I never share my sermon messages. Not because I don't want to, but because when I sit to write, I let the Holy Spirit guide my thoughts and my words. And getting ready to type the blog, all I could think of was this message God shared with the Church. Before you sigh and think you have to read through an entire sermon, don't worry, I have shortened it. I hope you learn from it as much as I did.
There is something beautiful about the story in Matthew 15:21-28 which, to me, carries such a lot of weight on how to stretch your faith up to breaking point, and I will share the revelation as God shared it with me as we work through scripture.
"Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
This could have been any woman, an ordinary woman like you and me, a mother, a wife, a friend. But God specifically chose this woman, a Canaanite. When God promised Israel a land of their own, He did close His eyes and placed His finger on the world and thought Canaan would be the just the spot. It was no guess work, He sent His nation there with a divine reason. They lived with the Canaanites and we learn from scripture that the pagan lifestyle and deities of the Canaanites got Israel in a lot of trouble and ultimately their fall from the promised land. But what did the Canaanites learn from Israel? How did this woman know of Jesus when He was only prophesied by the Hebrews prophets and priests? From the mouth of a gentile Jesus was recognized as the Son of David.
"But He answered her not a word."
In silence Jesus walked on. How many of us, in our spiritual lives, would've just given up right there and then? God didn't hear me or doesn't answer me so that is the end of it. I hear words uttered like: God does not answer me so I will live with this illness / sort out my own finances / He doesn't care about my marriage / I'm not worthy for God to hear me. We take God's silence as something negative, which our God is not.
"And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us."
According to acceptable public display and just plain good mannerism, it's unacceptable to walk behind someone and shout at them. The disciples might have found her rude or annoying and it irritated them because she was shouting at Jesus!
"But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Israel believed that a saviour will be sent for them. To save them out of their bondage and deliver them from all their enemies and they will live with God when everybody else are stricken down. So when the prophesy was fulfilled when Jesus walked the earth among them, they still believed His only purpose was to save them. At this point I think Jesus tested his disciples, because even in those days racism was the biggest division among nations. Some scholars say that Jesus was trying to put the woman off. I can't see why.
"Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
I love that scripture refers to her kneeling before Jesus as worshiping. Her situation was dire and Jesus already chose not to answer her while His disciples tried to get rid of her! Still, she fell before the feet of Jesus and in her desperate plea worshiped Him. The cry for help: "Lord, help me!" we also find when Peter was sinking into the dark waters and he stretched his hand out to Jesus. His rescue was immediate with the following words: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31b) This woman didn't doubt. She worshiped Jesus and she didn't care if she was a Canaanite and not Israelite.
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Jesus knew this woman was a Canaanite. A gentile. Someone who should be ignorant to the teachings and prophesies about Him. When we dissect this verse, we find a deeper meaning than the statement itself. We are Gods children. All who choose Him and come to Him through Jesus Christ, are his beloved children. When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper, making the covenant, he referred to it as His body. Also, the Word itself is our daily bread from which our spiritual lives are fed. The unbelievers and the world are the little dogs. Devouring everything thrown at them. Having a look at this statement again: It is not good to take the children's of Gods saviour, Jesus Christ and the living word and throw it to an unbelieving world.
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
As far as she possibly can, this woman stretches her faith. She will be satisfied with only a crumb of Jesus. How far would you be willing to go for just a crumb of Jesus?
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus answered her prayer, her desperate plea, by the display of her stretched out faith. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are. Stretch out to Jesus!
"Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
This could have been any woman, an ordinary woman like you and me, a mother, a wife, a friend. But God specifically chose this woman, a Canaanite. When God promised Israel a land of their own, He did close His eyes and placed His finger on the world and thought Canaan would be the just the spot. It was no guess work, He sent His nation there with a divine reason. They lived with the Canaanites and we learn from scripture that the pagan lifestyle and deities of the Canaanites got Israel in a lot of trouble and ultimately their fall from the promised land. But what did the Canaanites learn from Israel? How did this woman know of Jesus when He was only prophesied by the Hebrews prophets and priests? From the mouth of a gentile Jesus was recognized as the Son of David.
"But He answered her not a word."
In silence Jesus walked on. How many of us, in our spiritual lives, would've just given up right there and then? God didn't hear me or doesn't answer me so that is the end of it. I hear words uttered like: God does not answer me so I will live with this illness / sort out my own finances / He doesn't care about my marriage / I'm not worthy for God to hear me. We take God's silence as something negative, which our God is not.
"And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us."
According to acceptable public display and just plain good mannerism, it's unacceptable to walk behind someone and shout at them. The disciples might have found her rude or annoying and it irritated them because she was shouting at Jesus!
"But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Israel believed that a saviour will be sent for them. To save them out of their bondage and deliver them from all their enemies and they will live with God when everybody else are stricken down. So when the prophesy was fulfilled when Jesus walked the earth among them, they still believed His only purpose was to save them. At this point I think Jesus tested his disciples, because even in those days racism was the biggest division among nations. Some scholars say that Jesus was trying to put the woman off. I can't see why.
"Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
I love that scripture refers to her kneeling before Jesus as worshiping. Her situation was dire and Jesus already chose not to answer her while His disciples tried to get rid of her! Still, she fell before the feet of Jesus and in her desperate plea worshiped Him. The cry for help: "Lord, help me!" we also find when Peter was sinking into the dark waters and he stretched his hand out to Jesus. His rescue was immediate with the following words: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31b) This woman didn't doubt. She worshiped Jesus and she didn't care if she was a Canaanite and not Israelite.
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Jesus knew this woman was a Canaanite. A gentile. Someone who should be ignorant to the teachings and prophesies about Him. When we dissect this verse, we find a deeper meaning than the statement itself. We are Gods children. All who choose Him and come to Him through Jesus Christ, are his beloved children. When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper, making the covenant, he referred to it as His body. Also, the Word itself is our daily bread from which our spiritual lives are fed. The unbelievers and the world are the little dogs. Devouring everything thrown at them. Having a look at this statement again: It is not good to take the children's of Gods saviour, Jesus Christ and the living word and throw it to an unbelieving world.
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
As far as she possibly can, this woman stretches her faith. She will be satisfied with only a crumb of Jesus. How far would you be willing to go for just a crumb of Jesus?
Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus answered her prayer, her desperate plea, by the display of her stretched out faith. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are. Stretch out to Jesus!