New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 15:28

Clean and Unclean

“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Matthew 15:28 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 15:28, in plain English

Jesus is moved by her faith and says, 'Woman, your faith is great!' Her daughter was healed instantly. Persistence and humility unlocked the miracle.

Why it's here

Your background, your history, your failures don't disqualify you from God's grace. What moves His heart is genuine faith, however imperfect.

Who's speaking

Jesus praises the woman's faith and heals her daughter.

Where it sits in the story

The woman who seemed least likely to receive gets the highest praise Jesus gives anyone in this Gospel. Faith, not pedigree, is what moves God's heart.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Jesus' exclamation ō gynai megalē sou hē pistis ('O woman, great is your faith!') is the highest commendation of faith in Matthew's Gospel. The immediate healing (iathē hē thygatēr autēs apo tēs hōras ekeinēs) confirms the connection between faith and divine action.

Language and setting

Only two individuals in Matthew receive the commendation 'great faith,' and both are Gentiles: this woman and the centurion (8:10). This pattern subverts Jewish expectations about who possesses true faith.

Voice

Jesus responds with praise and grants her request.

Significance

The apparent rejection gives way to the highest praise. The outsider's faith surpasses that of insiders. Her daughter is healed at that very hour.

In context

Matthew 15:26–30

26But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

29Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.

30Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.

Read all of Matthew 15 — Jesus dismantles the purity codes the Pharisees have built and shows that what defiles a person comes from within, not without.

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