Thank you everyone, I think I am starting to understand what it is you believe.
Matthew 18 -
Thank you Seattlegal, I shall have a smile on my face all day now.
Please could you tell me the meaning of this verse:
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Why would Jesus (pbuh) say this in response to a womans request for help?
Who are the lost sheep of the house of Israel?
First of all, keep in mind that this woman's daughter was said to have been
possessed by demons in verse 21. Next, if you look at the previous verses in
Matt 15, you will see a fine example of some 'sheep of Israel' who had strayed:
1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘ These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
The Pharasees had made the commandment of God of no effect through their traditions, and it seemed that through the badness within their hearts, they proceeded to defile themselves by what came out of their mouths. (Sounds kinda similar to being
demon possessed, huh?) Certainly "not planted by Jesus's Heavenly Father,' and 'needing to be uprooted.'
Jesus was telling her about one of his main concerns of corruption within the hearts of the religious leaders of the Jews,
{being the 'blind leaders of the blind."} However, he
did also show compassion upon the woman in her humility, and her daughter was healed.
verse 28
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.
