Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Mathew Ch 15, verse 21 to 28.
With regard to verse 23 in particular, Jesus's silence.
I do not understand this and would appreciate some thoughts.

I take it the application of this incident to life now is about when we pray but feel Jesus doesn't always appear to hear our cries? Perhaps He is testing our faith.

So when this woman came to Jesus in distress, He seems reluctant to help. Is this because she is of a different faith? So Jesus states that He was sent to take care of HIS own, lost sheep.
Could the fact that He does eventually answer and grant healing to the woman's loved one mean if an atheist or one of a different religion prays, Jesus will heal them?

No. He was going to test her faith severely. Which He did, then answered her prayer. It would appear that she had considerable spiritual insight.

No ---No and No ------first off ----God does not hear the prayers of sinners ----God cannot entertain sin and his face is turned from them ---God does hear what they say but he doesn't hear to answer -----


Isaiah 59

Amplified Bible

Separation from God
59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save,
Nor His ear so [a]impaired
That it cannot hear.
2
But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
3
For your hands are defiled with blood
And your fingers with wickedness [with sin, with injustice, with wrongdoing];
Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue mutters wickedness.

In Matthew, Jesus is answering the disciples' plea to send her away but in Mark 7:27's account, Jesus is answering her, "First let the children have their fill...For it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs." And she replies, "even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs where in Matthew she mentions "their Master's table" where the pronoun refers back to the word dogs, which is only reference four times in all accounts within this context, although dogs are referred to much more frequently in scripture. In this context, even Jesus refers to 'little dogs,' or puppies which suggests some degree of endearment without leaving out an acknowledgement of the 'mooch pooch' nature of the dog which was disdained in those times for being a scavenger.

Ultimately, "because of this answer (Mark 7:29)" and because, "your faith is great! (Matthew 15:28)," Jesus grants the woman her prayer.

Because Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, even the dogs benefit by His provision, because it is about relating to the Master's character (full of grace and truth (John 1:14), rather than the character of those within or without the house of Israel.

It is almost shocking how you seek to limit the power of God.

First off: all are sinners in need of mercy and forgiveness from God.

Secondly, God is not willing for any to perish, desiring ALL to repent and come to a knowledge of the truth.


Ezekiel 18:4 plus 32
Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This woman must of heard of the Lord and thru faith her daughter was healed.

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

I did not write this God did and ---so what your saying is that God will contradict what He says Here --so that would make God a liar and His Word nil in void ------and if that is how you see God then your concept goes against Scripture ------and what it says here

Isaiah 59

Amplified Bible

Separation from God
59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save,
Nor His ear so [a]impaired
That it cannot hear.
2
But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

You seem to have no understanding that one has to be Drawn by God to have a heart change and accept that draw to be open to hearing the Gospel to have the right Faith to even please God ------

What is it that you don't understand about what God is Saying here in Isaiah 59 ----It clearly says that God does not hear the prayers of Sinners ------a grade schoolchild would understand what God Himself says here ------it is not Rocket science -----

And Here it is again -----JOHN 9:31--------------so you are the one putting God contradicting Himself ---


so if you can't believe what is written here that has nothing to do with me ----You will Need to ask God why He put HIMSELF is in a Box ----

Magenta said:, God is not willing for any to perish, desiring ALL to repent and come to a knowledge of the truth.

God doesn't perish anyone ---We parish ourselves by refusing to Receive Jesus who is the one who paid the price for us ------so you are blaming God for sending people to hell ---OH MY ---NOT A GOOD THING TO DO ------People send themselves to hell -----God does desire all to come to Him but not all are willing to take His free Offer of Salvation ---so their Decision to reject God's Offer sends them to Hell ----

Take a look at the very verse you quote:

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save,
Nor His ear so impaired
That it cannot hear.

Those verses do not say God does not hear the prayers of sinners. But you claim God is deaf.

The person not believing Scripture is you.

But your wickedness has separated you from your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

^ Addressing Israel. Why do you ignore context?

Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, even there Your hand
will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light become night around me” even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night
shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.

Here's an article from 1998 that explains it better than I could:

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/to-the-jew-first-and-also-to-the-greek

There is so much to unpack in this passage. Please excuse my brevity and ask clarifying questions if needed.

The woman was from the area of two cities, Tyre and Sidon, in the Canaanite region.

This is our first clue about what is transpiring. In short: those regions, according to the Jews, are under the curse of God. They had it on good account from their prophets:

"Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines,
To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains..."

“Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up."

The burden of the word of the LORD
Against the land of Hadrach,
And Damascus its resting place
(For the eyes of men
And all the tribes of Israel
Are on the LORD);
Also against Hamath, which borders on it,
And against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.

When it comes to receiving the Messiah of the Jews, the metaphorical deck is stacked against her, if you will.

The disciples certainly believe this. But Jesus waits on their response. They respond with the racism that is in their hearts (Don't be alarmed by this, even a racist, when he seeks the Lord, may be perfected by Him).

They say to Jesus “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

Jesus turns the discussion on its head. What He says next sets up what He is about to do. He says,

“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

It appears that He agrees with the disciples, that He, as the Messiah, is there for the Jews only.

But then He turns to the woman to address her after she cries out “Lord, help me!”

Now, she just enacted an ancient truth: "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Not all of Israel is Israel. All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And here, she is about to be saved from her affliction, or rather her daughter's affliction.

But Jesus, wanting to push the issue with His disciples further, replies to the woman according to the colloquialisms of the day, "aren't you merely a dog?" (this is my paraphrase) effectively giving HER an opportunity to display her faith (Jesus knew this).

She answers “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

My paraphrase: "Yes Lord (there is again!) Even the lowest of dogs are fed by the master".

She knew the Deliverer was fer her too!

Jesus answered: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”

I imagine the heads of the disciples whipped around when they heard Him speak these words. See, this encounter was mainly for the disciples. He knew that those closest to Him must understand that He was sent to "who so ever" and not just the Jews. This passage is another proof that God so loved the world.

No. But they might get you elected.

You left out the rest ---your trying to take scripture out of context and trying to make it say what you want it to say -----as God can save and can here----IF you Repent and and receive His Graced Gift of Salvation ---which comes by way of Faith in His Son who was sent to Paid the rice for us ------

Nice try but -----

You edited my post to leave it out.

I not only included it, but addressed it.

Dishonesty won't get you far, either.

Yeah, but it might get you elec... ah well.. you know... the thing.

Magentra ----your GRASPING AT STRAWS ---trying to make yourself right instead of believing the Word ---so sad



John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.
Proverbs 28:9
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.


1 Peter 3:12

English Standard Version

12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

I say----- sinners are EVIL IN GOD"S EYES------God's face is turned from sinners so He hears them but He doesn't hear to answer their Prayers -------

Anyone who thinks God who is Holy has to answer the Prayers of sinners who are away from God and who refuse to give God the time of Day is under Satan's spell of deception---

Making sinners and others believe God answers the Prayers of the unbelieving

IS

Was Hagar a sinner?

Who is not a sinner? There is none righteous, no not one.

The question was asked because some had posted that God doesn't hear the prayers of sinners. Do you have any thoughts on this?