95. The Healing of the Daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman. Mt. 15:21–28; Mk. 7:24–30

Going out from there, the Lord Jesus withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman, whose daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, came out of that region and cried out to Him: Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples, coming to Him, asked Him: Send her away, for she cries after us. But He said: I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

And going into a house, He did not wish anyone to know it; but He could not be hid. For the woman, coming there also, fell at His feet and bowed before Him and said: Lord! help me! She was a Gentile, a Syrophenician by birth, and she asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

But the Lord Jesus said to her: Let the children first be satisfied; for it is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs. But she said to Him in reply: Yes, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.

Then the Lord said to her in reply: O woman! great is your faith; let it be to you as you desire; for this word go; the demon has gone out of your daughter. And her daughter was healed from that same hour. And she went to her house and found that the demon had gone out, and her daughter was lying on the bed, whole.