First, he ignored her, then he said she wasn’t part of the “in” crowd, then he called her a dog, and then… But before we go there, consider this: If Jesus called you a dog what would you do?
A Canaanite woman approached Jesus, pleading, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering from demon possession.” Jesus didn’t respond at first. His disciples urged him to send her away because she kept crying out to them.
Jesus replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” But the woman was persistent. She knelt before him and begged, “Lord, help me!”
“It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs,” Jesus said.
“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Jesus then praised her, saying, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” Her daughter was healed immediately. (Matthew 15:22-28)
Jesus progressively and intentionally led the woman to the dog pen of offense and opened the door for her to step in. If she had stepped into offense, that dog pen would have shut, and she would have been labeled a dog throughout history. At times, God will deliberately press our most vulnerable spots to expose them and bring them under God’s lordship, so they can no longer destroy us. It’s called pruning or purging (John 15:1-2). This story teaches us to manage offense proactively. When offended, especially in church or elsewhere, we can avoid letting it control us. Offense can cloud our judgment, triggering emotional responses we might regret. Like the Canaanite woman, we should focus on our goals and persist in seeking Jesus. Address the offense later, once you’ve achieved your goal.
Both the woman and Jesus were seeking something crucial. She wanted her daughter’s healing, while Jesus sought great faith—a quality rarely seen, even among his disciples. Amazingly, it was a foreigner who demonstrated this level of faith.
In some ways, the woman resembled a dog—not in a negative sense, but as a tenacious seeker of God’s promises. Her unwavering faith expanded Jesus’ mission, foreshadowing the inclusion of non-Jews in Christianity. Her “pit-bull” faith led to a breakthrough!
Ask yourself: What has God promised you in the Bible? Will you overcome offense to claim it? Will you ignore doubts (yours and others) and stay committed, even when God’s actions don’t align with your expectations? Be a determined seeker in God’s Kingdom, a faith “pit bull”—Jesus is still looking for such faith. God Bless You! Pastor Janice Fareed Hardy
