The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 118

consenten to the appellation of" dog." "Truth, Lord," was her humble reply. "Dog" here is opposed to "sheep." The clean animal in the Law was the type of the Israelite; the unclean, of the Gentile. She was a "Greek" or Gentile, "a Syro-Phcenioian by rsce" (Mark vii. 25). She does not seem to have been a proselyte. (2) It does not hence follow, however, that she WM an idolater. Hiram, a king of her nation, had a hand in building the temple of Solomon, and was a lover of David, and blessed the God of Israel (see 1 Kings v. 7). Zarephath, where dwelt the worthy widow in the days of Elijah, was in the land of Sidon (see 1 Kings xvii. 9; Luke iv. 26). Many Gentiles in thOl!8 parts respected Judaism, and looked for the promised Messiah. (3) If she understood the spirit of the Law, and the force of the promise which makes clean the Gentile believer, and constitutes him the child of Abraham's faith, she did not plead this. She accepted the title of "dog" in its spiritual as well as in its ceremonial signification. Note: Modesty is no restriction to greatness of faith (cf, eh, viii. 8, 9). III. GREAT FAITH rs EAR1''EST. 1. It will not miss an opportunity. (1) Here was a golden opportunity. Jesus was "in the parts of Tyre and Sidon." He was "a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God" (Rom. xv. 8), yet went to the limits of his commi~sion to cast a look of pity over the boundary. (2) Hearing of his vicinity she "came out." She did not wait until Jesus should crosH over the border-land. Had she done so, she would have missed her opportunity. Note: Many Jose their souls by devising opportunities instead of accepting those provided for them by God. (3) Abram had to come out of Ur in order to bis inheriting Canaan. This woman had to come out of Phcenicie. to inherit the blessing of Israel. So must the sinner leave his sins in order to find salvation. If he be in earnest he will not miss his opportunity. 2. Its heart is in its cause. (1) This woman made her daughter's case her own. Her cry was, "Have mercy upon me." Her plea was as though she herself was sorely vexed with the demon that possessed her child. So she sought relief as for herself. " Lord, help me." (2) Her importunity moved the disciples to plead for her: "Send her away; for she crieth after us." "0 disciples I and does the voice of prayer trouble you? How little at present do ye resemble the Master I We never read of his being troubled with the cry of the poor and needy. And this is all that you have to urge, is it? Your cha.rity amounts to just so much as tLat of some wealthy persons, who give a poor man a penny, ·not out of compassion, but in order to get rid of him!" (A. Fuller). But whether the motive of the disciples was that of the unjust judge or something more worthy of them, the earnestness of the woman cannot be mistaken. IV. GREAT FAITH IB PERSISTENT, 1. It refuses discouragement. (1) Jesus" answered her not a word;" still she cried. He knew the quality of her faith. We must not construe delay in answering our prayers into a refusal to answer them. It may be to draw out the quslity of our faith. God proves that he may improve our faith. (2) Jesus refused the interceasion of his disciples for her; still she cried. "He answered her and said, I e.m not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This silenced the disciples; not so the woman. (3) Jesus "entered into a house, and would he.ve no man know it," apparently to avoid her importunity. But "he could not be hid," for this woman followed him, and then" fell down at his feet" (see Mark vii. 24). (4) Jesus said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs." Thiij was the culminating point. 2. In the very heart of disCQtJ,ragement it finds encourage- ment. (1) Never for a moment did she lose sight of her great argument, viz. that :here was tbe appeal of misery to Mercy itself. The more sensibly we feel the burden the more resolutely we pray for its removal. Christ himself in his agony prayed more «M'fU!BUy. This plea of misery to Mercy remained in undiminished force. (2) The quickness of her faith could even discover the presence of that mercy in the tenderness of tone behind the sternness of expression. Did not Jesus use the diminutive (ic1111&p1a), "little dogs" ? Here was a leverage which she adroitly seized. The children are familiar with the little dogs, and have no objection to their eating the crumbs that fall from the table. "The spirit of faith suggests the beet forms of prayer" (Bengel), It is, more- over, • their master's table." It cannot go ill with the dogs. "There is bread enough [for the children] and to spare" for the servants and the dogs (see Luke xv, 17, 19), A crumb of Christ's mercy is sufficient to expel a malignant devil. (3) So faith t1iumphed. "It resembled the river, which becomes enlarged by the dykes opposed to it, tiU e.t last it uweeps them away" (A. Clarke). "0 woman." By faith the dog Ott, u. 1-39.J '.t'HE GOSPEL .A.CCORDING TO BT. MATTHEW. 121