What if you lived during the time of Jesus Christ life on earth. What if you were strolling down a street and you saw Jesus, with His disciples, walking past you. What would you say or ask Him about?
What I’m about to say will probably offend some, but it’s truth. If you lived during the time of Jesus Christ ministry and you were to try to speak with Him, and you were not a Jew, He would probably not even answered you. WHAT??? You might be thinking. “Jesus would never do that, He loves us,” might be your reasoning. Jesus does love. But during His time on earth His ministry was to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (the Jews).
Go to Matthew 15:22-28 and read about the woman of Canaan that shouted at Jesus Christ to have mercy on her and to cure her daughter who was vexed with a devil. At this point and reading that passage you might think Jesus responded to her needs immediately. But, Jesus did not even say a word to her. In fact, Jesus only answered and addressed His disciples not her by reiterating that He was “not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Meaning, He was only there to seek and to save the lost Jews.
However, continuing on with the passage in Matthew 15:25, the woman saw that Jesus was not responding and she still sought after Him and worshipped Him, and said “help me.” Talk about persistent, this woman was that indeed. This time Jesus indirectly answers her, mostly addressing the disciples, by saying, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Did you get that? Jesus referenced her to a dog. What? Yes. I know this really messes with people’s perception they create in their mind but Jesus Christ was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Jews, first. But as we read and learn later on the Jews did not receive Him and Gentiles would then be the people to be reached for salvation (“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11).
Back to the woman of Canaan that spoke at Jesus. In verse 27 of the text, if you read after “and to cast it to dogs”, which many today would be offended by, she answered the Lord and said, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Something changed after she said that, this time Jesus answered her directly. But why did He answer her directly? Because of her faith. “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:28)
If you flip over in Hebrews 11:6, you read that it is impossible to please God without faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Even though Jesus Christ’s ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, the Jews, He responded because of faith. However, if you notice in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus responds to those outside of the “house of Israel” only around other Jews. But Jesus Christ responds to people’s faith. That will get a response from Jesus Christ. However, the context of Jesus’ ministry was to the Jews and that’s why it’s important to place His teaching in it’s proper context to get spiritual guidance and not our, Gentile if you’re lost, doctrine to be saved today.
Why is this important to take note of in the book of Matthew? Because it showcases the importance of rightly dividing the word of truth. Once you see who Jesus Christ was talking with and it’s context during the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you can understand why Paul was presented the mystery of Christ, which was not known by ANYONE before but only Paul. And the other books following the Gospels make so much more sense and it points to the dispensation of the grace of God. That’s why you can’t just pick and choose scriptures, especially in the Gospels, and make them apply for YOU today, at least not doctrinally, spiritually yes, but not doctrinally.
Because the Jews did not receive Jesus Christ as their Messiah, this mystery of Christ was made known by revelation to Paul that the Gentiles, those that are not Jews, can be included and saved and be fellowheirs. (Ephesians 3:3)
Don’t you see it? It is only because the Jews rejected Jesus Christ is why we have hope today. But this hope is offered freely through the grace of God. We have been engrafted in to be included with the Jews. Now both Jews and Gentiles can be saved. (Romans 11)
If you can get your mind around the ministry of Jesus Christ while He was on earth, you can see what the Apostle Paul was talking about in his writings in the bible. It will allow you to put in place what the scriptures are saying in their proper context. One of the main reasons so many are messed up doctrinally is because they keep jumping from Paul’s writings and over to the Gospels and try make it “fit.” It does not fit and once you understand this the bible becomes much more easy to understand because it not only makes sense, but it is being rightly divided.
If the woman of Canaan had allowed what Jesus Christ referenced her as, which was a dog, as a means to be offended and walked away, she would not have received the blessing of having her daughter healed. How often do we get truth spoken our way and we get mad and justify our situation because we were offended?
Sometimes, the truth can and will offend you. We shouldn’t be offended in anything though (“Great peace have they which love thy law: And nothing shall offend them.” – Psalm 119:165). I hope you stay with it to receive the truth even if you have been offended in life.
Here is truth, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
See how a distinction is made in Romans 1:16 between the Jews and the Greek (Gentiles)? Notice how it says “to the Jew first” and then also includes “the Greek” (Gentile)? It’s because NOW the gospel of Christ, which is that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and arose the third day, is presented to ALL and can be obtained FREELY to every one that believeth.
What was initially for the Jews during the ministry of Jesus Christ is now made available to ALL freely because the Jews rejected Him.
If anyone had the “right” to be offended it was Jesus Christ Himself because His people did not even receive Him. But for the glory of God, He proceeded on so that we could have the blessing of salvation to ALL.
I wander how many times in our lives that there has been blessings waiting for us but we got mad at truth and got our feelings hurt. I found this passage of the woman of Canaan profound because there is a lesson to us all about how to deal with being offended. May we all respond like this woman did with so great of faith and her persistent measures to make sure she was heard by Jesus Christ.
Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for including us in salvation. Thank you for grace and truth.
Take care,
-Brent
Matthew 15:22-28
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
