The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, 16 August 2026
A Sermon on Matthew 15:21-28 by Samuel David Zumwalt

Matthew 15:21-28 Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

HOLY WORSHIP: LOVE THE CHILDREN

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

She Was Desperate

This Canaanite woman, from one of the seven traditional tribal enemies of Israel, came to Jesus, a Jew, because she was desperate. Mothers, regardless of your age or the age of your children, you understand this woman’s desperation. In nature, there is absolutely no more dangerous a place to be than to be between a mother and her child or children. Men are intended to be protectors, yes, and we need men impervious to the overeducated and nonsensical accusations of toxic masculinity. Real men don’t physically, mentally, or emotionally threaten women. My father taught me that when I was a little boy. But I have also learned that women are by far the most dangerous members of our species when it comes to their child or children. So, this Canaanite woman was desperate for her girl.

Her daughter was demon-possessed. The woman knew it. Now, in the centuries since the Enlightenment, which can be briefly summarized with the bumper sticker: “Man is the measure of all things,” it became popular to explain everything through reason. Anything that smacked of being supernatural had to be explained away. In the mid-20th century, the German Bible scholar Rudolf Bultmann spoke of “demythologizing” things like demon possession. It must have a natural explanation like mental illness or epilepsy. So, a German Lutheran could give thanks for the vocations of the psychiatrist and pharmacist who could address these symptoms charmingly described as demon possession and, thus, do God’s healing work through therapy and pharmaceuticals. In the last third of the 20th century, Christian psychiatrist Scott Peck wrote two books that took the devil and demon possession seriously as something quite different than schizophrenia and beyond medical treatment, but his work seemed embarrassing to many of his professional colleagues.

This mother was desperate. She knew her daughter. She knew that her daughter was in the throes of evil. The child was possessed. We don’t have to explain it or give it a more manageable description that keeps us feeling safely sequestered from an evil we cannot grasp rationally. On the other hand, popular culture will pay to see an engaging horror story with vampires or the walking dead. And yet the real monsters in our midst often appear quite charming or even nondescript. We can see the devil’s footprints all over this world in the history of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Communist China, and radical Islam. Closer to home, the stories of serial killers, human traffickers, drug cartels, pedophiles, and the abortion industry and its political enablers all bear the mark of the devil’s own intent to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). So, however rationalists may want to expunge the very idea of demon possession from the realm of what is possible, the prima facie evidence of the demonic is visible.

It is enough to say that the Canaanite woman was desperate. Her daughter was demon possessed, and somehow she knew that Jesus was the only One who could help her girl.

She Wouldn’t Go Away

This desperate woman from one of the historic seven tribal enemies of Israel came to Jesus addressing Him in an eye-opening way. She called Him, “Son of David,” which meant she addressed Him as the long-expected Messiah, the anointed king from David’s family. Most of His fellow Jews did not address Jesus as “Son of David.” Later, the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate, would ask Him if He were a king. Lepers, including a hated Samaritan, cried out to Jesus as “Lord” or “Master,” but they did not call Him “Son of David.” Blind men called Him, “Son of David,” but few rarely called Him by that title. In next week’s gospel reading, Peter will testify that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed king.

Yet, even when this desperate Canaanite woman addressed Him in such an amazing way, Jesus said nothing. Now, His disciples said plenty. “Send her away, Lord. She’s a bother, Lord. You have better things to do than waste your time on this Canaanite woman, Lord.” And, then, Jesus seemed inclined to send her way when He said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But this desperate mother would not go away. She worshiped Jesus. The Greek word here is προσκυνέω (proskuneo), which is derived from pros (against) and kuón (dog), the sense is like a dog licking the hand of its owner. When my wife says to our dog, Katie, “Kisses,” Katie licks her hand. In Matthew 2, when the Magi bring gifts to the infant King Jesus, they worship Him, kneeling and bowing their foreheads to the ground. In Matthew 28, when the disciples go to Galilee to see the Risen Lord Jesus, they worship Him, and, then, Matthew says, “Some doubted.”

This desperate mother from among the ancient enemies of Israel got down on her knees, bowed her forehead to the ground, like a dog licking the hand of its owner. She begged, “Lord, help me.” She didn’t get angry, prideful, or offended by King Jesus, a Jew who didn’t look much like a king in his ordinary robes and dusty feet. She was a mother, who would do anything for her demon-possessed daughter. She got down on the ground and begged. If you have ever been desperate, women or men, girls or boys, you will discover you have knees. You may even fall down on the floor and beg. I have been there and done that in desperation. This Mama knew Jesus was the One who could help her. How did she know? Who told her about Jesus? We don’t know. What we do know is she wouldn’t go away. She was different. She worshiped. She knelt down, her head to the ground, and pleaded, “Lord, help me.” Have you been there? Have you loved someone so much that you aren’t thinking about yourself or trying to manipulate God or someone else to get your way. Do you know that only Jesus can help when it comes to the old evil foe?

Jesus Gave Her What She Needed

Now, let’s be clear. The Canaanite woman is not a feminist hero. She is not “the woman who changed Jesus’ mind” and other such drivel that poor congregations have been subjected to by idiots in clerical collars. No, the Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly human, came to suffer and die for everyone and not just for the lost sheep of Israel. John says in chapter 1, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (1:11). The Son of David came first to His mother’s people, His own flesh and blood, but the Lord Jesus did not suffer and die only for a few or only for the elect. Jesus loves the children … all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world!

So, this desperate mother did not change His mind. He said to this woman who acted like a little dog kissing its owner’s hand, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” This desperate mother with the demon-possessed daughter would not go away, because she knew, she trusted, she was sure that Jesus would give her what she needed. And He did: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

I don’t know why you are here today or what is going on inside your head or your heart. Some of us are really good hiding our feelings from others. Sometimes we do it, because we don’t want to be gossiped about, and, frankly, every one of us has enough to confess that it’s none of our perditious business what’s going on with anyone else. Don’t ask. If somebody wants to tell you, they will. Otherwise, don’t ask and don’t gossip. If someone is crying in church, please pray for them, but don’t ask, “Are you OK?” Obviously, not.

In comparison with how the Canaanite woman worshiped Jesus, it seems very strange to me that what many Christians call holy worship is mostly about themselves, the music, and the vibe they like and how they like to feel. To worship is proskuneo, humbly coming to Jesus and through Him to His Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Christian worship, the Triune God serves us in the same way the Lord Jesus served the Canaanite woman. He gives us what we need: His gifts of forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation through His Word and His Sacraments. What does Acts 2:42 say? “They continued in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers.” The apostles’ teaching is what Scripture says they learned from Jesus. The apostles’ fellowship is that we continue to be one with them in the faith once delivered to the saints. The breaking of the bread is the Lord’s Supper. The prayers are the ordered way of worshipping passed down from the Temple to Christ’s Church.

If you are desperate today, like the Canaanite woman, Jesus is here to give you what you need: the forgiveness of your sins, the promise of eternal life, and deliverance from the devil, his works, and his ways. If you aren’t baptized with water into Jesus’ death and resurrection, talk with me. Let’s begin preparing you to become God’s precious child. If you are baptized, listen to Jesus when He promises: “This is my Body. This is my Blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.” I don’t care what others have told you about the Lord’s Supper saying it’s just a symbol or just a representation or just a spiritual encounter. That’s not Jesus. When you come to His table today, listen to Jesus and to what He really promises. Open your empty hands or your hungry mouth to receive Jesus’ true Body and most precious Blood. He will be there whether you believe or not. If you don’t believe Him, God help you. If you do believe Him, God will help you!

So, back to the beginning. She was desperate for her demon-possessed daughter. She wouldn’t go away, because she was certain Jesus was the only One who could help her. She worshiped Him, and Jesus gave her what she needed. You can trust Him especially when you have figured out as that mother did that there is nowhere else to go. Jesus is truly God and truly human. He has conquered sin, death, and the devil. He is risen from the dead, ascended to the Father, and He is Lord. He will come again, and those who are His own will be raised in imperishable bodies to live with Him in the new creation. Trust Him with everything and everyone. Don’t keep going to strangers who cannot help you.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©Samuel David Zumwalt
szumwalt54@gmail.com
St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (AALC)
Wilmington, North Carolina USA

Bulletin insert

Holy Worship: Love the Children

Praying

“O God, You declare Your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of Your grace, that we, running to obtain Your promises, may become partakers of Your heavenly treasure; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen” (Sacred Hours: The Lutheran Daily Office, 115).

Listening

Matthew 15:22 “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David…”

St. Hilary of Poitiers (4th century Bishop of Poitiers, “the Athanasius of the West”): “Intermingled with the Jews, therefore, these people came from the Gentiles. And since a portion of those among the crowds who believed were proselytes, this Canaanite woman most likely had left her territory, preferring the status of a proselyte – that is, coming out from the Gentiles to the neighboring people” (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Matthew 14-28, 27-28).

Matthew 15:22 “…my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”

St. Hilary of Poitiers: “She was appealing on behalf of her daughter, who was a type for all the Gentile people. And since she knew the Lord from the law, she addressed him as Son of David…This woman, who professed Christ as both Lord and Son of David, did not need any healing. Rather, she was begging for help for her daughter – that is, the Gentile people in the grips of unclean spirits” (28).

Matthew 15:26 “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Epiphanius the Latin (late 5th – early 6th century bishop): “Then, in the face of the Jews who were rejecting him, this Gentile woman asked him to heal her daughter. But the Lord turned a deaf ear to her. She fell down at his feet and adored him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’…Plainly he implied that they [the Jews] were children and called the Gentiles ‘dogs.’ The woman agreed, saying… ‘Yes, Lord’” (29).

Matthew 15:28 “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”

Epiphanius the Latin (possibly Bishop of Benevento or Seville): “What they rejected give to us who are asking for it. Knowing the importunate faith of this woman, our Lord said, ‘O woman, your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.’ Faith accepts what work does not merit, and through faith the Gentiles were made children out of dogs. As the Lord spoke through the prophet: ‘In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people’ it shall be said to them, ‘Sons of the living God.’” (29).

Reflecting

1. Do I come before the Lord in prayer with the sense that I am owed whatever I demand?

2. Do I understand that only Jesus can cast out the demons oppressing me and my dear ones? That my only proper posture before the Lord is one of begging and pleading?

Learning

Table of Duties (from Martin Luther’s Small Catechism)

Certain passages of scripture for various holy orders and positions, admonishing them about their duties and responsibilities

To Youth

Young men [and women], in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:5-6

To Widows

The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and
day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while
she lives. 1 Tim. 5:5-6

To Everyone

The commandments are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Rom. 3:9

I urge that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. 1 Tim. 2:1

Let each his lesson learn with care, and all the household well shall fare.

Doing

1. Pray for every unbaptized child, youth, and adult you know and for the child’s parents, too.

2. Pray for your unchurched loved ones and friends. Invite one or more of them to worship.

3. Discuss with your spouse, your family, or a friend the difficulty of, living your calling as child of God especially when you are dealing with difficult people in daily life and a culture hostile to God. How might you and those you love (especially children and youth) find greater support for life’s challenges in both regular worship and in spiritual friendships at church this week?

For Husbands and Wives

Repeat daily: “I (name) take you (name) to be my wedded wife (husband), to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish until death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance, and thereto I pledge you my faith.”