot the dispensational tradition in favor of a Gospel that is about the healing of all peoples. Like the disciples of Jesus, we wish to send the dogs away, to deny them bread from the Master’s Table. But sometimes the dogs can teach us a lesson about faith – if we are willing to see and understand.
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