Transcript

A young woman left for her freshmen year in college one autumn. Before she left, she asked her mother to look after the potted violets and her aquarium in her bedroom.

Her mother, who often seemed distracted, assured her that she would water the plants and take care of the fish, no problem. The daughter left with assurances from her mother that everything would be cared for.

Three weeks after leaving, the girl called home, and, in the course of the conversation asked how her violets were doing. The mother apologized that she’d forgotten to water them and that they all died.

Then she inquired about the goldfish, the mother confessed that she had been busy and had neglected to feed them, and had found them all dead. After a long pause, the young woman asked with anxiety in her voice, “And…how is Dad doing?”

Unlike this mother, the mother in the account we’ll look at in this episode was anything but neglectful.

She did everything in her power to secure her daughter’s healing by the Lord. And from her we learn important truths about understanding our place in God’s programs.

Matthew 15:21-22: “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.”

In the beginning of Matthew 15, Christ is in the north of Israel in Galilee where He is confronted by Pharisees and scribes who had traveled to see Him from Jerusalem.

They questioned the Lord about the disciples’ practice of not washing their hands when they ate bread. Christ then broke into a discourse condemning the legalistic traditions and commandments of men which makes the Word of God of “none effect.”

He shows them that God looks at the heart of man. Not keeping outward, religious, man-made traditions isn’t what defiles a person and makes them unclean, but sin that proceeds out of the heart is what defiles a person.

After His confrontation with these Jewish leaders, the Lord actually leaves Israel and goes further north into Gentile territory, “into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.”

In this context of tradition and being “unclean,” Christ now goes to where “unclean” Gentiles were. And in contrast to unbelief, we are introduced to a woman who had “great” faith.

Tyre and Sidon were cities located in the region of Phoenicia, in what is modern Lebanon. They were coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea.

Sidon was about 25 miles up the coast from Tyre. These cities are mentioned often in the Old Testament and were the chief cities of the region of Phoenicia. Both Solomon’s temple and the second rebuilt temple had lumber provided from this region.

The Lord was seeking a time of rest, seclusion, and quiet for Himself and His disciples. Arriving in this area, the corresponding passage in Mark 7, tells us that Christ “entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but He could not be hid” (7:24).

Here in Phoenecia, somewhere near Tyre and Sidon, in a house, His rest was interrupted by a woman from this area.

Matthew calls her “a woman of Canaan” (Matt. 15:22). Mark calls her “a Greek, a Syrophoenician by nation” (Mark 7:26).

She was a “woman” in a culture dominated by men. And she was a Gentile, a non-Jew, who didn’t enjoy the privileges of God’s chosen people.

Being a Gentile at this time she fit the description of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:11,12: “Being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…that at that time ye were…aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.”

Positionally, she was an outcast, excluded from Israel, outside the covenants of promise made to Israel. She was a Phoenician of Syria, descended from the Canaanites who inhabited Palestine before Joshua’s conquest.

The Canaanites were ancient foes of the Jews. When God gave Israel the land and told them to go in, He instructed them to totally eliminate the Canaanites.

However, because of Israel’s disobedience, some had survived Israel’s invasion of the land under Joshua, and this woman was a descendant of the survivors.

So a woman, a non-Jewish woman, a non-Jewish woman descended from Israel’s enemies, coming to Christ took great courage. She crossed great cultural, racial, religious, and historical barriers in doing so. And she comes to Christ filled with faith, hope, and love.

When she comes to the house, she cried unto Christ on behalf of her daughter, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David” (v. 22). She comes to the Lord, not demanding anything. She knew she was unworthy and undeserving.

She is the complete opposite of the spiritual pride of the Pharisees and scribes. She humbly cries out and just begs for mercy. Her physical position reinforces her humility, as Mark 7:25 says that when she came in to Him at the house, she “fell at His feet.”

She addressed Him as “Lord.” She believed in His authority, power, and in His ability to meet her need, that He could deliver her daughter from being possessed by a demon.

Knowing he was Lord she believed, and rightly so, that He had authority over the supernatural kingdom of Satan, and sovereignty over darkness and demons.

Second, she called Him “Son of David.” Saying this, she placed herself squarely on Jewish ground. Using this title revealed her faith in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, that He was the “righteous Branch” out of King David, and Israel’s royal King and Messiah.

The Gospel of Matthew begins with this title being given to Christ: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.”

The book of Matthew proves the truth of the title “Son of David” being given to Jesus Christ, that He is Israel’s King, and that the covenant made with David of an everlasting King, Throne, and Kingdom would be fulfilled in Him.

This Gentile woman correctly saw Jesus Christ as Lord and King, as Sovereign and Royal, and because of her conviction of this, she brought her great need to Him, and she did so humbly, at His feet, begging for mercy.

This humble mother told the Lord how her daughter was “grievously vexed with a devil.” Mark 7:25 says she had “an unclean spirit.” Her daughter was possessed with an unclean, filthy, wicked demon.

“Grieviously” speaks to the severity and seriousness of the case. She was badly demonized, and tortured by the demon within her.

Mark 7:25 says her daughter was “young,” and Mark 7:26 says she besought the Lord “that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.”

Each day this mother saw the horrid effects of demon possession on a first hand basis.

Every day she was reminded of the suffering of her young daughter. Every day she was reminded of how helpless she was to stop the problem.

And as a mother does, her child’s pain became her own. In faith and humility, she did not bring her child to the Lord, nor did she ask Him to go to her. In her distress, she just brought her need and spread her grief before the Lord.

Matthew 15:23: “But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us” (Matt. 15:23).

At first, Christ said nothing to this grieved mother. As it’s been said, “The Word has no word. The Fountain is sealed.” Did He care? Yes. Did He have compassion for her? Yes. So why didn’t He say anything?

In God’s plans and purposes under Israel’s prophetic program, there was a distinction between Jew and Gentile. In this program, God had separated Jews from Gentiles for the purpose of redeeming both groups, and all people. God called out and separated one nation in order to reach all the other nations.

Here in Matthew, Christ had already forbidden His disciples from going to the Gentiles, “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go NOT into the way of the Gentiles…But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5,6).

In John 4:22, the Lord Himself said, “Salvation is of the Jews.” God’s plan at that time under that program was for Israel to be a light to draw the Gentile nations to Himself, and salvation came through the Jews, through them to the world.

The Jews were God’s channel of blessing, through whom all people at that time would come to find salvation. Thus, Israel needed to be reached first and they were the priority in Christ’s earthly ministry and His disciples’ ministries.

Christ and the disciples worked with Israel to be that bright light to draw the world to God and to His salvation through Israel. In His earthly ministry, Christ always operated in perfect accord with the Father’s will and His program.

So Christ’s SILENCE to this grieving mother is a reminder of His obedience to the Father. His silence is a reminder of His love for the world, and of His mission and purpose in His ministry. Everything Christ did was out of love, even saying nothing to this woman.

Christ, of course, was compassionate with this woman’s plight, but yet He was wholly given to God’s will and God’s program at that time.

So this determined mother then turned her attention to the disciples. Mark 7 says the woman had “besought” Christ to send the demon out of her daughter. “Besought” means she kept begging Him over and over.

Then she turned to the disciples and did the same and cried after them. In response to her persistent cries and begging, the disciples turned to the Lord and “besought” and begged Him over and over to send her away, to send her out of the house, anywhere but there.

The disciples become impatient and annoyed by her crying out, and ask the Lord to “Send her away,” because she keeps crying after us.

Like it’s been said, “When momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” This mother was not discouraged by discouragement.

The Lord, though, continued in His silence. She kept crying out continually to the disciples, but the Lord sat there and said nothing. Between the woman crying out and the disciples begging the Lord, there was quite a ruckus going on in this house.

And I imagine the disciples pleading with the Lord, “Heal her daughter and send her away; it’s okay. It’s no big deal. You’ve done it for thousands. Please give her what she wants. I don’t think she isn’t going to give up until you do!”

An elderly woman walked into a local country church. A friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked. “The front row please,” she answered.

“You really don’t want to do that,” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring, and if you sit up there he might see you if you start to doze off.”

“Do you happen to know who I am?” asked the woman. “No,” said the usher. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” the usher asked. “No,” she said. And he replied, “Good.”

Mothers who protect their children can be a frightening thing, and the disciples were learning about this firsthand.

Matthew 15:24-25: “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.”

Still not responding to the woman, after the disciples asked the Lord to send her away, He reminded them that He was not sent, that is by the Father, but to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That’s important to remember when you read the Gospels.

John 10:11 reads, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

The Father’s will when He sent the Son, was to send Him, who is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, so that they who were lost might be found (Luke 19:10), and to give His life for the sheep.

Christ’s first responsibility was to Israel and to preach the gospel of the kingdom to them. Israel was the apple of God’s eye at that time. To her was given the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises (Rom. 9:4).

Under this program with Israel, she held a position of preeminence above the Gentile nations. Christ was reinforcing to the disciples of the need to stay on the plan, to carry out their ministries in accord with the Father’s program and His mission at that time.

God promised Abraham in Genesis 22:18: “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” And Christ came to make Israel that blessing to the world.

In light of this, Peter told Israel in Acts 3:25,26: “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

Christ came to bless Israel and make Israel a blessing by turning them from their sins.

After Christ had spoken the words, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” this mother came and worshipped Him, probably kneeling or prostrating herself on the ground. Worship was always accepted by the Lord in His earthly ministry.

Others, like Peter, refused worship in Scripture, but Christ never refused it, because He is worthy and deserving of it as God in flesh.

Prostrating herself in her worship, she then implored Him, “Lord, help me,” an expression of total dependency and confidence. These 3 words are such a powerful prayer.

There are times in life, when things get tough in times of suffering, when this is all we can say and all we need to say, “Lord, help me.” And we just hang on to Him by faith and call on His aid and ask for His strength.

Selflessly on behalf of her daughter, putting her needs first as a mother does, this woman humbly begs the Lord for His help. This mother identifies herself with her daughter, as for the Lord to help her daughter would be to help her.

This mother’s heart was broken because of her child’s suffering. And it’s been said well that “Having a child is to forever have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

Matthew 15:26-27: “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.”

In response to her plea for help, the Lord spoke to her. He told her that it is not good to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

The “sheep” in verse 24 were clean animals and refers to the house of Israel. Here in verse 26, “children” also speaks of the Jews, the “children” of Israel.

While the “dogs” refer to Gentiles, which were unclean animals under the law. The are two words in the Greek for “dogs” in Scripture. One speaks of a mangy prowling, vicious kinds of dog that ran in packs and scavenged for food. The other word is the term for household, pet dogs. And that’s the word the Lord uses here.

Christ gave her a picture here and He used an everyday analogy in a home at mealtime. He said that it is not right or proper to take the bread away from the children sitting at that table, and throw it down to the dogs sitting at their feet.

If you have a pet dog in your home, like our family does, then you know that stare you get when you’re eating, and they’re hoping for food and that you’ll toss them something.

But Christ says that it is a basic principle of life that when the pet dog comes around the table, you don’t take the food out of your children’s mouths and give it to begging pet dogs.

The illustration teaches how the Jews had a privileged position with God in being His covenant “children,” while the Gentiles had a much less privileged position, as a “dog.”

Christ could not overlook the distinction between Jew and Gentile in God’s plans and purposes at that time under the law.

The Lord said to Israel in Leviticus 20:26, “And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.”

Here the Lord asked this Gentile woman “Is it proper in God’s plans to take the physical and spiritual blessings that rightfully belong to Israel and cast them to a Gentile?”

Or “Is it appropriate in God’s program, to interrupt my ministry and mission to Israel in giving her bread and blessing her at this time, and give my service and blessing to you a Gentile and feed you before them?”

In Mark 7:27, it adds that “Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.”

The children had the priority to be fed, before feeding the dogs. And Israel had the priority under that program, before the Gentiles.

Pastor Charles Baker wrote, “God’s order was for Israel to first be filled with her blessings before the Gentiles were to receive blessing…Israel must first be blessed before she could in turn pass on the blessings to the Gentiles.”

The woman’s response is remarkable. She said, “Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” First, she’s not insulted! She agreed! “Truth Lord.” She humbly understood her place as an unclean Gentile “dog” at that time.

She did not presume to think she had a prominent place in God’s program at that time like Israel did. She did not believe that she had any right to deprive God’s children and His chosen people of God’s privileges, blessings or mercies.

And she did not argue that her needs made her an exception. She knew she was undeserving of God’s blessing, and with complete absence of pride or self-reliance or self-righteousness, she simply appealed to His mercy.

She said, in effect, “You are right! I am only one of the little dogs under the table, but crumbs fall from the table to the floor. And that’s all I need.” The woman claimed her rights under God’s program at that time.

She didn’t demand a spot at the table; she didn’t want the children’s portion, she was content to accept her place.

But she wanted the privileges that went along with that position. She knew what could be hers as a Gentile dog, and that was crumbs. And she was willing to accept any blessing, even a tiny crumb that might fall from the children of Israel’s table.

There need be no interruption to Christ’s mission. All she requested was a crumb to fall; a small benefit of His over-abounding mercy would be enough to meet her need.

This humble mother understood God and His Word and program at that time and accepted her place in it. She’s a great example! And the question for you is: Do you understand God’s program for today and your place in it?

We are now living in “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph. 3:2). Today under grace, a change has taken place and God has concluded both Jew and Gentile in unbelief, “that He might have mercy upon all,” Romans 11:32 says.

Today, no nation has priority and “There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:12,13).

Israel and her program has been temporarily set aside. God has turned to the Gentiles, the nations, to have a program with us by His grace. And today under grace, salvation is not thru Israel, it is not Israel as a blessing and light to the world to reach the nations.

Salvation and reconciliation to God is offered to all and to anyone without distinction.

Anyone who trusts that Christ died for our sins and rose again, is saved by grace through faith, and reconciled to God.

Under grace, God blesses believers “with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3), and gives to us, the Body of Christ, a heavenly home and inheritance.

Today, the Church is “ambassadors for Christ” sent out by God to beseech anyone and everyone to be reconciled to God, and to “make all men see the fellowship of the mystery.

Matthew 15:28: “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 mother had accepted her place, believed God’s Word, and persisted in her plea. Christ was touched by the woman’s faith, and He commended it, telling her “great is thy faith.” She had great faith because she had so little on which to build it.

She was a Gentile outside the covenants, outside the law, outside the promises, outside the land, in an area where the Lord had not been doing His miracles and teachings.

So based on her position and the amount of content and information she had, her faith was “great.” On the other hand, when the Lord would say to the disciples, “O thou of little faith” (Matt. 14:31), it was relative to all they knew and to all they had been exposed to and seen and heard. They should have had a greater faith.

Verse 28 says that this woman’s daughter was made well from that very hour forward. Mark 7:30 says after this mother quickly scurried home, “when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed,” finding her daughter resting quietly and peacefully in bed with the demon gone.

It’s been said, “Miracles happen at the feet of Jesus.” This woman cast herself at Christ’s feet in faith in Him and a miracle happened in her and her daughter’s life.

Maybe there is someone in your family who needs Christ, who needs to be saved or needs to turn their lives to Him. We should follow this woman’s example and go to the Lord and throw ourselves at His feet, and pray, and pray persistently for them.