“But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:25-26)
I love working with the lectionary, as each week it provides me with three readings, and I get to choose which reading I focus on, except on the weeks when I don’t.
Sometimes, the list includes a reading that creates such a mess when you read it you have to go and clean it up. This week’s Gospel that tells of Jesus calling a foreign woman a … (I can’t use the word) – a female dog is one such reading!
Yes, the woman was a pain in the neck, and, yes, this happens just when Jesus was tired and trying to get a break. Even so, Jesus doesn’t use that sort of language, does He, and He would surely never disrespect anyone, would He?
Perhaps we should pause here and give this incident some context, as this story really begins a chapter earlier where we read, “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” (Matthew 13:14)
What ‘had happened’ was that John the Baptist had been killed by King Herod, and this evidently affected Jesus deeply. Jesus and John were close, and not only were they friends and relatives, but their work, as we know, was deeply linked.
When John is killed, Jesus tries to get some space to pray. Indeed, Jesus makes at least three attempts to get away, all of which are radically unsuccessful.
- On his first attempt, Jesus found an isolated space, but everyone followed Him. He ended up having to feed them all out in the desert (Mark 14:13-21).
- Then He sent everyone home and told the disciples to meet Him on the other side of the lake while He went up into the hills alone to pray, but the disciples got into trouble, and He had to walk directly across the lake to reach them!
- In this third attempt, Jesus goes into Gentile territory – to the region of Tyre and Sidon – an area where He knew no Jew would follow Him.
This time it seems Jesus succeeded in finding space, and then this pushy woman starts following Him, shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”
Sometimes you do have to say ‘no’.
I learnt that a long time ago. When I started as parish priest in Dulwich Hill in 1990, I figured I should follow the commandment of Jesus to “give to those who ask” (Matthew 5:42) and always kept a small stack of five-dollar notes in my wallet to give to those who would come to the rectory door asking for money until I ran out!
I still remember the guy, rather obnoxious and stroppy, not reacting well when I said I had nothing for him. “I’ll wait while you go to the ATM,” he said and added, “It’s your job to help me.” I got a bit stroppy myself and said, “No, it’s not my job to help you!”
That’s basically what Jesus says to this woman too – you are not my job. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
That doesn’t put the woman off, of course. She falls down and begs Him, we’re told, to which Jesus responds, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)
The International Standard Version translates this as ‘puppies’, of course, which sounds a little better. The word used – kunarion – is indeed a diminutive form of the normal word for ‘dog’ (kuōn) and hence can mean ‘little dog’ or even ‘pet dog’. Even so, it’s hardly a compliment!
Was Jesus being playful? Was the testing done on her? Was He… What was he doing? In truth, I don’t know, but we do know what happens next …
“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” says Jesus. She barks back, “Even the puppies pick up the scraps that fall from the children’s table.”
And Jesus is impressed! Indeed, He seems shocked! “Great is your faith, woman! Off you go. Be assured that your daughter is doing just fine.”
This is what the woman wanted, and off she goes. Even so, it’s hard to know what Jesus meant when he complimented her great faith because she’s not, recognisably, a woman of faith. She’s not, at any rate, attached to any approved faith tradition. She’s not a Jew, nor even a Samaritan. She’s a Canaanite – an idol worshipper!
This woman was not taking her stand alongside the apostle Peter, saying, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), as she wouldn’t have known what that sentence meant. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” was probably about as much religious language as she could muster!
Stupidity and stubbornness – that’s what she displayed, and I suspect that is the essence of faith. This unnamed woman was stupid enough to think that Jesus could do for her what nobody else could do, and she was stubborn enough to persist with Jesus even after he called her a dog!
Stupidity and Stubbornness – I know we prefer to use more flattering labels such as ‘daring’ and ‘perseverance’. Let’s just call them what they are: stupidity and stubbornness.
It’s what faith is all about! Of course, I’m biased in defining faith this way, as these are qualities I have in abundance, and I see these same qualities richly displayed in a great many of my friends and supporters too!
I’m still aiming for a world title fight at age 64. That’s pretty stupid. Of course, they told me I was stupid when I made my debut as a professional boxer at age 34 and that I was even more stupid to keep going – getting continually punched in the head to raise funds for the ministry. There had to be an easier way to do it.
And yes, I’m stupid enough to think I could still change the world with my fists! Do any of you think you’re up to being as stupid and stubborn as me, or even as stupid and stubborn as the unnamed Canaanite woman we celebrate in today’s gospel?
It’s a curious story – Jesus’ encounter with this loud and disruptive foreign woman – but she shows us what real faith looks like. It’s not pretty. Indeed, it’s loud and confronting and annoying! Even so, it moved Jesus, and it can move mountains still!
sermon first published in Father Dave’s weekly newsletter – August 15, 2026
Bread for the Children… and the Dogs! (Matthew 15:21-28)
“But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:25-26)
I love working with the lectionary, as each week it provides me with three readings, and I get to choose which reading I focus on, except on the weeks when I don’t.
Sometimes, the list includes a reading that creates such a mess when you read it you have to go and clean it up. This week’s Gospel that tells of Jesus calling a foreign woman a … (I can’t use the word) – a female dog is one such reading!
Yes, the woman was a pain in the neck, and, yes, this happens just when Jesus was tired and trying to get a break. Even so, Jesus doesn’t use that sort of language, does He, and He would surely never disrespect anyone, would He?
Perhaps we should pause here and give this incident some context, as this story really begins a chapter earlier where we read, “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” (Matthew 13:14)
What ‘had happened’ was that John the Baptist had been killed by King Herod, and this evidently affected Jesus deeply. Jesus and John were close, and not only were they friends and relatives, but their work, as we know, was deeply linked.
When John is killed, Jesus tries to get some space to pray. Indeed, Jesus makes at least three attempts to get away, all of which are radically unsuccessful.
This time it seems Jesus succeeded in finding space, and then this pushy woman starts following Him, shouting, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”
Sometimes you do have to say ‘no’.
I learnt that a long time ago. When I started as parish priest in Dulwich Hill in 1990, I figured I should follow the commandment of Jesus to “give to those who ask” (Matthew 5:42) and always kept a small stack of five-dollar notes in my wallet to give to those who would come to the rectory door asking for money until I ran out!
I still remember the guy, rather obnoxious and stroppy, not reacting well when I said I had nothing for him. “I’ll wait while you go to the ATM,” he said and added, “It’s your job to help me.” I got a bit stroppy myself and said, “No, it’s not my job to help you!”
That’s basically what Jesus says to this woman too – you are not my job. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
That doesn’t put the woman off, of course. She falls down and begs Him, we’re told, to which Jesus responds, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)
The International Standard Version translates this as ‘puppies’, of course, which sounds a little better. The word used – kunarion – is indeed a diminutive form of the normal word for ‘dog’ (kuōn) and hence can mean ‘little dog’ or even ‘pet dog’. Even so, it’s hardly a compliment!
Was Jesus being playful? Was the testing done on her? Was He… What was he doing? In truth, I don’t know, but we do know what happens next …
“It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” says Jesus. She barks back, “Even the puppies pick up the scraps that fall from the children’s table.”
And Jesus is impressed! Indeed, He seems shocked! “Great is your faith, woman! Off you go. Be assured that your daughter is doing just fine.”
This is what the woman wanted, and off she goes. Even so, it’s hard to know what Jesus meant when he complimented her great faith because she’s not, recognisably, a woman of faith. She’s not, at any rate, attached to any approved faith tradition. She’s not a Jew, nor even a Samaritan. She’s a Canaanite – an idol worshipper!
This woman was not taking her stand alongside the apostle Peter, saying, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), as she wouldn’t have known what that sentence meant. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David” was probably about as much religious language as she could muster!
Stupidity and stubbornness – that’s what she displayed, and I suspect that is the essence of faith. This unnamed woman was stupid enough to think that Jesus could do for her what nobody else could do, and she was stubborn enough to persist with Jesus even after he called her a dog!
Stupidity and Stubbornness – I know we prefer to use more flattering labels such as ‘daring’ and ‘perseverance’. Let’s just call them what they are: stupidity and stubbornness.
It’s what faith is all about! Of course, I’m biased in defining faith this way, as these are qualities I have in abundance, and I see these same qualities richly displayed in a great many of my friends and supporters too!
I’m still aiming for a world title fight at age 64. That’s pretty stupid. Of course, they told me I was stupid when I made my debut as a professional boxer at age 34 and that I was even more stupid to keep going – getting continually punched in the head to raise funds for the ministry. There had to be an easier way to do it.
And yes, I’m stupid enough to think I could still change the world with my fists! Do any of you think you’re up to being as stupid and stubborn as me, or even as stupid and stubborn as the unnamed Canaanite woman we celebrate in today’s gospel?
It’s a curious story – Jesus’ encounter with this loud and disruptive foreign woman – but she shows us what real faith looks like. It’s not pretty. Indeed, it’s loud and confronting and annoying! Even so, it moved Jesus, and it can move mountains still!
About Father Dave
Preacher, Pugilist, Activist, Father of four