Canaanite Woman

Jesus and His disciples left Galilee and travelled to the district of Tyre and Sidon. These were port cities on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre was roughly 34 miles northwest of Capernaum and Sidon was about 21 miles up the coast from Tyre. These cities were part of the coastal region known as Phoenicia, which was part of the Roman province of Syria. The people of Phoenicia were called Canaanites. 

Jesus did not want anyone to know He was in Phoenicia. And so, He stayed in a house with His disciples. But Jesus was unable to escape the notice of the people.

A Canaanite woman had a young daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit--a demon. And when the woman heard that Jesus was in the area, she came to the house. Now, she was a Greek woman from that area, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. She cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

But Jesus did not say a word to the woman. So, His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Jesus answered the woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

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

But Jesus replied, “First let the children have their fill. For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

“Yes, Lord,” the woman said, “but even the dogs eat the children's crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”

“O woman,” Jesus said, “your faith is great! Because of this answer, you may go. Let it be done for you as you desire.” And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

See Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

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