Jesus withdrew the money the region of Tyre and Sidon. It was there that a Canaanite woman cried out to Him to have mercy on her because her daughter was demon-possessed and suffering.
Jesus did not utter a word to the woman. His disciples encouraged Him to send her away. Jesus said that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.
The woman approaches Him again and asks for Him to help her. Jesus told her that it wasn’t right to take the bread of the children and toss it to the dogs. But the woman said that it was because even the dogs eat the crumbs of the bread that falls. Jesus told her that she had great faith and immediately her daughter was healed.
This is an interesting passage here. It’s unusual for Jesus not to respond to someone in need. Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that this woman is not of His people. In fact, Matthew intentionally uses the label “Canaanite” to emphasize she was of the enemy to His people…even though the term Canaanite was rarely used by this point.
So why did Jesus have this kind of exchange? Do we really want to believe Jesus wasn’t going to help her because she was a Canaanite? Here’s my thoughts…Jesus knew what He was doing when He went to Tyre and Sidon. His intention was to teach His disciples that faith is not limited to a Jew only…but to all who believe. Scripture says that Jesus died once, FOR ALL. It was a lesson they would need to learn as leaders who helped establish the church.
The lesson for you and I is simple. God doesn’t look at the outward appearance…He doesn’t care what nationality you are, the color of your skin, etc. He examines the heart instead. So understanding this, we, as His followers, should do the same. Loving our neighbor as ourself is not limited to those we know and have things in common with…it’s loving without boundaries. Stop judging others by outward appearances…start loving them as God loves you.
A Journey With Jesus 