Matthew 15 v 21 /28

Jesus has completed a very hectic ministry in the region of Galilee in the area of Capernaum. He knew He was nearing the end of His earthly ministry, and wanted to rest and teach His Apostles for the future work they would have to do. Jesus has left the area of Galilee completely, and withdrawn into the area of Tyre and Sidon, two places on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now Lebanon. Tyre is about fifty miles south of modern Beirut, and Sidon was halfway between the two. He had gone there for peace and quiet whilst He taught His Apostles.

The cities were outside the boundaries of Israel, and the people were largely Gentiles, but there was a Jewish community. This was the only occasion when Jesus left Jewish territory, and had on His present journey crossed geographical, ethnic, gender and theological boundaries. Later it would mean removing barriers, to enable the gospel to be taken to the whole world.

I have found that quite a number of people found this story hard to understand, as Jesus appeared to be doing something which seems contrary to the image they have of Him, especially in the way He spoke to the woman.

Today many people are anti-Israel and wish to separate from the Jews, but forget the specialness of Israel in the purposes of God. Jesus never implied anything different, but Paul was specially commissioned to bring Gentile and Jews on equal terms. Many of the wonders of technology, which we all enjoy so much, were first discovered and developed in Israel, and given to the wider world in medicine, wireless communication, agriculture and more.

Never overlook the fact that we worship a Jewish Saviour, born into a Jewish family, and our God is the God Israel. We teach, (or are meant to) from a Holy Book written by 40 men, 39 of whom were Jews, under the divine inspiration of God. Our faith is not man-made, and is recorded in history by witnesses, which negates any justifiable call for joint worship with other faiths. We respect their right to hold their own beliefs, but they do not acknowledge the divinity of Jesus.

The story revolves around a "Canaanite" woman, turning from her idols to seek the help and mercy of Jesus to cure her daughter’s illness.This is a woman of Canaanite heritage, who were ancestral enemies of Israel, and thereby of Jesus. She has no understanding, or even knowing of the Old Testament. She is not even in a place where she would be in regular contact with those who did. It is likely that she had heard of Jesus as miracle worker in the land of Israel, from those who were now passing through her land, and now she finds that Jesus is in her area.

She went to Him and pleaded for His mercy, which is further evidence that she does understand something of who Jesus is, for by definition, a person who asks for mercy, asks for something that they know that they do not deserve. She turns her back on the idols of her own culture, and turned to Jesus.

She pleaded with Jesus to help her crying out, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." . Jesus turned His back on her, refusing to answer and His Apostles urged Jesus to chase her away. He then said to her, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel’.

Whilst this was in contrast to Jesus’ last commission to His Apostles to go into the world and make disciples, at the time of this incident it was in the plan of God for Jesus to focus on the Jews, and their spiritual needs.

She then knelt before Jesus, and begged Him to help her. His reply was that it would not be right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. She seems to accept the insult and Jesus’ judgement on her, but still pleaded and said even dogs eat the crumbs from the table In Palestine, dogs were wild scavengers, and Canaanites were referred to as such by the Jews who were ancestral enemies of each other.

The woman responded, that extended blessings were mentioned by Abraham to the promised Gentiles, that God’s plan was to bring salvation to His chosen people Israel, and then to Gentiles. The woman was showing an attitude of humble faith, which allowed Jesus to answer, for God responds to all who call on Him in true faith.
Jesus was testing her faith, for it was His way to help all people. The woman was displaying greater faith in Jesus than many of His own people, and Jesus responded by telling her faith was so great and granted her request with the result her daughter was healed.

She was persistent, and such perseverance should be the mark of every Christian, but sadly it is not. Too often we give up when we do not receive a quick reply to our requests. We may even get discouraged, thinking the Lord is no longer listening to us or is ignoring us as He was this woman.

What a beautiful example of the humility and faith, and what a contrast she was to the pride and unbelief of those Jesus had been with in Galilee. She responded in What a beautiful example of the humility and faith, and what a contrast she was to the pride and unbelief of those Jesus had been with in Galilee. She responded in complete humility, which is the way each of us should respond

What can we learn from this story.?

This is one of the miracles performed by Jesus, Let us look to see what we can learn from it.
We see first, that true faith may sometimes be found, where it was least expected. A Canaanitic woman cries out to our Lord for help, on behalf of, her daughter. ‘have mercy on me’, she says ‘O Lord, thou Son of David’. Such a prayer would have showed great faith, had she lived in Bethany, or Jerusalem. But when we find she came from the coasts of Tye and Sidon, such a prayer may well fill us with surprise. It ought to teach us, that it is truth we have in this passage.

The prayer of this afflicted mother, at first seemed entirely unnoticed. Jesus did not answer a word. Yet she prayed on, ‘Lord, help me’. The saying which fell from our Lord’s lips was discouraging saying,’ I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel’. Yet she prayed on.

The second saying of our Lord, was even less encouraging than the first: It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs’. Yet hope deferred did not make her heart sick. Even then she was not silenced. Then she finds a plea for ‘crumbs of mercy to be granted to her. And her pleas obtained at length a great reward ‘

O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt’. That promise was never yet broken, which stated. Seek and ye shall find.

There is a lesson for us when we pray for ourselves.

We are sometimes tempted to think we get no good for our prayers, and we may as well give up altogether. Let us resist the temptation from the devil, and pray on. For strength to do duty, for grace to bear our trials, for comfort in every trouble. Be sure that no time is so well spent in every day, as that which we spend in prayer. Jesus hears us and in his own good time, will give an answer.

When we pray for others, remember this history. We may have children whose conversion we desire. Relations and friends whose salvation we are concerned. We follow this Canaanite woman, and lay their souls before Christ. Name their names before Him until we have an answer, which might be a long time.

We may seem to pray in vain, and intercede without profit; but never give up. Believe that Jesus is not changed, and he who granted this woman’s request, will also hear us, and will one day give us an answer of peace.

May God’s Holy Name be Glorified.

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