The story of the Syrophoenician woman is a story that can be hard to align with Jesus’ character. Although this is not the case (as we are about to discover), it can seem to 21^st century readers that Jesus is cool towards or even uninterested in this woman and her desperate plea for help. What is going on with this short story from the life of Jesus?

In Matthew’s version of the story, we are told that Jesus did not initially reply to the woman. His interaction with her took place after the disciples ask Jesus to send the woman away because she was ‘shouting after us.’ The key to understanding this text is realizing that Jesus’ words are more for the disciples than for the woman.

The woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter, who was demon possessed. This is not a unique occurrence in the gospels. What makes this situation unique is that the woman asking was a Gentile. Both Matthew and Mark are careful to record this. Mark says she was a Gentile. Matthew tells us she is a Canaanite, arch enemies of the Jews for millennia. 

We know from both the Old and New Testaments that God’s heart is for the nations. Each Gospel is careful to record Jesus ministering to those outside of the Jewish community; yet the Jews did not think the Messiah was for Gentiles. They thought He was for the Jews alone.

Although Jesus is the Savior of the world, during in His earthly ministry He presented Himself to the Jews as the ultimate Davidic King. In Matthew, this Gentile woman recognizes Him as ‘Son of David,’ pointing to this reality. Jesus’ initial reply was that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. His mission was to present Himself to the Jews as the fulfillment of God’s salvation promises. Their rejection of Him would accomplish salvation for all the nations. But before God turned His focus on the Gentiles, Jesus had to present Himself to the Jews as their King. We see a similar occurrence happen when the Jews ask to see Jesus during the last week of His life. Their request was also denied. It is not that Jesus’ heart was not for them; but that it was momentarily outside the work God had called Him to do. Yet I am confident that, through the apostles, those men and women would be told the message of salvation and have the opportunity to believe because God’s heart is for the salvation of the nations. The big issue here is around the timing of what God was doing. 

When Jesus said that it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs, He was saying that His focus at that time was not on those outside the old covenant community (Jews), but on the Jews. Jews commonly referred to Gentiles as dogs, which was the cruelest insult they could come up with. The disciples wanted Jesus to send her away because they thought she had no business associating with Jesus, let alone benefiting from Him. When Jesus gave this statement, they would have thought way to go Jesus. Get rid of that Canaanite dog! Yet the woman’s faith was strong, so she gave the wise answer recorded in the text. In response to her faith, Jesus granted her request.

This response would have shocked the disciples. A Canaanite just benefited from the ministry of the Messiah! Matthew again is helpful at this point. Jesus tells the woman your faith is great! His point is that faith, not ethnicity, is what makes one right with God. By ministering His grace to this woman, He taught a valuable lesson to His disciples who had not yet realized that the gospel is for the entire world. The edginess of the story, where Jesus seems to promote the racism of the Jews, forms the contrast that drives the point home. The woman knew Jesus was the Son of David. The Jews rejected this. She had faith in Jesus. The Jews did not. The Jews had the promises but rejected the fulfillment of them. This woman was ‘outside’ the people of God yet accepted the promises of God. Her life and faith condemned the Jews for their rejection of the Messiah. The irony of the story teaches the lesson. God’s heart is for the salvation of all people.