Jump Start # 592

Matthew 15:28 ‘Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.”

We continue our look this week at the compliments of Jesus. We are seeing what impressed the Lord. Our passage today is found in a very interesting story that takes place in the region of Tyre. Jesus traveled to this northern region to escape some of the crowds. He had hoped to not be spotted there, but He was. The area was mostly Gentile. A Canaanite woman came to Jesus, begging and pleading for the Lord to save her daughter who was demon possessed. An interesting exchange takes place. The disciples tell Jesus to send the woman away because she was shouting at them. The Lord didn’t answer her at first. When she continued her pleas, He reminded her that He was sent only to the house of Israel. She persisted. The Lord then said that you don’t take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. It is here that she asked only for the crumbs. The Lord was amazed. He healed the daughter immediately. Great faith moved the Lord.

There are several interesting thoughts here:

• This woman had several things against her. She was Gentile. The region she was in was mostly Gentile.
• Her daughter was cruelly demon possessed. This may have been the only Gentile who was demon possessed. This shows not only that Jesus had authority over the spirits, but over all spirits, even what the Gentiles had. Jesus wasn’t just the Savior of only the Jews.
• This woman didn’t give up. She was persistent. She was a mama bear fighting for her sick daughter. There was no one else that could help.
• The disciples complained that she was shouting at them. She was talking to Jesus, not them. The disciples were always quick to send people away, and not just send them away, but send them away with their problems. Sometimes the easiest solution is not the best.
• Three times in the text this woman calls Jesus “Lord.” She also refers to Him as “the son of David,” which is remarkable coming from a Gentile.
• The exchange about giving food to a dog, implied that she was a “dog” but that didn’t bother her. It was not an insult, but a fact. The Jews came first. The thought is, mom doesn’t cook a meal and the first thing she does is put a plate of the food down for the dog. Mom doesn’t cook for the dog, but for the children.
• She understood that the “crumbs” were enough. She didn’t fight for her position. She didn’t say that her child deserved the bread that the children were getting. She knew that the crumbs of blessings, that which wouldn’t be used, was enough to heal her daughter. She never asked for anything to be taken away from Israel.
• Jesus cast the demon out of this girl without actually seeing the girl or being in her presence. Jesus did not have to exam her, evaluate the situation or even say a prayer. It was done. It was done immediately. What power! What compassion!

This exchange, persistence, understanding of Jesus, and trust in His power impressed Jesus. Just the chapter before, when Peter was walking on the water and started to sink, Jesus said, “O ye of little faith.” Before that, Jesus noted the lack of faith in Nazareth, where He spent most of His time. But here, in Gentile area, with a Gentile woman, Jesus is seeing impressive faith.

Impressive faith—it’s not necessarily going overseas to teach or doing great things. It’s trusting the Lord and believing in what He could do. It is the faith that believes Jesus can turn a marriage around. It is the faith that believes Jesus can help a prodigal. It is the faith that believes Jesus can stop an addiction. This woman didn’t give up. She didn’t give up when Jesus said nothing. She didn’t give up when Jesus told her that He was sent for Israel. She didn’t give up when the disciples said, ‘she her away.’ She didn’t give up when Jesus said the food is for the dogs.

Faith doesn’t quit. Faith doesn’t quit when it comes to a mountain. Faith doesn’t quit when it seems like the odds are against you.

This kind of faith is not in a system, or a church, but in the Lord. Great faith is not based upon how high you went in school. It is not based upon how successful you are financially. It is not based upon how easy or problem free your life has been. It is not based upon our ability to solve our problems or even work through them. It is found in the Lord.

Jesus was impressed. This woman never walked on water. She never taught multitudes. She never healed anyone. We do not even know her name. Doesn’t matter. She believed with all her heart that Jesus could help her. Her faith taught the disciples some lessons that they needed to learn. Faith is what matters.

Sometimes I sense that we may have outgrown the need for faith. We study. We know. We want deep thoughts and deep answers. It is that simple, trusting faith that impressed Jesus. One of the first hymns that we learned says, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Simple, trusting faith—that’s where it is at. Don’t leave that. Don’t outgrow that. Don’t become too smart for that. Don’t get too busy for that. Don’t let the problems kill that faith. Don’t let silence end that faith. Don’t let others who are telling you to stop or go away silence your faith.

Jesus loves me, this I know…

Roger