Jump Start # 3644
Matthew 15:22 “And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”
Our verse takes place in Gentile country. The Lord had ventured up there. It is here that this distraught mother begs the Lord to help her daughter. Two things immediately jump out as we read this story. First, how would this woman had known about Jesus? Doubt she was in the crowd when He preached the sermon on the mount. Doubt she was one of the five thousand fed by Jesus. Remember the man with legions of demons? Jesus sent the demons into the pigs and they rushed into the sea and drowned. Jesus told that man to go tell your people what the Lord has done. That man was likely the source of news that this mother heard. Second, Satan doesn’t have a heart. Once again, we read about children being possessed by Satan’s evil demons. How scary, difficult and challenging it would be to deal with a possessed child.
As this desperate mother is loudly begging Jesus to help, the disciples “kept asking Him” to send her away (23). And, it is here where we take our thoughts today.
First, there are times and situations in which some do not want us around. The disciples didn’t want this woman around. Send her away, was their suggestion. And, in doing that, she would be left on her own unable to have any hope for her daughter. When I fly, I often am asked, “What do you do for a living?” When I tell people “I preach,” the reactions are funny. Some are delighted and we have a little conversation. One guy got up and switched seats.
Co-workers, family members, they can be mean, unpleasant and unkind. Send her away, is what many would wish of us. And, I think one reason is we remind them of what they ought to be doing. There is a guilt factor and they know. Rather than changing, it is easier to just send them away.
Second, the words of the apostles lack compassion. They had Jesus. They had Jesus every day. This woman wasn’t asking to be an apostle. She wasn’t asking to follow Jesus as they had. She wanted help for her daughter. Parents will fall on a sword for their kids. They will go without so their kids can have. This woman wasn’t like the apostles. She was a Gentile, not of Israel. It’s easy to keep Jesus all to ourselves as if He is ours. Kept in safe in our church buildings. Keep Him safe from others. That seems to be the idea of the apostles. Instead, Jesus is for all people.
Third, this mother was persistent. She didn’t let the rejection of the apostles get to her. She didn’t walk away with her head hung down. She didn’t go home saying, “I tried.” She was like a mama bear. It wasn’t the apostles that she wanted to hear from. She wanted help from Jesus. Her words reflect an understanding of who Jesus is.
I wonder if you and I quit too early and too easily. We hear a “no,” so we just go home. Maybe we need to have a bit more courage as this Gentile mother did. We invite someone to services and they quickly respond, “No.” So, we walk away, often with our tail dragging in defeat. “I asked,” we tell ourselves. Maybe we need to ask again. Maybe we need to try a different approach. Maybe we need to just strike up a conversation. The disciples wanted to send this woman away. She stayed. Jesus was her only hope.
As Matthew ends this discourse with the Gentile woman, Jesus replies, “O woman, your faith is great.” It was a WOW moment for the Lord. The Lord marveled when a Roman soldier asked Jesus to save a dying servant. Jesus was impressed. Great faith—not found in those who have grown up with the Law, going to the temple and worshipping God on a regular basis. But instead, among Gentiles. Among those who ought to have had great faith, it was lacking. And, among those who probably wouldn’t have faith, there it was.
We can learn from this. That pure, innocent, trusting faith in the Lord, may be found among those who don’t know or understand things as we do. I don’t know if this Gentile mother fully understood what “Son of David” meant in prophesy and how the Lord fulfilled that. She needed help and the Lord could help her.
Don’t we so quick to discount someone because they do not worship like you do. Be patient with them. Don’t throw water on their faith because they do not understand concepts such as authority, autonomy, eldership, trinity, resurrection and even worship. Be thankful that they love Jesus. Work with them in love and show them the way of the Lord. Don’t be like the apostles and send them away because they are different than we are. It may well be that we could learn a thing or two from them.
A mother who believed. Because of that, her child was helped. Lessons that the apostles needed to learn. Lessons that I need to learn.
Roger