Today’s reading is Matthew 15.
Matthew keeps showing us that where the Jews struggled to respond properly to Jesus, Gentiles responded well. Jesus withdrew to a region of the Gentiles in Tyre and Sidon. At the outset, we might wonder why Jesus would go among a people He seemed to have no inclination of helping. After all, one of the women of the Canaanites in that region sought help and Jesus flatly refused. In fact, at first He simply ignored her. Then when she kept pushing, He said what seems to be one of the most offensive things ever: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus calls this woman a dog. Wow!
However, this doesn’t deter her. Instead, she accepts the insult and works it into her argument. “Fine. I’m a dog. At least let the scraps of your abundance come my way the way masters do with dogs.” Jesus responds, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”
Interestingly, when Jesus called the woman a dog, the apostles don’t jump in with, “Do you know that the Canaanites were offended when they heard this saying?” Yet, surely, what Jesus said about this woman was far more offensive than what He said about the Pharisees. The Pharisees didn’t like what Jesus said. They got offended, angry, upset and decided to act against Him, even try to kill Him. In contrast, Jesus said something truly offensive to this woman, but she hung on. She persisted in seeking a blessing from Him.
The lesson is not for us to be offensive and see how people will respond. Rather, the lesson is for us to avoid offense at Jesus. He may say and do things we don’t like. The reality is blessing comes from Him and from no one else. As Jesus had said when responding to the disciples of John in Matthew 11:6, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” That is, blessed are the people who don’t demand Jesus play by their rules. Blessed are the people who hang on to Jesus even when they don’t quite understand what He is doing and saying. Blessed are those who, when they don’t quite understand what He is doing and saying, realize the problem is with their understanding and not with Him.
This is important today. There are plenty of people today who have decided they are more moral than God. They don’t like some of His laws. They think His laws are immoral. They think the behaviors He calls sin and the people He calls sinners are pure and holy. They get offended. They decide to abandon Jesus. Don’t do that. If you want the blessing, don’t take offense at Him. Follow Him. It will all become clear in the end. And even if it doesn’t, eternity with Him will be worth it.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 15.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- How would you have felt if Jesus called you a dog?
- What kind of faith do you think it took for that woman to hang on even though Jesus called her a dog?
- How can we grow that same kind of faith?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
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