Matthew 15:21-39

Jesus left Galilee and went to the area of Tyre and Sidon. A woman from Canaan lived near Tyre and Sidon. She came to him and cried out, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on me! A demon controls my daughter. She is suffering terribly.” Jesus did not say a word. So his disciples came to him. They begged him, “Send her away. She keeps crying out after us.” Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep.” Then the woman fell to her knees in front of him. “Lord! Help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their owner’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! You will be given what you are asking for.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Jesus left there. He walked along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Large crowds came to him. They brought blind people and those who could not walk. They also brought disabled people, those who could not speak, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them. The people were amazed. Those who could not speak were speaking. The disabled were made well. Those not able to walk were walking. Those who were blind could see. So the people praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called for his disciples to come to him. He said, “I feel deep concern for these people. They have already been with me three days. They don’t have anything to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. If I do, they will become too weak on their way home.” His disciples answered him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “Where could we get enough bread to feed this large crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks. Then he broke them and gave them to the disciples. And the disciples passed them out to the people. All of them ate and were satisfied. After that, the disciples picked up seven baskets of leftover pieces. The number of men who ate was 4,000. Women and children also ate. After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat. He went to the area near Magadan.