Matthew 15:1-28 – Polar Opposites: Pharisee & Phoeniecian

Matthew 15 begins with an encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus then took His disciples into Phoenicia where a woman from there, learning He was in the neighborhood, came to Him with a request. These two encounters are polar opposites in virtually every way. Each of them provided a “learning experience” for Jesus’ disciples, but in dramatically different ways.

The Pharisees came with an accusation, specifically against Jesus’ disciples but implicitly against Jesus as their Rabbi. The Phoenician woman came asking for help for her daughter whom a demon “possessed.” The Pharisees came seeking to uphold the traditions of “the elders.” The woman came seeking grace from God.