From a Dog to an Heir: the Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith.

Class Outline:

Thursday May 22, 2025

 

Main idea: Christ will make any sinner seeking Him into a child who sits at the Father’s table and that relationship will overcome all problems. 

 

Background for our place in Matthew:

 

As Matthew paints the life of Jesus, we see the Lord’s rejection by that generation (Mat 11-12), the prophecy of a mystery age (church; Mat 13), the power of Jesus to take care of His church (feeding 5000; Mat 14, despite persecution (Herod; Mat 14), to come to their aid no matter where they are (walking on water; Mat 14), the removal of ceremonial law (washing, heart defilement; Mat 15), and now a deliberate movement into Gentile territory.

 

To the Jewish Christian reading this account in the later first century, during the infancy of the church, he or she would have been struck by the sweeping changes in Jesus’ ministry, and the age of the church, containing Jew and Gentile without distinction, would have made more sense - more like a new home than a foreign land.

 

Text: MAT 15:21-28

 

Background of the text:

 

Where: Region of Tyre and Sidon.

Who: Gentile woman (unclean).

Situation: Her faith in Him?

 

The reason for Jesus’ initial silence:

 

He does not speak to her. This is likely because she has yet displayed her faith. His response indicates that she was not first in line for Messiah (MAR 7:27). 

 

Saying: “Lord, Son of David” is an appellation for Messiah, but being a non-Jew, what does she know about Messiah? 

 

Are her words just parroting what she has heard or does she really believe in Him? 

 

Reference the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in Joh 4.

 

Jesus’ miracles were for the purpose of Israel believing in Him and not just showing power.

 

She bows down and changes her plea: “Lord, help me.” 

 

Israel is the chosen nation of God (like it or not):

 

Jesus’ seeming harshness is a statement indicative of the relation of God’s chosen nation to the rest of the world. 

 

He is not insulting her (calling her a dog) but is setting up a metaphor - children of the house eat at the table while the dogs are under the table. 

 

Israel (Jerusalem) will be the center of the world as God’s kingdom (PSA 68:16; 132:13-14)

 

Gentiles are grafted into the cultivated olive tree (ROM 11:17).

 

The Gentile is an outsider (dog under the table) who, by grace, has been grafted into the tree (made a child who sits at the table). JOH 10:16; MAT 8:10-12; GAL 3:7

 

Great faith (see centurion MAT 8:10-12).

 

Response of the Gentile woman causes Jesus to marvel at her “great faith.” 

 

She is not insulted by the term “dogs,” and, by faith, accepts her place as excluded from the chosen nation. 

 

The reason she is content with crumbs is that she has faith that a little of Christ is enough for all things. 

 

Her faith shows that by having Him all problems are overcome (HEB 11:1). 

 

Application:  

 

Main Idea: Christ will make any sinner seeking Him into a child who sits at the Father’s table and that relationship will overcome all problems. 

 

We have to seek Him and not self. People seek God for what they can get from Him (JOH 6:26). Each of us needs Him, and only Him (JOH 6:27-35). 

 

Do you have the same faith and confidence? 

 

Are you moved from peace to fear; happiness to misery when your situation changes? 

 

Do you need a position or greater influence or notoriety?

 

On our end, faith is the foundation of all of our relationship to God and enjoying His blessings. HEB 11:1 - the OT hall of fame: all within it are products of faith. 

 

No matter who you are or where you are from, you are never an outsider if by faith you seek the Lord. 

 

The world is full of prejudice and exclusion and judging, but it is God’s acceptance of you that matters.