What are we to say about these things? The people who are not Jews were not made right with God by the Law. They were made right with God because they put their trust in Him. The Jews tried to be right with God by obeying the Law, but they did not become right with God. Why? Because they did not put their trust in God. They tried to be right with God by working for it. They tripped over the most important Stone (Christ). The Holy Writings say, “See! I put in Jerusalem a Stone that people will trip over. It is a Rock that will make them fall. But the person who puts his trust in the Rock (Christ) will not be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30-33 NLV) Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46)
When we left off in the study of The Gospel, we had come to the point in Jesus ministry where "the rubber hit the road". He had been doing many miracles in the area of Galilee, especially in Capernaum. Thousands upon thousands of people, mostly Jews were following Him, but not necessarily because of who He was, but because of what they wanted Him to do for them. (see THE GOSPEL: What Do We Really Want) He made it very clear to all of them that there is a cost involved in following Him and a major sacrifice that has to be made on His and our part, but it will be worth it, because it leads to eternal life with Him and God, The Father. Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life." "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(John 6:32-33, 47-48, 51, 66:69; see THE GOSPEL: Flesh & Blood! Really?)
Well, this is when the major change came. Jesus once said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country." (Luke 4:24; Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; John 4:44) That was definitely the case for Him among the Jews. He was more than just a prophet, and they refused to accept it. As long as He was just doing miracles and helping them, they were fine. But how dare he? The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:41-42) From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician [a woman of Canaan*] by birth and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. (Mark 7:24-26; Matthew 15:21) And behold, [she] came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” (Matthew 15:22*) When we left off in the study of The Gospel, we had come to the point in Jesus ministry where "the rubber hit the road". He had been doing many miracles in the area of Galilee, especially in Capernaum. Thousands upon thousands of people, mostly Jews were following Him, but not necessarily because of who He was, but because of what they wanted Him to do for them. (see THE GOSPEL: What Do We Really Want) He made it very clear to all of them that there is a cost involved in following Him and a major sacrifice that has to be made on His and our part, but it will be worth it, because it leads to eternal life with Him and God, The Father. Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life." "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”(John 6:32-33, 47-48, 51, 66:69; see THE GOSPEL: Flesh & Blood! Really?)
But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” (Matthew 15:23-25) But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs [which fall from their masters’ table*].” (Luke 7:27-28; Matthew 15:26-27) When your own reject you, go help others! But at first, it doesn't appear that Jesus is going to help this woman, or even willing to. We must understand that Jesus knows how the Jews feel about ALL Non-Jews at this time. He also knows that For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17) Salvation is available to ALL of us, who are wise enough to believe the Word of God, and in His Son, Christ Jesus, Whom He sent!
But why refer to this woman, or Non-Jews as little dogs? The original Greek word used would better be translated as puppy, or house pet. Jesus is not calling her a dog, like a stray begging for food. That kind of dog wouldn't even have a master whose table it could get near. Remember in our review, Jesus just left the Jews, where they were just following Him to get what they wanted from Him, but not really believing in Him. Jesus explained this in a previous lesson, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." (Matthew 7:6) He's making sure the woman is sincere, and that she and all who witness it realizes it. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28) Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. (Mark 7:29-30) We should do our best to "take care of home first", provide for the needs of our own first, then we must, just as Jesus did, help as many others as we can!
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