{"id":4018,"date":"2019-12-15T14:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T17:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bencaodiaria.club\/?p=4018"},"modified":"2026-01-05T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T18:00:00","slug":"evangelho-do-dia-19-08","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bencaodiaria.club\/en\/evangelho-do-dia-19-08\/","title":{"rendered":"Gospel of the Day \u2013 Matthew 15:21-28"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAnd Jesus departed from there and went to the parts of Tire and Sidon.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And behold, a Canaanite woman, who had come out of those neighborhoods, cried out, saying, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me, for my daughter is miserably demon-possessed.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

But he didn't answer him a word. And his disciples came to him, and besought him, saying, Send her away, who is shouting after us.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And he answering said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Then she came and worshiped him, saying: Lord, help me!
\nBut he answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

And she said: Yes, Lord, but also the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Then Jesus answered and said to her: O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done to you as you wish. And from that hour his daughter was made whole<\/span><\/strong>\u201c<\/span><\/strong><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Matthew 15:21-28<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Importance of the Gospel of the Day<\/h2>\n

As Christians, we place a high value on God\u2019s Word. It is through belief in the Word of God that we are saved (Rm 10:17). The Word of God then becomes our guide for life in all circumstances, whether in employment, in social life or even in the family circle. Our aspiration should be to live by the Word of God.<\/p>\n

Matthew 15:21-28 is one of the strongest, most provocative, and emotionally intense texts in the entire Gospel. It is the encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite woman (or Syro-Phoenician, in Mark 7), and the narrative seems, at first glance, uncomfortable: Jesus appears to ignore her, then responds harshly, and she persists with a humility and faith that ultimately elicit from Jesus one of the most beautiful phrases in the New Testament: \u201c"Woman, great is your faith!"\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

But behind this scene lies a profound theological construction: Matthew is showing that the Kingdom of God, although it comes through Israel, is not limited to Israel\u2014and that true faith often appears where no one expected it, breaking down cultural, religious, and racial barriers.<\/p>\n

Let's walk slowly through this area, because it has a lot of richness to offer.<\/p>\n

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1) The setting: Jesus leaves Jewish territory<\/h2>\n
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\u201c"Leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon." (Matthew 15:21)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Tyre and Sidon were located in the region of Phoenicia, Gentile (non-Jewish) territory. This is already relevant. Jesus, up to this point in Matthew, has a ministry largely centered on Israel, although there are already signs that Gentiles would be included (such as the centurion in Matthew 8).<\/p>\n

So why is Jesus going there?<\/p>\n

The immediate context helps: in Matthew 15, Jesus had just confronted the Pharisees and scribes about tradition and purity (15:1-20). He taught that true impurity is not what enters the mouth, but what comes out of the heart. This was a shock to traditional Judaism, which upheld rules of ritual purity.<\/p>\n

Now, almost as a practical demonstration of what He has just taught, Jesus goes to an area considered "unclean" by many Jews. It's as if He were showing: \u201c"Purity is not geography, nor ethnicity, nor a label."\u201d<\/strong> The Kingdom is advancing beyond its borders.<\/p>\n

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2) The unexpected character: a Canaanite woman<\/h2>\n
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\u201cAnd behold, a Canaanite woman from that region cried out, \u2018Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!\u2019\u201d (Matthew 15:22)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mateus makes a point of saying that she is Cananeia<\/strong>. This is not a neutral detail.<\/p>\n

Canaanites were ancient peoples of the land of Canaan\u2014historically enemies of Israel in the Old Testament. The term "Canaanite" evokes centuries of conflict and hostility. It's not just "foreign." It's someone burdened with historical weight, in the eyes of a Jew.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, she is a woman \u2014 and in many ancient cultures, women had little public voice. And she is approaching a Jewish rabbi, shouting loudly, breaking social protocols.<\/p>\n

But look how she addresses Jesus: \u201c"Lord, Son of David"\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This is very significant.<\/p>\n