Read Matthew 15:21–39
Questions from the Scripture text: To what region does Jesus depart in Matthew 15:21? What sort of woman comes (Matthew 15:22)? What does she ask of Him? What does she call Him? Why does she need this mercy? What does He answer (Matthew 15:23)? Who now urge Him? Why? What does He answer them (Matthew 15:24)? Who comes in Matthew 15:25? What does she do to Him? What does she say to Him? Now whom does He answer (Matthew 15:26)? What does He call this help that she seeks? What does He say isn’t good to do? What does she answer (Matthew 15:27)? What does Jesus say to this (Matthew 15:28)? What happens? Where does Jesus go now (Matthew 15:29, cf. Mk 7:31)? Who come to Him even there (Matthew 15:30)? Having whom with them? How does the multitude respond to what (Matthew 15:31)? Whom do they glorify? Whom does Jesus call to Himself (Matthew 15:32)? What does He have upon the multitude (cf. Matthew 14:14)? How long has it been at that point? Without doing what? What doesn’t Jesus want to do? What do the disciples ask (Matthew 15:33)? What does Jesus ask in response (Matthew 15:34)? What do they answer? What does Jesus command in Matthew 15:35? What does He do in Matthew 15:36? To whom does He give the broken bread and fish? To whom do they give them? Who eat (Matthew 15:37)? How much? What do the disciples take up? How much? How many had eaten (Matthew 15:38)? What does Jesus do in Matthew 15:39? To where does He come?
Why would Jesus go to Gentile territory? Matthew 15:21–39 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nineteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus goes to Gentile territory to show Himself the Son of David, Who has mercy upon the nations, from whom He gathers to Himself His church.
This is a remarkable passage. Despite the fact that Jesus testifies in Matthew 15:24 that He is sent only to the lost sheep of Israel (and His sending the disciples only to them as well, cf. Matthew 10:5–6), He intentionally goes to the extremely Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21), and from there to the Gentile region of the Decapolis, on the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee (cf. Matthew 15:29, cf. Mk 7:31).
In Tyre and Sidon, a woman of Canaan comes, who is hoping in an Israelite king: the Son of David (Matthew 15:22), from Whom she seeks mercy. Jesus’s silence (Matthew 15:23a) results in the disciples’ feeling the urgency of something needing to be done (Matthew 15:23b). And Jesus’s answer to them (Matthew 15:24) provokes her to express her worship of Him and neediness of Him all the more (Matthew 15:25). Note how Jesus provokes the disciples to minister to Gentiles in Matthew 15:32 as well. He Who is going to give them the instruction in Ac 1:8 is intentionally preparing them for it in this brief trip “out of bounds.”
For her part, the woman of Canaan already knows and believes what the Lord is teaching the disciples: the Son of David is not only for Israel. He is Master also of Gentile dogs (Matthew 15:26–27). It does not bother her to admit herself to be outside the covenant and unworthy, because the Son of David gives the bread of life even to such (Matthew 15:27–28!). The mercy of the Son of David is for all of the nations (cf. Ps 72:8–14).
The multitudes of Gentiles in the Decapolis spend three (!!) days with Him (Matthew 15:32), trusting in Him and being healed by Him (v30), and marveling at Him and glorifying the God of Israel (!!) (Matthew 15:31). The grace of God to them precedes, and far exceeds, the provision of bread and fish in Matthew 15:36–37. He provided them with the bread of life, with faith in Himself and the worship of God!
To the disciples, He teaches them that these Gentiles, too, will be part of God’s covenant people. Upon them, too, Christ has compassion (Matthew 15:32; cf. Matthew 14:14). They, too, are fed by Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 15:32, 35; cf. Matthew 14:15, Matthew 14:19a). They, too, are served by Chris’s apostles (Matthew 15:36). They, too, are numbered covenantally by household (Matthew 15:38; cf. Matthew 14:21). Among the differences, the one that sticks out is that whereas the leftover baskets with the Jews were a covenantal number for the church (cf. Matthew 14:20), the leftover baskets now, with the Gentiles included, is a number of completion: seven (Matthew 15:37). These are not the small baskets of before, but another word, indicating large baskets of the size that could contain a man (cf. Ac 9:25).
How great is the power of the Son of David! How great is His compassion and grace! For, He gathers to Himself not merely lost sheep from the house of Israel, but from an entire world of Gentiles, unto whom He Himself is trust, healer, and bread of life! Marvel at Him, trust Him, worship Him, and depend upon Him.
How have you humbled yourself before the Lord as unworthy of His mercy and salvation? How have you looked to Him as both God and the promised Son of David? How do you continue to look to Him that way?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving Your own Son to be the promised King, Who would be kind to the poor of all the nations. We are those poor. Have mercy upon us and help us. Feed us upon Your own abundance. Take us to Yourself as members of Your church, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP72B “Nomads Will Bow” or TPH424 “All Authority and Power”
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