The Holy One of Israel

I have always felt like there was more to the story of the Canaan woman who came to the Savior asking for him to heal her daughter.  At first he wouldn't even answer her.  She apparently was rather persistent because after awhile, his disciples begged him to send her away, "for she crieth after us" (Matthew 15:23).  His response was a rather cool, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (vs. 24).  Imploringly she answered, "Lord, help me" (vs. 25).  His next reply is the one that I've always had a problem with.  He flatly states, "It is not meat to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs" (vs. 26).  I am pretty sure that comparing a woman to a dog was about as disrespectful then as it is now.  To her credit, she is not offended but humbly answers, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (vs. 27).  Touched by her reply, He answers, "Oh, woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt.  And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (vs. 28).  Why did Jesus answer the way that he did?  Was he not sent to all the world, not just the house of Israel? Specifically I am thinking of John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

Let me share with you some of the insights that came to me as I continued to read in Matthew, chapter 15.  The very next story is of Jesus preaching to a great multitude of people.  The men alone numbered 4,000 souls.  Due to the geography it is safe to assume that most of them were not of the house of Israel but were Gentiles.  There is no mention of them being called dogs.  In fact after three days of preaching, he turned to his disciples and said, "I have compassion on the multitude...I will not send them away fasting lest they faint in the way" (Matthew 15:32).  He then, much as he did with a previous group of 5,000 Israelites, had them sit down while he thanked God for the seven loaves of bread, blessed them, broke them and fed all that were there.  Again, the crumbs were gathered up and were enough to fill seven baskets.  I paused to think on the number of baskets remaining.  In the previous setting of Israelites there were twelve baskets extra.  I could see those baskets symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles who are called as special witnesses of Jesus Christ.  What about seven?  I then thought of the quorum of the seventy.  In Luke, chapter 10 it discusses the formation of this group whom he sent out two by two to preach his word.  In modern revelations we are instructed that there are to be up to seven quorums or groups of seventy, who are "to be traveling ministers, unto the Gentiles first and also unto the Jews" (Doctrine & Covenants 107: 96-97).

At this point, my mind was starting to turn things over.  Going back to the original verses in Matthew I saw that after Jesus had healed those of the 4,000, they "glorified the God of Israel" (Matthew 15:31).  Likewise, the Gentile woman's fortunes changed after she recognized Israel as her master.  Jesus indeed was sent to all the world, but he was not sent to save us in our sins but from our sins.  (see Helaman 5:10).  We must first witness that he is the Christ, the anointed one of Israel.  When we are baptized into his church we receive his covenant or testament that He has made to Israel dating back to Father Abraham and even Adam.  (see Doctrine & Covenants 84:33-35).  As stated in my earlier blog, the miracle of the loaves foreshadows the miracle of partaking of the ordinance of the sacrament, which he declared is the "new testament" (Matthew 26:28).

Going back to the Gentile woman, he could have healed her daughter, but by teaching her that salvation comes through the house of Israel, he showed her the path by which true healing occurs. He is "the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by [him]" (John 14:6).  Indeed, He is the Holy One of Israel (2 Nephi 9:41).