Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 15:21-28

"And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children`s bread and cast it to the dogs. But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters` table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour." — Matthew 15:21-28 (ASV)

Above, the sufficiency of His teaching was shown, because it did not require the observance of the Law. Here He shows that it is not restricted to one nation, but it also suffices for the salvation of the Gentiles. Now three effects of His teaching upon the Gentiles are shown:

1. An effect is shown in His delivering from the power of the devil;
2. An effect is shown in His delivering from the infirmities of sins;
3. An effect is shown in the spiritual refreshment.

The second effect is where it is said, And when Jesus had departed from there, He came near the Sea of Galilee; and the third is where it is said, And Jesus called together His disciples, and said.

His delivering from the power of the devils is shown in that He delivered a woman possessed by the devil. In this account:

1. The place is described;
2. The woman’s request is described;
3. The granting of her request is described.

The second part of this account is where it is said, And behold a woman of Canaan, etc. The third part is where it is said, Then Jesus answering, said to her, etc.

He says, therefore, And when He had gone out, He came into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon are cities of the Gentiles. Because He was being rejected by the Jews, He therefore withdrew to the Gentiles, according to what is written: To you it was fitting for us first to speak the word of God: but because you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold we turn to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).

And first, the Lord shows that the conversion of the observers of the Law is preeminent; second, He shows the turning to the Gentiles. This turning was signified in Acts 10, where it is said that when Peter was near Cornelius, he saw a linen sheet, etc., and it was said to him: What God cleanses, do not you call unclean, etc.

Then the text says, And behold a woman. Here the woman’s request is related. Concerning her petition, three things are denoted, and these are necessary to obtain one’s petition:

1. Her piety.
2. Her faith (this is shown where it is said, But she came and adored Him).
3. Her humility (this is shown where it is said, But she said: Yes, Lord).

The narrative then details the interaction. First, the initial encounter is related, which includes:

• The woman’s piety.
• Christ’s silence, where it is said, Who answered her not a word.

Second, the disciples’ help is related, where it is said, And His disciples came and implored Him.

He says, therefore, And behold a Canaanite woman.

We can take note of six things:

1. The conversion of the one asking. Before prayer prepare your soul: and be not as a man that tempts God . For a man prepares his soul when he cleanses himself from his vices: When you multiply prayer, I will not hear: for your hands are full of blood . And this is designated by this name, Canaanite, which means ‘changed’: This is the change of the right hand of the Most High (Psalms 76:11). Likewise, a man who is converted ought not only to avoid sin, but also the occasion of sin: Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent .
2. Her devotion ought to be observed, because she was crying out. A cry indicates a great affection: I cried to the Lord: and He heard me (Psalms 119:1).
3. Her piety is observed, because she considered the misery of another to be her own; hence, she says, Have mercy on me. This is great compassion: I wept previously for him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor (Job 30:25). Similarly, her humility is mentioned, because she asked out of confidence in God’s mercy: Who keeps the covenant, and mercy to them that love You, and keep Your commandments (Job 9:4).
4. Her faith is mentioned, which is necessary for a petition: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (James 1:6). Moreover, she confesses His divine nature, in that she says, Lord; Know you that the Lord He is God (Psalms 99:3). Likewise, she confesses His human nature in that she says, You son of David, who was of the seed of David: Who was made to Him of the seed of David, according to the flesh (Romans 1:3).
5. Again, the telling of her need is mentioned: My daughter is grievously, that is greatly, troubled by a devil. And she can be a type of the whole church of the Gentiles, or a type representing anyone’s conscience, which is troubled by the devil: And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured (Luke 6:18).
6. And she says, Grievously, in which she associates a sin with the sickness: I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, and I know my iniquity; take me not away together with my iniquities (Psalms 25:9 and Psalm 50:5-6; 2 Kings 12:13).

Afterwards, Christ’s silence is related: Who answered her not a word. But this seems surprising that the font of mercy was silent. Three reasons are assigned for this.

The first is that it was so that He would not seem to go against what He had said above, Go not into the way of the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5). For that reason, He did not wish to give her a favorable hearing right away; yet, nonetheless, because she was insistent, He granted what she asked. For that reason, it is to be understood that on account of the insistence of the petition, what was above the Law was obtained. For it was part of the Law that only the Jews might be saved; but she, by her insistence, obtained what was above the Law.

The second reason for His silence is that it was so that her devotion might grow more: How long, O Lord, shall I cry, and You will not hear? Shall I cry out to You suffering violence, and You will not save? Why have You shown me iniquity and grievance, to see plunder and injustice before me? (Habakkuk 1:2–3).

The third reason is that it was so He might give an opportunity to His disciples, so that they might themselves intercede for her, because no matter how good someone is, he still needs the prayers of others.

The intercession of the disciples immediately follows. First, their request is related; and second, Christ’s reply is related. He says, therefore, And His disciples came and implored Him.

Why did they come near Him? One reason is that they did not know why He was delaying so much. The second is that they were moved with compassion and likewise could not endure the woman’s persistence: If he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needs (Luke 11:8).

The disciples, however, do not say, ‘Heal her,’ but Send her away; meaning, ‘Tell her that You will have nothing to do with her.’ This is a manner of speech, because when we intend one thing, we say another.

But it is objected that in Mark 7 it is said that she entered the house and asked there. Why then is it said here, For she cries after us? Augustine says that without a doubt she first was in the house, and there she said, Have mercy on me, and then Jesus left the house and she followed Him.

Then Christ’s response follows: And He answering, etc. The woman seemed to show enough piety, but this seemed to be natural, and so the Lord demanded a profession of faith. For that reason, He rebuffed her and said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.

The Hebrews were the chosen people; hence, they were saying, We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand (Psalms 94:7). And those sheep perished because they were led astray by various observances; hence, Seeing the multitudes, He had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd (Matthew 9:36); and I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost (Psalms 118:176).

But what does it mean when He says, I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel? Is it not written: I have given you to be the light of the Gentiles, that you may be My salvation even to the farthest part of the earth (Isaiah 49:6)? Therefore, He was sent not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles.

It should be said that He was sent to all people, but He was sent first to the Jews, so that He might bring the Jews to the Gentiles: For I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers (Romans 15:8).

But she came and adored Him; hence, she intrudes herself. First, this woman’s profession of faith is related; and second, His response is related.

Her profession of faith is related in that she recognized that He is God, because she adored Him. For even though she might have been driven back by the Apostles, nevertheless, she intruded herself and adored Him. In doing this she recognized that He is God: The Lord your God you shall adore, and Him only shall you serve (Deuteronomy 6:13); Let all the earth adore You, etc. (Psalms 65:4).

Then Christ, answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children and to cast it to the dogs. This is added to prove her humility, because she already was standing firm enough in the faith, showing the superiority of the Jews to the Gentiles. For then her humility is proved when her nation is reproached; hence, He says, It is not good, etc.

The Jews are called the children; hence, it is written: I have brought up children, and exalted them: but they have despised Me (Isaiah 1:2). They are called the children because they were instructed in the commandments of God (John 10). The bread is doctrine: With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him .

This bread can be said to be the Lord’s miracles or the teachings of the Law. Therefore, this bread was due to the faithful, namely, to the Jews. It is not good to take the bread of the children (that is to say, of the Jews, who were still the children) and to cast it to the dogs (namely, to the Gentiles). Hence, it is said above: Give not that which is holy to dogs (Matthew 7:6).

Hence, they had not yet completely rejected Him. But, as Jerome says, it is fitting that the Jews be called dogs, according to that passage: Many dogs have encompassed me (Psalms 21:17). And: Now we, brethren, are the children (Galatians 4:28).

But she said: Yes, Lord. Here the woman’s marvelous humility and wisdom are mentioned. He seemed to despise her nation, but it is a mark of her humility that she overlooks the insult that was spoken. Hence, she says, Yes, Lord.

Likewise, greater humility is shown, because the Lord had said dogs, but this woman said whelps; hence, she says, the whelps also eat of the crumbs. Similarly, the Lord had called the Jews children, but she calls them masters; hence, she says, That fall from the table of their masters.

And she knew how to humbly compel the Lord in this way. It is as though she were to say, ‘I do not ask, Lord, that You confer so many benefits upon us as You did confer upon the Jews, but only that You give to us some of the crumbs.’ The prayer of him that humbles himself shall pierce the clouds . And, He has had regard to the prayer of the humble (Psalms 101:18).

For that reason, the Lord granted her request: Then Jesus answering, said to her, etc. And He does three things:

1. Her praise is related.
2. The granting of her request is related.
3. The effect is related.

When she abases herself, He says, Great is your faith. Her faith is great because she believes great things. Likewise, it is great because of its steadfastness: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (James 1:6). Moreover, it was great on account of its fervor. Hence: If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from here to there, and it shall remove (Matthew 17:19).

Wherefore the granting of her request follows: Be it done to you as you will; He will do the will of them that fear Him (Psalms 144:19). The effect follows: And her daughter was cured from that hour.

Hence, just as at the beginning of time He said, Be light made. And light was made (Genesis 1:3), so He says here, Be it done to you. For that word is the eternal Word: His word is full of power .