I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel

Previous Chapter: Teachings of Jesus

Why did the Lord tell the Canaanite woman who came looking for him that he was "sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel"? - 21.Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22.And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23.But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24.But He answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25.Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” - மத்தேயு 15:21-25

Then why did the Lord say, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and not otherwise"? In the Bible, the Lord transformed a Gentile named Jacob into an Israelite—the very first person to undergo such a transformation - 24.Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day, 25.Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26.And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27.So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28.And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed - Genesis 32:24-28

This Jacob was a Syrian, about to perish, in other words, he was a Gentile rushing towards hell - And you shall answer and say before the LORD your God: ‘My father was a Syrian, about to perish, and he went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous - Deuteronomy 26:5

Then how did Jacob become an Israelite? Once, in a difficult situation, Jacob was afraid that his brother Esau would destroy his family, He earned the name Israel by wrestling with God. The word "wrestler" makes Jacob look like a wrestler, but what really happened was that Jacob, knowing that only the Lord could save him, cried and prayed to the Lord all night. It was that faith that turned him into an Israelite - 3.He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. 4.Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us. 5.That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name - Hosea 12:3-5

This is precisely what the Canaanite woman demonstrated to us: she sought the Lord with persistence, wept, obtained the blessing she needed, and ultimately became a child of the house of Israel [a child of God] - 26.But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27.And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28.Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. 29.Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down - Matthew 15:26-29

Thus, the Lord transformed the Canaanite woman, who was a lost sheep, into the house of Israel, which is why the Lord said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" - 6.It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7.Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 8.In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring - Romans 9:6-8

Sat down

When talking about a father working for his daughter's wedding, it was customary to say, "The bride's father sat down only after the wedding was successfully completed." Similarly, here the Bible says of the Lord, who transformed the Canaanite woman into a child of heaven, "Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee, then he went up on a mountainside and sat down".

Great is your faith

Our God, Jesus Christ, is the Almighty God who created everything, the countless stars, the sun, the moon, the islands of the earth, and the high mountains, all of which are as small as the dust of His feet. He never said anything was "great." Such a God, seeing the faith of the Canaanite woman, said, "Great is your faith."

He could not be hidden

The way the Bible teaches the importance of faith is truly remarkable; for instance, on one occasion during the Passover festival, a vast crowd had gathered, and Jesus was present among them. Yet, not a single person there believed that Jesus was the Lord, nor did they feel any need for the Lord. Unwilling to remain amidst a crowd that did not believe in Him, Jesus vanished from their sight in an instant - 35.Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36.While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. 37.But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him - John 12:35-37

But at the same time, a woman's faith made it impossible for the Almighty God—the Creator of all things—to remain hidden - 24.From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25.For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26.The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27.But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28.And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 29.Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30.And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. 31.Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee - Mark 7:24-31


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