FAITH is the victory

Matthew 15:21-28

 

    In Mark 7 where this account is too we have this, “ He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hid.” Vs 24  .  Dr. Morgan said the “then” was important….” Perhaps we may summarize the whole matter by saying that He withdrew from the infidelity of traditional religion to the faith which lives outside the covenant”  The Pharisees and scribes were “hypocrites” according to Jesus because their “heart is far from me.” Matthew 15:8  “ And a woman of Canaan came out …crying,’ Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil” 15:21

 

     Who was this woman?  She was not an Israelite. She was a Greek woman and a worshipper perhaps of her god Asherah or even nature itself.  She came to Jesus because she heard of His healing power.

 

1.     But the cry of this woman is not answered. “ But he answered her not a word”  Her own god could not do anything for her daughter and she came to see Jesus to have her daughter healed .  He could not be hidden.  But she got no answer from Jesus initially.  Have you ever felt like that?  We have a need and ask for help and no answer comes. 

 

It does not look as though we are getting many answers from God.  We are in a wait mode.  God appears to be silent.  Psalm 31:15 says ,” My times are in thy hand.”  It may seem as though things are not working out, that we are wandering from day to day with the listlessness that is like a sailing ship in the middle of the ocean with no water .  Or we have asked God as did this Greek woman for something or a healing of a family member and nothing seems to change.  But just because we get no answer does not mean that is not an answer.  Even the disciples were aggravated with her.

 

    The disciples “besought” Jesus to “send her away”.  Then Jesus answered and said, “ I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

 

2.     The persistence of the woman.  She came and worshipped him saying ,” Lord, help me.”  Jesus responds.  ( from Mark) “ Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  She does not give up!!!!  “ True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s side.”  I admire this lady.  Here was the Son of God, the God-man in the flesh telling her that He was not really sent to take care of her needs.  She was not of the right relgion, not of the right origin.  But what He was really doing was testing her .  Jesus deals with each of us differently.  Dr. Morgan said it well here, “ Against prejudice she came, against silence she persevered, against exclusion she proceeded, against rebuff she won.”  No-one is outside the love and grace of God .

 

You may feel that you are outside of the kingdom of God for such and such or doing whatever .  You may feel that God will never receive you again.  I say that is nonsense!  How much do you want him?  Persist in the quest for God.  Persist in claiming your inheritance in the kingdom of God.

 

3.     The faith of the woman.  Jesus said, “ O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”  And her daughter was healed from that very hour.   Mark 7:29 says “ for this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.”  Faith is the bottom line of the story.  Her faith was evident from the very beginning when she came and worshipped him saying, ‘ Lord, help me.’

 

We are to get what this means for us.  Faith is believing but not always seeing.  This woman is an illustration of how we are to believe as well. Despite what we see or feel, God is there.  We are not to give up remembering that God has His hand on our all times .  The bumps are there along the road but all things work together for good for those who love Him and who are the called according to His purpose.  Amen.