Mark 7:30Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Her placing herself therefore in the rank of dogs is a mark of her reverence; as if she said, I hold it as a favour to be even in the position of a dog, and to eat not from another table, but from that of the Master himself.

The soul of each of us also, when he falls into sin, becomes a woman; and this soul has a daughter who is sick, that is, evil actions; this daughter again has a devil, for evil actions arise from devils. Again, sinners are called dogs, being filled with uncleanness. For which reason we are not worthy to receive the bread of God, or to be made partakers of the immaculate mysteries of God; if however in humility, knowing ourselves to be dogs, we confess our sins, then the daughter, that is, our evil life, shall be healed.

But if He wished to do so and could not, it appears as if His will was impotent; it is not possible however that our Saviour’s will should not be fulfilled, nor can He will a thing, which He knows ought not be. Therefore when a thing has taken place, it may be asserted that He has willed it. But we should observe that this happened amongst the Gentiles, to whom it was not time to preach; nevertheless not to receive them, when they came to the faith of their own accord, would have been to grudge them the faith. So then it came to pass that the Lord was not made known by His disciples; others, however, who had seen Him entering the house, recognised Him, and it began to be known that He was there. His will therefore was that He should not be proclaimed by His own disciples, but that others should come to seek Him, and so it took place.

Mystically however the Gentile woman, who prays for her daughter, is our mother the Church of Rome. Her daughter afflicted with a devil, is the barbarian western race, which by faith hath been turned from a dog into a sheep. She desires to take the crumbs of spiritual understanding, not the unbroken bread of the letter.

Having entered also into the house, He commanded His disciples not to betray who He was to any one in this unknown region, that they, on whom He had bestowed the grace of healing, might learn by His example, as far as they could, to shrink from the glory of human praise in the shewing forth of their miracles; yet they were not to cease from the pious work of virtue, when either the faith of the good justly deserved that miracles should be done, or the unfaithfulness of the wicked might necessarily compel them. For He Himself made known His entry into that place to the Gentile woman, and to whomsoever He would.

Shortly thereafter, the Lord journeyed to the north-west of Galilee, reaching Tyre and Sidon. In this region, amidst the Gentiles, He revealed to His disciples a woman who exemplified true faith, despite belonging to the Canaanites, a group marginalized by God. While the Lord did not actively preach to the Gentile population nor permitted His disciples to do so on their initial mission, He did not hesitate to present to them examples of faith from among the Gentiles, such as the centurion of Capernaum. The Canaanite woman mirrored his faith; she approached the Lord, addressing Him as the Son of David, meaning the Messiah, and pleaded for healing for her daughter, who was tormented by an unclean spirit.

The woman continued to implore the Lord for compassion despite the responses she received. In turn, Jesus said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the bread from the children, referring to the Israelites, and give it to the dogs, signifying the Gentiles.” In this moment, the Lord indicates to her that she is considered impure and not deserving of the healing gift for her daughter. However, these words sparked in the woman a profound humility and faith, leading the Lord to heal her afflicted child.

When she arrived home, she discovered that the demon had departed, and her daughter was resting on the bed. Impressed by the faith and determination of the Canaanite woman, Jesus exclaimed, "O woman! Great is your faith; let it be to you according to your desire" (Matthew 15:28). He reassured her, "Go home, the demon has gone out of your daughter" (Mark 7:29). At that very moment, her daughter was restored (Matthew 15:28). Upon her return, she found the demon no longer present and her daughter peacefully lying on her bed (Mark 7:30). There was no need for Jesus to physically touch the afflicted woman or directly confront the evil spirit tormenting her. His powerful words alone sufficed—“let it be!”—and immediately, a miraculous healing occurred beyond the confines of the physical realm.

Immediately, the powerful command had an impact. When she arrived at her home, she discovered the demon had left, and her daughter was resting on her bed, completely well. This marked the moment when the disciples understood for the first time that even the Gentiles, whom they considered unclean outcasts, were accepted by their divine Lord. In fact, they too were granted a share in the kingdom of the Messiah.