Mt. 15:21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Mk. 7:24 And from there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.
In this segment Yeshua again leaves the borders of Israel. He is again in Gentile territory, in the same area that Elijah went to during the period of drought in the land of Israel.
Mt. 15:22a And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him,
Mk. 7:25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.
Mt. 15:22b Saying, “Have mercy on me, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
Mk. 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
Mt. 15:23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
Mt. 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.”
Mt. 15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
This is one of those instances that make it difficult to use one verse over another. One verse may give a little more information, and that is the one that is used, and yet, still leave out an important point which is given in the other verse that is not used. Mark’s verse tells us that she kept asking Yeshua to cast out the demon from her daughter. But, the verse in Matthew gives her actual words which are important here: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me.” The key words here are Son of David, a Messianic term. She is asking for a miracle on the basis of His Messianic character which has been rejected. He answered her not a word. He will not perform miracles on the basis of His Messianic character because that Messianic claim has been rejected.
Mt. 15:26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Mk. 7:27 But Yeshua said to her, “Let the children be filled first. For it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
To make sure that she understands where He is coming from, He makes this remark to her. The “children” are Israel, the Jews, while the “dogs” was a term used in Jewish literature in that day for Gentiles, especially the Samaritans. He reminds her that if it is on the basis of His Messianic character, He cannot do anything for her, because His Messianic character was meant exclusively for the House of Israel. He cannot give to the Gentiles what was intended for Israel, even though they rejected it.
Mt. 15:27 And she said, “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”
Mk. 7:28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
But, her response where her faith is now shown tells Yeshua that she is not asking to take that which was for the children. Let it be to the children what was intended for them. But, that which overflows and is to be cast out on the other side is all that she is asking for.
Mt. 15:28a Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
Mk. 7:29 Then He said to her, “For this saying, go your way; the demon is gone out of your daughter.”
In response to a personal need on the basis of faith, He grants her request and casts the demon out of her daughter. The lady goes home and finds her daughter completely normal.
Mt. 15:28b And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mk. 7:30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
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