²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Reflection on Matthew 15:21-28 from 

Our text begins on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee in Gennesaret (14:34), to which Christ and the disciples had travelled after the events recorded in the Gospel from the last couple Sunday’s. Jesus draws opposition from unbelieving Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. He then proceeds northwest to the Canaanite coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon.

If we examine the incident of today’s text carefully, something amazing is revealed. Persistence is the key. For as Jesus looked on the Canaanite woman, He did not see an interloper as did the disciples — an unwelcome intruder on His time and energy. Instead, He saw a woman of great personal faith. Instead of leaving us in doubt about the Lord’s words and actions, the text leads us to a better understanding of the nature of persistent faith. You see, Persistent Faith gives Christ Joy, it breaks barriers, and it’s grounded in God’s grace.