"Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
This text demonstrates how Jesus extended His saving grace to the Gentiles.
Jesus told the canaanite woman, in essence, that He was only sent to save the Jews, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He also said, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." (Referring to the Gentiles) However when the woman made the point that there were many among the Gentiles who also believed in Him, ("Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."), Jesus said, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
Even though the woman was a hated Gentile and considered by the Jews to be unclean, because she openly expressed her faith in Jesus as the Son of God, He had compassion on her and granted her prayer.
Jesus is a savior to all who will call on Him. Acts 2:20-21, "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
No matter who you are, or what you have been, if you call on Jesus and place your faith in Him, and not yourself, you will have a place with Him in heaven.~
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