March 28, 2019 – Click here to listen
I was studying the book of Mark this morning and one thing that grabbed my attention was the conversation between Jesus and the Greek woman who wanted Him to exorcise a demon from her daughter. Jesus initially told her “Let the children be filled first.” He was referring to Jews as being filled first but thankfully He did not exclude Gentiles altogether. He said it was not right to take the bread from His children and throw it to the little dogs. The Jews sometimes referred to Gentiles as dogs. In Greek, this word is “kuon”, meaning “wild cur.” Non-Jews were considered so unspiritual at that time that even merely being in their presence could make a person ceremonially unclean and thus were referred to as wild cur dogs. The exact word Jesus used here, in Greek, was “kunarion,” meaning “small dog” or “pet dog.” This is a completely different word from the term “kuon,” used to refer to unspiritual people or to an “unclean” animal. So, according to both the context and language used, Jesus wasn’t referring to the Canaanite woman as a “dog,” and using a racial slur but making a point about the priorities He’d been given by God.
His mission was to bring the Gospel to Israel. Matthew 15: 24 – He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” So, He used this term as a metaphor to explain that it would be a violation of His mission if He were to minister to Gentiles first and would be like a father taking food from his children in order to throw it to their pets.
Jesus explained that she had no legitimate expectation of His help. The woman, however, was persistent and her faith was great, and she spoke up. Her response proved that she understood fully what Jesus was saying, yet had enough conviction to ask anyway. Jesus acknowledged her faith – calling it “great” – and granted her request. I believe we should use these same principles, faith, persistence, and boldness in our own prayers. Can’t argue with success. At any rate I kind of wince at being compared to a little dog, but I’m just glad that we got our salvation too. I suppose that this proves that every dog has its day . . .
Luke 11:9
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.