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Explanation for:
Matthew
15
:
25
But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Canaanite woman exemplifies the remarkable faith, perseverance, and humility of the Church: her faith signifies her belief in the possibility of her daughter's healing; her perseverance is demonstrated by her continual prayers despite facing rejection numerous times; and her humility is evident as she does not consider herself comparable to dogs, but rather to little puppies. The term \\"dogs\\" is used to refer to Gentiles as a result of their idol worship, which leads them into chaos and violence. It is important to observe that the Canaanite woman consistently addresses Him first as the Son of David, then as Lord, and ultimately kneels before Him in reverence, recognizing Him as God."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Oh, wife! Do you possess greater boldness and courage than the apostles? No, she replied; I lack both boldness and courage; in fact, I feel ashamed, yet I employ boldness in place of supplication. Perhaps He will regard my boldness. But what does it mean? Have you not heard Him say, “I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”? I have heard, she said; however, He is the Lord. Thus, she did not say, “Ask and pray,” but rather, “Help me.” And what of Christ? He was not content with that; instead, He deepened her confusion by stating, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”\\n\\nIndeed, after this, the disciples ceased to pray to Him for his wife; yet she did not succumb to despair; rather, she became even more fervent in her prayers. Such is the nature of a grieving spirit and one who approaches with passionate zeal: she disregards what is said and focuses solely on how to attain her goal. This is precisely what this wife exemplified. Upon hearing the Savior’s words, she again knelt before Him, as the Scripture recounts, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord.” Aware of the Lord's goodness, she exhibited such tenacity. She did not lose hope, nor did her zeal wane upon observing that the disciples had not done more on her behalf than she herself; nor did she think, “If they could not beseech Him for me, why should I make futile efforts?” Instead, driven as if by fire, with a soul burning and a heart aching, she approached, bowing down and saying, “Lord, help me.”"},{"author-name":"Epiphanius of Pavia","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":6,"exegesis-text":"In front of the Jews who turned away from Him, a woman of Gentile origin pleads with Him to heal her daughter. The Lord initially offers no reply. Yet she humbles herself before Him, asking, “Lord, help me.” He responds by saying, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” What could the Jews say to this? He was clearly implying that they are the children, while the Gentiles are likened to dogs. The woman acknowledges this, saying, “Yes, Lord. I understand, Lord, that the Gentiles are like dogs since they worship idols and blaspheme God. Yet the dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.” In essence, she recognized that He came to the Jews and revealed Himself to them; however, they did not accept Him. What they have rejected, we seek, for we ask. Recognizing her unwavering faith, the Lord proclaimed, “O woman, great is thy faith; let it be done unto thee according to thy desire” (Matthew 15:28). Thus, faith bestows what actions cannot merit, and through faith, the Gentiles were transformed from dogs into children. As the Lord communicated through the prophet: “and where they said to them, ‘Ye are not my people,’ they shall say to them, ‘Ye are the sons of the living God’” (Hosea 1:10). Conversely, the Jews who do not accept Him are diminished from sons to wretched dogs, as the Lord himself indicated through the prophet during His passion: “For dogs have surrounded Me; a company of evildoers has enclosed Me” (Psalm 21:17)."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Seeing that her advocates, the apostles, had failed in their efforts, the woman approached once more with passion and addressed Jesus as Lord."},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"Although the apostolic appeal did not yield results, her unwavering faith led her to become less despondent and more resolute, allowing her to draw nearer to Jesus Christ. As she made her way forward, initially hesitant to approach Him directly, she eventually fell at His feet and pleaded, saying, “Lord, help me!” Instead of asking Him to pray on her behalf or to intercede with God, she implored Him directly for assistance. This demonstrates her belief in Jesus as the one true and omnipotent God."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"She hesitated to approach the Lord, for it is said, ‘She cries out after us’; yet now she draws closer. She came and knelt before Him, falling at His feet, and cried out: ‘LORD! HELP ME.’ St. Chrysostom marvels, ‘Do you possess greater boldness, greater courage than the Apostles?’ ‘No,’ she replies, ‘I lack both boldness and courage – I am ashamed, but I employ boldness in place of pleading. Perhaps He will regard my forthrightness…’ Yet have you not heard Him declare: ‘I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?’ ‘I have heard,’ she responds, ‘yet He is the Lord. Thus, she did not say: ‘Ask and pray,’ but rather, “Help me!”’ And the Lord perceived her heart, recognized that she would withstand a greater trial, rejoiced in spirit that He could demonstrate to His disciples through her instance the essence of true faith. Then behold, He breaks His silence and addresses her, but His response proves to be more unfortunate than the silence itself."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"It is inappropriate to take the children's bread,\\" etc.: The Jews were recognized as the offspring of God (Rom. 9:4), having been selected from among all nations and adopted as His own. Acknowledging their status as God's children, the Jews often looked down on the Gentiles, using derogatory terms like dogs and unclean creatures, similar to the way some Muslims regard Christians today. The woman in question was a Gentile, and the Lord, reflecting the Jewish perspective, indicated that it was not appropriate to take the blessings meant for the Jews and offer them to the Gentiles, just as it would be wrong to give the children’s bread to the dogs. However, His intention was not to endorse the Jewish disdain for Gentiles, nor to affirm their negative viewpoint; rather, He perceived the Gentiles as potentially more worthy and capable of embracing His kingdom than the Jews (Matthew 21:43, etc.). Through these words, He aimed to test and unveil the depth of the woman's faith."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As the Canaanite woman gradually made her way to Jesus, she ultimately reached Him and, as recorded by Mark, fell at His feet and implored Him to expel the demon from her daughter (Mark 7:25, 26). She humbly bowed before Him and pleaded, \\"Lord, help me.\\" In response, Jesus tested her faith by remaining silent for a time, then addressed her heartfelt request: \\"It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.\\" By making this statement, He reaffirmed that the gospel was to be shared initially with the Jews—the true children of God—and that His mission among them was not yet complete. He indicated to the Canaanite woman, “Let the children be fed first” (Mk 7:27), implying that He needed to fulfill His purpose among those to whom His arrival had been foretold. His teaching emphasized that while all people are equal before God, and regardless of their heritage or ethnicity, they can approach Him and, by adhering to His divine will, gain entry into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said this to not only challenge the faith of the Gentiles but also to illustrate to His Apostles the strength of that faith."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Savior did not respond to her request right away; however, knowing the depth and strength of this Canaanite woman's faith, He sought to make it more apparent to His disciples through a test. Initially, He offered no reply to her appeal. Undeterred, the Canaanite woman continued to persist. Frustrated by her continual pleas, the disciples urged Him to dismiss her. The Master replied, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' and then, addressing the grieving woman, added with a tone of indifference, 'It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Motivated by her faith, the woman courageously stepped into the dwelling where the Lord was resting, approached Him, knelt at His feet, and with the anguished tone of a distressed mother implored Him, \\"Lord, help me.\\""}]}
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