Why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog? That sounds so offensive. Today we're going to look at the history of the Canaanites and what that had to do with Jesus's interaction with this Canaanite woman. Not everything is as it seems. Let's dive right in Matthew 15:21. And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. But he did not answer her a word. The fact that she is a Canaanite woman is very significant. And I'm going to take a moment now to explain to you some of the Canaanite history. And because that history is quite ugly, I'm going to be putting out a parental advisory at this point for our younger listeners. In the story of Noah In Genesis 9:22, we read first about Canaan and Ham. The father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father Noah, and told his two brothers. And outside, Noah was so upset by this that the consequence is explained in verse 25, where Noah said, cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers. So what's the big deal that Canaan is to be cursed? What did his father Ham do by seeing the nakedness of his father Noah? Well, this word in the Hebrew can mean a variety of things. It can also mean to have experience with someone, to be near someone, to perceive or to joyfully look upon. We're not entirely sure what exactly happened, but it is likely that there was something sexual in nature that occurred. We also see that when God comes and warns Israel in the Exodus against the Canaanites, this is now the offspring of Canaan, this son that was cursed. One of the first things that God warns Israel against is sexual sins. Leviticus 18:3. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you lived, and you shall not do as I do in the land of Canaan to which I'm bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. Verse 6. None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. Of course, Canaan, the first of this lineage, was known for the fact that he uncovered the nakedness of his father. Canaanite behavior for much of history became famously known as people of idolatry, incest, adultery, homosexuality, bestiality, temple prostitution being normalized. All of these were seen as a common way of drawing near to their pagan gods. They also had child sacrifices which they conducted in order to win the favor of their gods and win battles. They even laid sacrificed children, children at the cornerstones of their homes when they were building it to dedicate their homes for prosperity's sake, the Canaanites treated not only one another, but even their own children with horrific circumstances in ways that we cannot even imagine with clarity today. So when we come to Jesus being confronted by a Canaanite woman, he's not only faced with the obvious cultural taboo to not help this Canaanite woman because she would be considered defiled and unclean, because she does not follow Jewish customs. Culturally, the Gentile nations were considered as lying with prostitutes simply based off the fact that they lacked hand washing. But now we further see on a biblical level, that the Canaanite people were of the worst of the worst regarding sin and were even pronounced cursed in the Bible, in the Book of Genesis. And then now, spiritually speaking, this Canaanite woman's daughter has a demon, an unclean spirit. So we're just like building now this picture. We're seeing that the amount of taboo that is occurring in this interaction is off the charts. If there is anyone who is too dirty, if there is anyone who is too disqualified from the love of Christ, to the disciples of Christ, it is this cursed Canaanite woman. In Matthew 15:23, we read, and his disciples came and begged him, saying, send her away, for she is crying out after us. We see Christ answers the woman and says, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. But she came and knelt before him, saying, lord, help me. And he answered, it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. So at this point, it still looks like this woman is not going to be helped. Jesus describes the house of Israel, that is his people, as the children. And he tells her that he cannot take the bread meant for them and give it to the dogs. Now, this word you used here, dogs, is often lost in translation in our English word Bibles. Culturally, in the first century, Gentiles were called dogs. This was a derogatory term, like an unclean animal. And we also see this echoed in the Scripture, where the Scripture calls sinners dogs, as we see in Philippians 3. 2. Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. And this word here for a dog is the word kooon. This just means a dog, a hound, literally. When Yeshua speaks to the Canaanite woman. He doesn't use the same word, but he uses the Greek word kunarion, a derivative, a similar word to the traditional word used for dog. But this one is the more affectionate form of that word. It is like if we say today a cute puppy or little dog. What we're seeing Yeshua do is he's using a word his disciples are familiar with, but a derivative thereof, using irony to communicate the truth of this whole matter. It's an incredible play of on words to show his disciples that she is not to be despised as Gentile sinners, traditionally called as dogs, but to be received with compassion. And this is what then happens. She says, yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus then answers her, o woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly from the demon. The Canaanite woman responds with great faith and humility. She doesn't demand of Yeshua to give her the bread that was meant for the children of Israel, but that even a crumb of it would be enough to deliver her daughter. And her great humility and faith brings freedom. And in her act, the fruit of her repentance in coming to Yeshua, in this humility is a sign of redemption for all Canaanite people, that they all can too be saved if they come to Yeshua as she has. For of course, this woman will return to her house and town with a healed daughter, rid of every infirmity, as a testimony to them all of the power, the grace and the mercy of God, and how he is calling all of them to himself.