A short story found in the books of Matthew and Mark describes one of Jesus’ miracles for a Gentile woman’s daughter. Among the many miracles Jesus performed during His ministry, this miracle is not the most remarkable. Before this point in Scripture, Jesus had walked on water, cast out demons, and fed thousands of people with a few fish and loaves of bread.
But this story, though simple on the outside, communicates the depth of God’s care toward people from all nations. God’s love extends great distances and goes beyond geographical boundaries.
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
Matthew 15 and Mark 7 recount how Jesus traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon, which were in Gentile territory. Before then, both books recorded that Jesus was in Gennesaret, a Jewish-occupied region in Galilee. Jesus and His disciples walked between 35 and 50 miles to get to Tyre and Sidon.
There, a Canaanite woman approached them, crying out, “‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly (Matthew 15:22).’”
Jesus’ response to this woman appears harsh at first. He initially ignored her, and then He seemingly insulted her by referring to her as a dog. Jews would insult Gentiles by calling them dogs, which were wild scavengers in ancient Palestine.
But these harsh responses may have actually been intended to draw out her faith. By ignoring her, Jesus was seeing if she would persistently cry out to Him, testing the perseverance of her faith. And when He called her a dog, He used the Greek word kynarion, which means “little dog,” an affectionate term for domestic pets. His statement was not meant to be demeaning but to see if she understood who she was talking to and whether she knew God’s promises to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3).
She answered, “‘Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table (Matthew 15:27).’”
At this, Jesus commended her faith and told her that her daughter had been healed.
No Distance Too Far
Immediately after this encounter with the Canaanite woman, the text says Jesus returned to Galilee. Mark’s account of this story says Jesus entered a house (Mark 7:24) and went through Sidon before returning to Galilee (Mark 7:31), but there’s no record of any other interactions on this trip.
Did Jesus travel up to 50 miles just for this one woman and her daughter?
Even if Jesus did perform more miracles in Tyre and Sidon, this story reveals two things:
- Jesus’ ministry may have been “‘to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24)” first, but He loves people from all nations.
- He is willing to go great distances so that others can know that love.
Later in the Gospels, Jesus made it clear that His message of grace is to go to every nation (Matthew 24:14, 28:19-20), not just God’s chosen people.
This fact begs the question, how far are you willing to go to tell others about Jesus? If Jesus was willing to travel from Galilee to Tyre and back to Galilee—on foot—are you willing to hop on a plane to take the gospel to someone in a different country?
Today, there are nearly 3 million people in the land where this Canaanite woman lived who have never heard of Jesus. Around the world, more than 3 billion people are unreached with the gospel. They have little chance of hearing about Jesus’ love unless someone goes to them.
In a single day, a Canaanite woman’s entire life was transformed by an encounter with Jesus. Imagine how many lives could be impacted if you visited an unreached place for one week.
Responding to the Great Commission
The Great Commission is not a suggestion; it’s a command. At East-West, we continue to dedicate everything to that truth. Every day, we are pressing into dark and distant places to bring the light of the gospel to those who have never heard it. God is on the move, and we refuse to stay still. Do you want to see how? Tap below to learn more.
