Matthew 15:22-28 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to HIM, crying out, “LORD, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” 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.” HE answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before HIM, “LORD, help me!” she said. HE replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes LORD,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then JESUS answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. [New International Translation]
Summary
During Biblical times the Jewish people considered themselves separate from gentiles* of their times. One group of gentile “outsiders” living around the Jewish people during the time of CHRIST were the Canaanites. To many Jewish people, the Canaanites were no better than “dogs.” So, one day when a Canaanite woman came to JESUS crying for mercy on behalf of a sick child, even some of JESUS’ own Jewish disciples were annoyed and urged JESUS to send her away. From their perspective, she was just a gentile, unclean, and woman. But, the woman was desperate. She was a mother, and her daughter needed help. Moreover, the woman knew JESUS could help her daughter. She believed in JESUS. She acknowledged HIS authority---she called HIM “LORD.” So, she literally begged JESUS for help.
Initially, JESUS said nothing. When the woman persisted, JESUS pointed out that HIS [immediate] mission was to save the “lost sheep of Israel,” meaning the Jews. But the woman would not be dissuaded; she came and knelt before HIM, in humble submission. She worshipped HIM. She pleaded.
Testing her “faith” JESUS spoke to the woman and said: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
Still, the woman did not give up. She replied: “Yes LORD,” basically acknowledging the common attitude of the Jew. And in essence, she was admitting that “YES, I know that Jews consider us Canaanites to be “dogs.” But with fierce determination, the woman quickly retorts: “But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” In other words, “even the dogs” deserved to be blessed by the MASTER too!
Seeing how great the woman’s faith was, even with the testing of her faith, JESUS grants the woman’s request. JESUS heals her daughter immediately! All because of the faith of a determined woman!
DOGS TODAY
Although not everyone likes dogs or even wants a pet or dog; nevertheless, it turns out that there may be some benefits to owning one.
In “This Is How Much More Exercise Dog Owners Get Compared To People Who Don’t Have Dogs,” it was reported that based on a study which surveyed adult dog-owners, adult non-dog owners, and children, it was found that dog owners were “four times more likely to get the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise, compared to those who did not own a dog.” It was noted that in England, where the study occurred, only 66% of men and only 58% of women are able to achieve the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise and that in American less than 50% of Americans do. However, the study found that on average, the dog owners spent close to 300 minutes per week walking with dogs while those without dogs spent less than 100 minutes per week walking. See, “This Is How Much More Exercise Dog Owners Get Compared To People Who Don’t Have Dogs,” by Kate Streit, May 30, 2019, https://www.simplemost.com/dog-owners-get-more-exercise-study/.
It was also noted that dog owners spent more time performing other types of exercise, such as jogging and cycling compared to non-dog owners.
It is interesting that we may live a society, where many may recognize the importance of exercising a dog on a regular basis but where a person may not recognize the importance of regular exercise for him or herself. In other words, people who may not be exercising regularly may not be treating themselves “better than a dog.”
ARE DOGS TREATED BETTER THAN THE HOMELESS?
On July 31, 2012, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for The Homeless published an editorial titled “Dogs Get Better Treatment Than Homeless People.” See, https://www.neoch.org/issue-54-articles/2012/7/31/dogs-get-better-treatment-than-homeless-people.html. In that editorial they compared the treatment of dogs to the homeless. They pointed out that:
- The Cuyahoga County kennel is a clean facility staffed by trained professionals with a deep concern for animals. Whereas, the overflow shelters for homeless men and women are inadequate facilities staffed by untrained, overworked staff, some of whom are just punching the clock and have no concern for the people that they serve.
- San Francisco is constructing an apartment building for their homeless dogs and cats. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have a large advertising budget with a huge network of volunteers, some of whom are willing to go to the extreme for animal rights whereas San Francisco has an extremely large homeless population approaching 10,000 people per night with a severe shortage of housing.
- Why are we as a society spending money doing fundraising campaigns and spending valuable resources to house homeless animals while millions of our taxpaying citizens sleep on the streets or on mats in a shelter? Why not prioritize solving human homelessness before we work on the needs of homeless puppies?
- Every jurisdiction has a dog warden, but very few municipal or county governments have a homeless liaison.
- We need a re-evaluation of our priorities and work on ending the suffering that exists on the streets. We need to rebuild people so they have the confidence to live free of chemicals in a home…[W]e have a fundamental responsibility to justice for our citizens.
Id. This editorial was written pre-COVID 19.
In 2019 it was estimated that there are about 150 million homeless people worldwide. Habitat for Humanity estimates that 1.6 billion people in the world live without adequate shelter. In the United States, the 2019 estimates were that there were about 567,715 homeless; approximately 17 out of every 10,000. See, https://www.neoch.org/issue-54-articles/2012/7/31/dogs-get-better-treatment-than-homeless-people.html. And, these data are pre-COVID 19.
We all have to be concerned about how others are treated! We all have to help to end suffering and to strive for greater physical and spiritual health for ourselves and for others.
Pray about what you should do! Then do something. Check with the organization in your church, in your neighborhood, in your city, or national organizations that help feed or shelter the homeless.
Be determined and BE BLESSED!
*A gentile is anyone who is not of the Jewish race or religion.
