Crumbs for Dogs

Laura writes:

In Matthew chapter 15, Jesus is talking to a Canaanite woman. He said, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." Then she replied, "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table." Could you please help me understand the meaning of this Scripture?
-Thank You
 

These verses seem to reveal a side of Jesus that most people are not completely comfortable with. However, a deeper look at context and culture shows that, as always, Jesus' actions demonstrate His unimaginable love.

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To better understand the scene, let's break it down verse by verse.
This is the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman, found in Matthew 15: 21-28 (highlighted in blue) and Mark 7:24-30 (shown in red). We will look at both perspectives to better understand what’s going on.

"Jesus went away from there and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon." (vs. 21)

"Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice." (vs. 24)

Jesus wanted time to rest and instruct His disciples without interruption, so they headed for a city in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon) near Tyre. The men wanted some focused rabi—disciple time but despite their efforts, word spread of His whereabouts.

"And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, 
saying, 'Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly 
demon-possessed.'" (vs. 22) 

"But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her 
daughter." (vs. 25-26)

As much as it makes us cringe, racial prejudice has long existed, and the Jewish nation had its own bias. This woman was no friend of the Jews—she was a Syrophoenician (AKA Canaanite). These two groups were known enemies, leaving a trail of conflict throughout the Old Testament.

 

The Canaanite woman, hated for her nationality, sought after Jesus (a Jew), fell at His feet (showing extreme humility, respect, and grief), and begged Him to help her (no Gentile would dare ask a Jew for help). Interesting side note: she also called Him “Son of David.” This term is a Messianic and Jewish phrase meaning “Messiah.” Coming from a Gentile, that admission revealed a lot about her heart.  

"But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, 'Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.'” (vs. 23) 

Mark does not have this detail in his version, but Matthew shows Jesus ignoring her cries. Ouch!
 

Many speculations circulate over why Jesus did this. Some say it was a standard rabbinical method that allowed students time to answer their own questions. Others say that Jesus wanted to give the disciples a chance to reach out to this woman first. However, this doesn’t seem very likely, as the disciples were only identified as healers when Jesus was not present. 

I think that Jesus waited to answer to showcase the level of humility and desperation of the woman. Awkward silences make us squirm, but they also make us think.

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—When Jesus refuses to answer, something else is being said—

"But He answered and said, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel.'" (vs. 24) 

In this short statement, Jesus summed up His mission on Earth—to offer the house of Israel (God’s chosen people) the opportunity to accept their Messiah. The message of salvation was only offered to the Gentiles after Jesus’ death and resurrection, so He made a point to show that He was reaching out to them first.

"But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, 'Lord, help me!' And He answered and said, 'It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'” (vs. 25-26) 

"And He was saying to her, 'Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not 
good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'” (vs. 27)

Hi, Mark. Welcome back to the show.

Ok, this is when Jesus looks mean! This grieving woman bowed down before Him, pleading with Him to help her daughter, and He told her, “Don’t interrupt. Let the children eat first—it’s not good to feed the dogs before the kids; their supper comes later.” Jesus is never cruel, though, so hang tight. 

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The "children" here could be identified as either the Jewish nation or the disciples (possibly both) since they were there to spend some much-needed time with Jesus. Either way, it was not time for this woman to get His attention just yet.

 

Let's address the elephant (DOG) in the room. The word Jesus used here for “dog” is the Greek word "kunarion," which means “a little dog, a puppy,” not the wild dogs that scavenged and were an abomination to the Jews. There's a chance Jesus could have been poking at the fact that the Jews often called Canaanites "dogs." However, the word used here paints the picture of a family sitting down to eat, with the family's loyal hound underneath the table, getting every little crumb it can. This would have been a familiar scene for Gentiles. 

 

Now that we feel a little better about the term "dog," let's not forget that Jesus knew exactly what He was saying and doing. He had every intention of helping this woman—but first, He needed to get some points across.

"But she said, 'Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.'" (vs. 27) 

"But she answered and said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the 
table feed on the children’s crumbs.'” (vs. 28) 

The woman agreed with Him; she wasn't offended! This desperate woman was not insulted by what Jesus said to her, and she acknowledged that her people were not supposed to be the first ones offered salvation and its benefits; His people were. However, she boldly asked for a moment of grace and healing—only a crumb compared to everything He could provide. She reasoned that sometimes the dogs get crumbs while the children are eating, without causing an interruption to the meal, a heart-wrenching request by a grieving mother.

"Then Jesus said to her, 'O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for 
you as you wish.' And her daughter was healed at once." (vs. 28) 

"And He said to her, 'Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.' And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left." (vs. 29-30) 

Jesus replied, “O woman”—
I love this because the word He uses is not one of harshness or reproof but is the word "gune," a respectful and endearing term. He honors her faith and humility! Jesus not only agrees to help her but, like the healing of the Centurion’s servant (also a Gentile), He simply speaks the Word and sends her back to her child. This woman took Jesus at His word and went home to her miracle. 

 

Jesus is never cruel, even when our modern culture is offended by something He does. He is love, He is healing, and He always answers the prayers of His children. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, and sometimes He is silent—telling us to wait.

 

Waiting for Him is always worth it, and His love will always provide.