And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same regions, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon.
All Commentaries on Matthew 15:22 Go To Matthew 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Mark says that Jesus was not able to escape notice after he had come into the house. But why did he go away to these parts of the region at all? When he released them from the observance of food laws, then he finally also opened a door to the Gentiles as he proceeded on the road. This anticipates the similar act of Peter, who first received a command to put an end to this law and then was sent to Cornelius. But if anyone should say, “Why then does he allow this woman to approach him when he says to the disciples, ‘Do not go in the way of the Gentiles’?” We first note that he himself, being who he is, was not, strictly speaking, required to obey the command that he gave to the disciples. We observe, second, that Jesus was not going there to preach. This is the very point that Mark implies when he says both that Jesus hid himself and that he could not escape notice. The fact that he did not run to them first was consistent with the order of the tasks set before him. In exactly the same way, driving away people who were coming to him was unworthy of his love for humanity. For if one should pursue those who are trying to escape, much more should one not try to escape those who are pursuing. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
