Jesus vs Canaanese woman

Hi,

I have question. We have this scene in the Bible:

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

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

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Matthew 15:21-28


I am looking for information about, what did the Canaanites believe? What was their faith?

I'm asking becouse I am sure about that, Jesus known what was their religion, and he knew what was her cult. Thats why, Jesus responded rude to her.

I mean, the answer of jesus to the woman has a direct relationship to what she believed in - as a Canaanite.
What do you think?

Jesus' intention was not to be rude or to ostracize her, rather he was testing her faith (as we see in the result). Jews at the time often referred to non-Jews as "dogs," and since Jesus knew the woman's heart well (as He does all of us), he knew that the common insult would be a proper test of her faith - would she press through it? Would her love for her daughter be far more important than her pride? Worst case, her response to the insult would have told him that she was no unbelieving "dog."

From many centuries earlier, Canaanites were polytheistic, and were considered idolaters by the Israelites. By the time of Jesus, some indigenous people of Palestine had converted to Judaism, or at least were proselytized, no doubt because of the influence of the Jews, who also considered Samaritans as "dogs," because when the Assyrians defeated Northern Israel, they carried off most of the people, and replaced them with other foreigners (to make sure Israel never strengthens). And since the woman came to Jesus, no doubt she had heard of the Messiah, which shows she was influenced by the Jews to a great extent.

Further, by using the dinner table as an analogy, she was acknowledging that Jesus was her master.

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The disciples surely must've been amazed that a no-account Gentile woman
would be aware that Jesus was related to David; especially seeing as how
the area was off-reservation from Jesus' assigned missionary operations. In
point of fact, he wasn't in her area to preach, rather, to rest.

Incidentally, Rahab was a Gentile too.
_

Actually Jesus answered her very honestly and was not being disrespectful. His ministry was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But the answer as to why He helped her may be found in John 5:19...I do always what I see the Father do. The obvious question is what did He see the Father doing?
Faith is always a work of God. It is given in salvation...Ephesians 2:8-9...as well as in sanctification...Galatians 2:20. So as Jesus saw a work of faith unfolding He knew God was at work and joined Himself to it.
There are other works of God that are manifest but in the gospels before healings in particular Jesus would ask do you believe.
In one area He did not heal. I don't believe He was unable to. Rather there was no faith to be found.
In John 6:29 the work of God is to believe. Hebrews 11 reminds that without faith it is impossible to please God.

She called him Son of David so she had a significant amount of Jewish biblical knowledge and was referring to his status as the one promised messiah to come. This title reveals deeper Jewish biblical understanding than Master, or Teacher or Rabbi.

It suggests that she might have been either a proselyte to Judaism or a friend of the Jews who attended their synagogues and knew about the scriptures and the promised Son of David to come. There were Jews and synagogues in Tyre and Sidon.

Her words identify her as A friend of the Jews or a righteous gentile or something to that effect and not as a worshipper of ancient cannanite gods or cults.

But her being a proselyte gentile woman would have still made her to be less than a full Jew and she would have already been used to the Jews treating her as never being allowed full status.

If she became a proselyte she would enjoy more of full status that a friend of the Jews. But that really applied more for men who were got circumcised to gain full proselytize status. Many stopped short of that requirement (and who could blame them) and so were called friend of the Jews and attended synagogues and observed customs etc.

I am not sure that a woman would ever get the same full status even if a proselyte.

But these gentiles that joined themselves to Judaism and attended synagogues were accepting of their less than Jew status and were accustomed to this. This would explain her response taking it in stride. She seemed knowledgeable about faith and how God accepts faith. As if she knew scripture which explains why she called him Son of David.

I can honestly tell you that I don't know about the Canaanites as a group, but I think Jesus was only focused upon her faith as an individual.

No, He did not. Jesus loved her. He was reflecting upon the current attitude of the religious leaders of that day. Knowledge of context is critical here.

I believe the action of Jesus to the woman was in direct relationship to what she believed - as an individual. Jesus was interested about people's faith, not their nationality. Still true today.