Commentary
“Lord, Help Me”
While
reading this passage, we are often shocked at Jesus’ seemingly insulting words
to the woman.
Why could
the woman not feel offended?
There are
at least two details in this passage that can help us to understand her
attitude. More importantly, we might better
appreaciate the source of her courage.
First,
Matthew tells just that Jesus himself goes to the region of Tyre and Sidon (top
left corner on the map). This is the
region of the gentiles. And the woman
herself is from that area.
Second,
Jesus speaks to the woman.
We have here
a devout Jew, one the woman recognizes as the Promised Savior of the Jews and
Lord, going to the region of the gentile of his own.
Moreover,
he speaks to her. This would have
rendered him unclean.
Other
Jewish religious leaders would not have done that.
Jesus
takes the initiative to reach out to the religious and ethnic outcasts of his
time. In fact, he reaches out to people
who for generations have been the Jews’ enemies.
This
passage, therefore, is really about Jesus’ reaching out to the gentiles and
outcasts. Jesus’ attitude gives the
woman the courage to approach and appeal to him.
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