Though I own a wonderful dog myself — Abby, named after Abishag of 1 Kings 1, a young woman who kept King David warm in his old age — I remember being attacked by a pack of dogs once. It was while I was in college, walking to a play rehearsal. On my way to the theatre, a snarling, barking group of dogs approached me, and began biting me all over until, just as suddenly as they arrived, they left. I was deeply shaken, in that I had never seen “dogs” like that. The only dogs I had known were the sweet companions that I and my family had grown up with.
And so, in today’s story, a Canaanite woman is initially treated as if she’s one of those marauding “dogs”: foreign, difficult, perhaps even dangerous. Jesus was in the district of Tyre and Sidon, and His disciples were probably wondering why on earth He would travel to such a threatening place. As a Canaanite, this woman was not a follower of the God of Israel, and was part of a group that had, in the past, been enemies of God’s people. And so, when she emerged, calling for Jesus’ mercy for her daughter, all the disciples could hear was her shouting, sort of like a dog barking at them. They wanted Him to send her away, just as I wanted that pack of dogs to go away.
But Jesus heard and saw something different. To Him, this woman wasn’t a pack dog; she was a person possessing great faith, as the encounter with Jesus shows. For Jesus tested her, saying to her what His own disciples were thinking: I was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel … It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs (Matthew 15:24-26). But she persisted in faith, trusting that she could establish a relationship with this Jesus, and not just be considered one of the pack. She said to Him, Lord, help me (Matthew 15:25, a genuine prayer), and Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table (Matthew 15:27). Her version of being a “dog” was very different: she was like one of the dogs at home, a member of the family, asking for scraps of grace from the Master.
And grace was granted, not to a dog, but to a woman of beautiful faith, and not just in scraps, but in a full serving at Jesus’ table: Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly (Matthew 15:28).
So the next time you think that you, or someone else, doesn’t have a place with God, remember this woman, and her story. And recognize that, not only are you at least as valuable as the family pet, but that your faith as a child of God brings joy to the heart of Jesus, and puts the lie to your being outside of the reach of His grace.
