BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Jesus messes with our most normal, acceptable ideas about what it means to belong to God. In today’s reading, a group of religious elites challenges Jesus. They think they’re the authority on who belongs inside and who belongs outside the community of God’s people. When Jesus’ response to their challenge proves unsatisfying in their eyes, they reject Jesus as an “outsider.”

In the very next story, a Canaanite woman approaches Jesus. She is for sure an outsider, given that Canaan was an ancient enemy of Israel. She trusts in his goodness, but Jesus responds with a food metaphor about table scraps for dogs to imply that her request must be inappropriate. What business does an outsider have with “insider” matters?

Undeterred by Jesus’ challenge, the woman presses Jesus for mercy and refuses any rejection. The disciples want the outsider woman gone. The religious elite want the same. But Jesus (who is also God) waits patiently, engages honestly, and allows everyone to see the Canaanite woman’s faith shine through—a faith that means she’s living in the Kingdom already, belonging to God, receiving his mercy and life.

Then, Jesus goes on a healing tour and feeds 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish. Wait a minute … haven’t we heard this story before, but it was 5,000 people? It’s similar, but this account differs in both number and audience. This is a Gentile crowd, or perhaps an outsider crowd, whom Jesus blesses with divine, loving generosity.

Through the Canaanite woman and this crowd, we discover that Jesus is the bread of life not just for Jewish insiders but to all the families or nations on Earth (Gen. 12:2-3).

Watch the video to preview the second half of Matthew and to see how the good news of Jesus belongs to everyone.

Reflection Questions

• Notice all the places where these stories mention food, especially bread. What does Jesus say about bread? Who does he end up giving bread to? Do you notice a theme emerging?
• Meditate on Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity in Matthew 16:16. How have we seen the disciples’ understanding of Jesus grow throughout Matthew? How does this compare to other characters’ understanding?