How in the world could Jesus get away with first ignoring a woman who begged for His attention, but then, finally speaking with her, calling her a dog? In Matthew 15, Jesus had a conversation with a woman from Canaan. Some people try to use this conversation to say Jesus wasn’t loving at all. Notice what He said to her:
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
Matthew 15:21–26
But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Yikes. Everyone knows that you don’t call any woman a dog. That’s why this passage is brought up frequently by unbelievers to try to discredit the true love of Christ. But Jesus is perfect, right? How do we reconcile His perfection with this seemingly unethical treatment of a woman who did nothing wrong to Him? To understand what’s going on here, notice a little word in this exchange—literally; it’s the word little.
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Matthew 15:26
In the next verse, she replied:
Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
In the first-century Jewish world, and in some passages of Scripture, the word dog is used to describe someone detestable—one who rejects the truth of God and brings about his own destruction by his denial of God’s grace and his indulgence in the flesh (see Matthew 7:6; Philippians 3:2; 2 Peter 2:22; and Revelation 22:15). In those passages, the specific Greek word for dog (κύων) is meant figuratively as a warning for judgement from God.
In Matthew 15, Jesus doesn’t call this lady a dog in that sense. He uses a different Greek word (κυνάριον) that means little dog (like a house pet). Although not all English translations make this distinction, it is an important one to notice when asking, “Why did Jesus call her a dog?” He didn’t call her an unclean street mutt, destined for mange and judgment. He called her a little house dog in the master’s house. Now, you might not think that’s a whole lot better, but to her, it was all the difference in the world. She didn’t recoil at the description. Instead, in the next verse, she agreed with Jesus and called herself a little pet in the master’s house.
What’s going on here?
In verse 22, the Bible says that this woman was a Canaanite. That means she was not an Israelite; she was a Gentile—and not just a Gentile, a Gentile from the historic racial enemies of the people of Judea. In Romans 1:16, the apostle Paul says:
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek [or Gentile].
Today, we know that the gospel is for all. We must teach it to all nations without distinction or discrimination. And once someone is in Christ, we boldly declare with Scripture:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28
But even in that same chapter, Paul recognizes that the gospel promise was made first to a certain person and his descendants: Abraham and the Israelites (see Galatians 3:15–25). In this conversation with the disciples and the Canaanite woman, Jesus said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” When He first sent out His apostles, He told them:
Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:5–6
Because the gospel was first promised to Abraham and his descendants (the nation of Israel), it was being offered to them first. To fulfill prophecy, the gospel of the kingdom had to be delivered to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. When this Gentile woman came to Jesus, the kingdom was still being offered first to Israel, according to God’s redemptive plan. In essence, He said, “Your time is coming, for you are in the Master’s house. But you must be patient.” Jesus set up this beautiful opportunity to test her faith and to prove God’s mercy and grace to His disciples. How did she respond?
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Matthew 15:27–28
When we view this passage through our twenty-first century glasses, we cringe, wondering why Jesus insulted this woman so terribly. Did she cringe? Was she offended? On the contrary, this woman was elated, and she went home joyful. Likely any time she had dealt with an Israelite in the past, she was treated as an outcast, as a rabid tramp dog. Jesus, on the other hand, says, “You are in the Master’s house. You belong to Him. You’re a woman created in the image of God, and great is your faith! Let me serve you.”
You know, we can learn a lot from this humble Canaanite woman. She had been mistreated and abused by imperfect people, but she was not afraid to come to the Lord and worship Him. And she didn’t come to Him with selfish motives. Instead, she came praying for someone else. It’s like Jesus said:
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
Matthew 5:3
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.