Faith
A Canaanite woman had faith that Jesus would heal her daughter. Jesus also healed many more and fed four thousand people who had been with Him three days.
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21. Jesus “heads northward to ‘Tyre and Sidon,’ port cities in what today would be parts of Lebanon and Syria.” (Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. [Nashville: Broadman Press], 242)
“Jesus was trying to remain hidden (Mark 7:24), but somehow this Canaanite woman heard where He was and came to Him with her need.” (Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. [Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004], 54)
22. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus and cried out.
“This woman’s cry was virtually identical to that of the two pairs of blind men in 9:27 and 20:30-31: ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
23. “Jesus breaks his pattern of immediately responding to requests for healing. His silence therefore seems deliberate and dramatic.” (Blomberg, 243)
“Impatient with her persistent following and crying out, the disciples said, ‘Send her away!’ We are not sure whether they meant. ‘Give her what she wants and get rid of her’ or just ‘Get rid of her!’” (Wiersbe, 54)
24. “Jesus was offering Himself first as the fulfillment of all prophecies concerning the coming of the King in David’s line. He was forcing this gentile woman to recognize that fact.” (McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983], 88)
Faith
25. “She came as a sinner needing help, and she offered no argument.” (Wiersbe, 54)
26. “Jesus apparently wants to demonstrate and stretch this woman’s faith. The ‘children’ must refer to Israel and the ‘bread’ to the blessings of God on the Jews, particularly through Jesus’ healing ministry.” (Blomberg, 244)
27. “Yes, Lord, she began, humbly acknowledging her place in the household of faith. Then, with surprising wisdom, she continued, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
28. “It was this faith that Jesus acknowledged, and immediately He healed her daughter.” (Wiersbe, 54)
“This woman’s faith was great because she persisted in asking and trusting when everything seemed against her.” (Wiersbe, 55)
Healing
29. “Jesus departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon and went to the region of the Decapolis. This was predominantly Gentile Territory.” (Wiersbe, 55)
Jesus “chose a mountainside as a stopping place, and he sat down in the posture of a teacher.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
30. In describing this event Matthew is “fully itemizing the various categories of illnesses as if to stress that as many kinds of sick people were healed among the Gentiles as among the Jews (vv. 30-31; cf. 11:5).” (Blomberg, 245)
31. “The crowd marveled at Jesus’ healings and praised the God of Israel.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
Feeding Four Thousand
Just for clarification: the Feeding of the Five Thousand in Matthew 14 was for the Jews in Galilee. Here, Jesus was near the Decapolis with the audience being Gentiles.
32. “Since the crowd of four thousand had been with Him three days, they had used up their own supplies of food.” (Wiersbe, 55)
“Jesus expressed privately to his disciples his compassion for the people’s hunger.” [Max Anders and Stuart K. Weber (2012). HNTC Vol. 01: Matthew. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]
33. “This miracle shows how slowly the disciples were to learn. They had already witnessed the feeding of the five thousand, and I think it took place only a few days before this; yet here they raise the same old objections of unbelief.” (McGee, 59)
34. “Jesus inquires about their provisions. This time they specify the number of loaves but not the exact quantity of fish.” (Blomberg, 246)
35. Sit down, folks!
36. “Again He fed the multitudes. This is a revelation that the disciples had not really learned the lesson.” (McGee, 89)
37.” The baskets refer to a larger container than was previously used, and the specific word is more appropriate for Gentiles.” (Blomberg, 246)
38. “If we put one woman and one child with each man, the total fed would be twelve thousand.” (McGee, 90)
39. “Magdala is on the Sea of Galilee and today is in ruins.” (McGee, 90)
References
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
In this article Scripture quotations taken from KJV.
Blomberg, Craig L., The New American Commentary, Volume 22, Matthew. Nashville: Broadman Press
McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible: Volume IV. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1983
Robertson, A. T., A Harmony of the Gospels. New York, HarperCollins Publishers
Wiersbe, Warren W, The Bible Exposition Commentary New Testament Volume 1 Matthew-Galatians. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2004
