Matthew 65
(Chapter 15)
Faith over pedigree!
Matthew 15:21–28 (NIV)
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
He headed for the country!
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
· He was headed out
· We don’t know why he was
· He just was, this was a long way for him to go
· And it was a part of the country where a lot of Gentiles (Pagans) were
· That’s why Matthew mentions it, it would have been unusual for a Jew, especially a teacher to travel there
Not just any woman, a Canaanite Woman!!
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
· She is a less than reputable woman
· To the Jews, she is a deplorable idol worshiper
· They were known for worshipping Baal and material things
· They were not looked highly upon, to say the least
She came with a sincere request
· came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
· Seems like this is right up Jesus' alley
· And she addresses Him in His full authority
o Lord – master, Teacher
o Son of David – the one God sent, the Messiah
· And she does it at a distance
o Out of respect, for His authority, and the Jews dislike of the gentiles
o She cries out to Him
o She does not hide what she says, or how she addresses Him
· She begs for mercy
· She says her daughter is Demon possessed
· Jesus is the God of Mercy
· And the destroyer of Satan
· So, we would think that Jesus would be all over this!!
But think again!
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to Him and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
· Think again, not a word
· Didn’t even acknowledge her
· Just kept on walking, what, no respect !!
She kept asking
· She just kept asking and Jesus kept walking
· He ignored her
· The God of all mercy, of all grace, just kept walking!
Even His disciples were shocked!
· They were like, do something
· Say something
· This is getting embarrassing!
· You don’t just walk away
· They even felt bad for her!
Lesson one: God does not always answer us!
· He just doesn’t
· It may line right up with His will
· It might be sincere
· You might cry louder
· But He just stays silent!
· You feel ignored, you feel slighted
· And you feel betrayed
· And He just doesn’t answer
He breaks His silence!
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
· He breaks His silence, and He makes a statement
· Now there are all kinds of theological implications here that Ken and I could debate over several cups of coffee
· But I see this as a test and a teaching moment
o Jesus knows her heart – but she might not yet
o And He knows the audience watching Him – Jews and Gentiles alike
o And He knows He is being followed – the High council is watching Him!
Lesson Two: Test will come!
· Sometimes the answer comes
· And sometimes it’s not what we want to hear
· And sometimes it’s a test to see if we are truly sincere
Her resolve strengthens
25 The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
· She kept after Him
· She did not get discouraged
· She became more resolved
· Her worship had more purpose
· She fell at His feet, she pleaded with Him
· Jesus knew her heart, but I don’t think she did
Trials strengthen our faith!
1 Peter 1:6–7 (NLT)
6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.
7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
· God allows and causes trials to refine our faith
· To strengthen our resolve
· To deepen our love for Him!
He put her faith on display
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
· At this point her faith has been tested and Jesus was ready to show the world her faith
· He had used the exchange to show her first her own heart
· And then laid it out for the world to see
She started off proud and ended the exchange humble
· It started off with Jesus as a means to an end for her (healing her daughter)
· And ended with her accepting Him for who and what He truly was
· She knew that even the scraps from the master's table would be good enough
· She was humble
· She was patience
· She was a believer not just in His ability to heal her daughter's physical ailments, but in His ability to save her soul
Lesson three: Jesus knows your heart
· Jesus knew her heart and what it was capable of
· But she didn’t
· He could have healed her daughter and maybe saved her in the process
· But by refining her heart in the fire of the trial, He created a disciple that would spread the good news to many!
The lesson for us all
Matthew 15:28 (NLT)
28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
· When you feel ignored
· When you feel abandoned
· When you feel slighted by God
· Just know that He is always there
· It might be a test
· Or it might be a teaching moment
· But in those times God is refining you in the fire
· And if you stay the course, He will reward your faithfulness!
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