Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
In this miracle we are informed in what manner the grace of Christ began
to flow to the Gentiles; for, though the full time was not yet come when
Christ would make himself known to the whole world, yet he intended to
give some early manifestations of the common mercy which was at length
offered indiscriminately to Jews and Gentiles after his resurrection. A
remarkable picture of faith is presented to us in the woman of Canaan,
for the purpose of instructing us by means of comparison, that the Jews
were justly deprived of the promised redemption, since their impiety was
so shameful.
The woman, whom Matthew describes as of Canaan, is said by Mark to have
been a Greek, and a Syrophenician by birth. But there is no contradiction
here; for we know that it was the prevailing custom among the Jews to call
all foreign nations Greeks, and hence that contrast between Greeks and
Jews, which occurs so frequently in the writings of Paul. As she was a
native of the territories of Tyre and Sidon, we need not wonder that she
is called a Syrophenician; for that country was called Syria, and formed
part of Phenicia. The Jews disdainfully gave the name of Canaanites to
all the inhabitants of that district; and it is probable that the majority
of them were descended from the tribes of Canaan, who when banished from
their native country, fled to a sort of retreat in the neighborhood. Both
agree in this point, that the woman was a native of a heathen nation, that
she had not been instructed in the doctrine of the law, and that she came
of her own accord to Christ, humbly to entreat his aid.
Mark 7:24. He wished that no man should know it. We must attend
to this circumstance, which is mentioned by Mark, that when Christ came
to that place, he did not erect his banner, but endeavored to remain concealed
for a time, in that obscure situation, like a private individual. Mark
speaks according to the ordinary perception of the flesh; for, although
Christ by his divine Spirit foresaw what would happen, yet so far as he
was the minister and ambassador of the Father, he kept himself, as his
human nature might have led us to expect, within the limits of that calling
which God had given him; and in that respect it is said that what he wished,
as man, he was unable to accomplish. Meanwhile, this occurrence, as I have
said, tends powerfully to condemn the Jews, who—though they boasted that
they were the heirs of the covenant of the Lord, his peculiar people, and
a royal priesthood—were blind and deaf when Christ, with a loud voice and
with the addition of miracles, offered to them the promised redemption;
while this woman, who had no relationship with the children of Abraham,
and to whom, at first sight, the covenant did not at all belong, came of
her own accord to Christ, without having heard his voice or seen his miracles.
Matthew 15:22. Have compassion on me, O Lord. Though this woman
was an alien, and did not belong to the Lord’s flock, yet she had acquired
some taste of piety; for, without some knowledge of the promises, she would
not have called Christ the Son of David. The Jews indeed had almost entirely
departed, or at least had greatly turned aside, from the pure and sound
doctrine of the Gospel; but a report of the promised redemption was extensively
prevalent. As the restoration of the Church depended on the reign of David,
whenever they spoke of the Messiah, it was customary for them to employ
the name, Son of David; and indeed this confession was heard from the lips
of all. But when the true faith had died out amongst them, it was an amazing
and incredible display of the goodness of God that the sweet savor of the
promises reached the neighboring nations. Though this woman had not been
regularly educated by any teacher, yet her faith in Christ was not a notion
adopted by her at random, but was formed out of the law and the prophets.
It was therefore not less absurd than wicked in that dog, Servetus, to
abuse this example for the purpose of proving that faith may exist without
promises. I do not deny that, in this sense, there may sometimes be a sort
of implicit faith, that is, a faith which is not accompanied by a full
and distinct knowledge of sound doctrine; provided we also hold that faith
always springs from the word of God, and takes its origin from true principles,
and therefore is always found in connection with some light of knowledge.
23. But he made no reply to her. In various ways the Evangelists
bestow commendation on the faith of this woman. Here they bring before
us her unshaken constancy; for the silence of Christ was a sort of refusal,
and there is reason to wonder that she was not cast down by this trial,
but her continuance in prayer was a proof of her perseverance. This appears,
however, to be inconsistent with the nature of faith and of calling upon
God, as it is described by Paul, who assures us that no man can pray aright
till he has heard the word of God.
How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall
they believe in him of whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:14.)
Who then will say that this woman had faith, who takes courage from
her own feelings, though Christ is silent? But as Christ has two ways of
speaking and of being silent, it must be observed, that though he withheld
at that time the words of his mouth, yet he spoke within to the mind of
the woman, and so this secret inspiration was a substitute for the outward
preaching. Besides, her prayer arose out of the hearing of faith, (Romans
10:17;) and, therefore, though Christ does not immediately reply, she continually
hears the sound of that doctrine which she had already learned, that Christ
came as a Redeemer. In this way the Lord often acts towards those who believe
in him; he speaks to them, and yet is silent. Relying on the testimonies
of Scripture, where they hear him speaking, they firmly believe that he
will be gracious to them; and yet he does not immediately reply to their
wishes and prayers, but, on the contrary, seems as if he did not hear.
We see then that the design of Christ’s silence was not to extinguish the
woman’s faith, but rather to whet her zeal and inflame her ardor. But if
a small seed of doctrine in a woman of Canaan yielded such abundant fruit,
it ill becomes us to be dejected, if at any time he delays and does not
immediately grant a favorable answer.
Send her away. The disciples present no request in favor of the
woman, but as they are annoyed by her importunity, they desire that, in
some way or other, she may be dismissed. It is a childish contrivance,
which the Papists have endeavored to support by means of this passage,
that departed saints are allowed to plead for us; for, granting that this
woman solicited the disciples to give her some favor or assistance — which,
however, cannot be proved from the passage — still there is a wide difference
between the dead and living. It must be also observed, that, if they really
intended to aid her by their advocacy, they obtain nothing.
24. I am not sent. He informs the Apostles that his reason for
refusing the woman of Canaan arises out of his desire to devote himself
entirely to the Jews to whom alone he was appointed to be a minister of
the grace of God. He argues from the call and the command of the Father,
that he must not yield any assistance to strangers; not that the power
of Christ was always confined within so narrow limits, but because present
circumstances rendered it necessary that he should begin with the Jews,
and at that time devote himself to them in a peculiar manner. For as I
have said in expounding Matthew 10:5, the middle wall of partition (Ephesians
2:14) was not thrown down till after Christ’s resurrection that he might
proclaim peace to the nations which were aliens from the kingdom of God:
and therefore he prohibited the Apostles, at that time, from scattering
anywhere but in Judea the first seed of doctrine. Justly therefore, does
he affirm that, on this occasion, he was sent to the Jews only, till the
Gentiles also followed in the proper order.
To the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He bestows the designation
of sheep of the house of Israel not on the elect only, but on all who were
descended from the holy fathers; for the Lord had included all in the covenant,
and was promised indiscriminately to all as a Redeemer, as he also revealed
and offered himself to all without exception. It is worthy of observation,
that he declares himself to have been sent to LOST sheep, as he assures
us in another passage that he came to save that which was lost, (Matthew
18:11.) Now as we enjoy this favor, at the present day, in common with
the Jews, we learn what our condition is till he appear as our Savior.
25. And she came and worshipped him. We might be apt to think
that this woman contends with some measure of obstinacy, as if she would
extort something from Christ in spite of him; but there is no reason to
doubt that she was animated by the conviction which she entertained as
to the kindness of the Messiah. When Christ expressly declared that it
did not belong to his office, she was not intimidated by that refusal,
and did not desist from her purpose. The reason was, that she adhered firmly
to that previous sentiment of faith which I have mentioned, and admitted
nothing that was opposed to her hope. And this is the sure test of faith,
that we do not suffer that general commencement of our salvation, which
is founded on the word of God, to be in any way torn from us.
26. It is not seemly. Christ’s reply is harsher than ever, and
one would think that he intended by it to cut off all hope; for not only
does he declare that all the grace which he has received from the Father
belongs to the Jews, and must be bestowed on them, otherwise they will
be defrauded of their just rights; but he disdainfully compares the woman
herself to a dog, thus implying that she is unworthy of being a partaker
of his grace. To make the meaning plain to us, it must be understood that
the appellation of the children’s bread is here given, not to the gifts
of God of whatever description, but only to those which were bestowed in
a peculiar manner on Abraham and his posterity. For since the beginning
of the world, the goodness of God was everywhere diffused—nay, filled heaven
and earth—so that all mortal men felt that God was their Father. But as
the children of Abraham had been more highly honored than the rest of mankind,
the children’s bread is a name given to everything that, relates peculiarly
to the adoption by which the Jews alone were elected to be children. The
light of the sun, the breath of life, and the productions of the soil,
were enjoyed by the Gentiles equally with the Jews; but the blessing which
was to be expected in Christ dwelt exclusively in the family of Abraham.
To lay open without distinction that which God had conferred as a peculiar
privilege on a single nation, was nothing short of setting aside the covenant
of God; for in this way the Jews, who ought to have the preference, were
placed on a level with the Gentiles.
And to throw it to the dogs. By using the word throw, Christ intimates
that what is taken from the Church of God and given to heathens is not
well bestowed. But this must be restricted to that time when it was in
Judea only that men called on God; for, since the Gentiles were admitted
to partake of the same salvations—which took place when Christ diffused
everywhere the light of his Gospel—the distinction was removed, and those
who were formerly dogs are now reckoned among the children. The pride of
the flesh must fall down, when we learn that by nature we are dogs. At
first, no doubt, human nature, in which the image of God brightly shone,
occupied so high a station that this opprobrious epithet did not apply
to all nations, and even to kings, on whom God confers the honor of bearing
his name. But the treachery and revolt of Adam made it proper that the
Lord should send to the stable, along with dogs, those who through the
guilt of our first parent became bastards; more especially when a comparison
is made between the Jews, who were exempted from the common lot, and the
Gentiles, who were banished from the kingdom of God.
Christ’s meaning is more fully unfolded by Mark, who gives these words,
Allow the children first to be satisfied. He tells the woman of Canaan
that she acts presumptuously in proceeding—as it were, in the midst of
the supper—to seize on what was on the table. His chief design was, to
make trial of the woman’s faith; but he also pointed out the dreadful vengeance
that would overtake the Jews, who rejected an inestimable benefit which
was freely offered to them, and which they refused to those who sought
it with warmth and earnestness.
27. Certainly, Lord. The woman’s reply showed that she was not
hurried along by a blind or thoughtless impulse to offer a flat contradiction
to what Christ had said. As God preferred the Jews to other nations, she
does not dispute with them the honor of adoption, and declares, that she
has no objection whatever that Christ should satisfy them according to
the order which God had prescribed. She only asks that some crumbs—falling,
as it were, accidentally—should come within the reach of the dogs. And
at no time, certainly, did God shut up his grace among the Jews in such
a manner as not to bestow a small taste of them on the Gentiles. No terms
could have been employed that would have described more appropriately,
or more justly, that dispensation of the grace of God which was at that
time in full operation.
28. Great is thy faith. He first applauds the woman’s faith, and next
declares, that on account of her faith he grants her prayer. The greatness
of her faith appeared chiefly in this respect, that by the aid of nothing
more than a feeble spark of doctrine, she not only recognized the actual
office of Christ, and ascribed to him heavenly power, but pursued her course
steadily through formidable opposition; suffered herself to be annihilated,
provided that she held by her conviction that she would not fail to obtain
Christ’s assistance; and, in a word, so tempered her confidence with humility,
that, while she advanced no unfounded claim, neither did she shut against
her the fountain of the grace of Christ, by a sense of her own unworthiness.
This commendation, bestowed on a woman who had been a heathen, condemns
the ingratitude of that nation which boasted that it was consecrated to
God.
But how can the woman be said to believe aright, who not only receives
no promise from Christ, but is driven back by his declaration to the contrary?
On that point I have already spoken. Though he appears to give a harsh
refusal to her prayers, yet, convinced that God would grant the salvation
which he had promised through the Messiah, she ceases not to entertain
favorable hopes; and therefore she concludes, that the door is shut against
her, not for the purpose of excluding her altogether, but that, by a more
strenuous effort of faith, she may force her way, as it were, through the
chinks. Be it unto thee as thou desirest. This latter clause contains a
useful doctrine, that faith will obtain anything from the Lord; for so
highly does he value it, that he is always prepared to comply with our
wishes, so far as it may be for our advantage.
