Canaanite Woman's Legacy of Stubborn Faith

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:21-28.

No one can read and study this particular text without becoming immediately aware of the prevailing hint of prejudice.

Jesus, in this instance, finds Himself in an unfamiliar and alien country and we note that this is the only time He ventures out of Jewish territory. He encounters a woman who, being a Phoenician, no doubt had heard about this Wonder Worker from Galilee. She had probably heard about how He had healed the sick, opened the mouths of those unable to speak, unstopped deafened ears, and given sight to the blind. Even though the customs, mores, folklores and traditions were all seemingly against her, she nevertheless presses an audience with Jesus for the sake of her daughter who lay sick at home.

But the true meaning of what it means to be people of faith demonstrated in coping with the vicissitudes of life grows important when we carefully examine the kind of forthright determination exemplified by this woman in the face of overwhelming odds against her.

Allow me to highlight the significant lessons bequeathed to us by this Syro-Phoenician that every Christian must possess if we are to be adequately equipped to face the challenges of today.

This woman portrayed profound self and environmental understanding. She understood the actual. She realized without distortion who she was and what she was. She knew she was one among the despised Gentiles. She knew she was unloved and she knew the Jews looked upon her condescendingly. But unlike many of us, her perception of reality did not lock her into actuality. Her view of reality was not a static, stagnated one. She did not believe that what is - would always be. This woman’s concept of reality included possibility.

In other words, she not only saw life in terms of what was happening to her, the facts, but she had faith in the possibility of what could be. She knew her predicament. She had all the data concerning her situation clearly in mind. Nevertheless, she also believed in what could be.

There are so many of us today, who seem trapped in our own circumstances. Some of us are down, discouraged, depressed and sometimes we want to resign from life because we cannot see anyway out of our predicament. Some of us want to throw the towel in, wave the white flag of surrender because we do not see our situation changing. We feel that what is - will always be. But this Phoenician bequeath to us her understanding that reality is not only composed of actuality, but it also includes possibility. She is asking, Is it not possible to transcend the real? Is it not possible to transcend the facts? In other words,

Is it not possible to be sick - flat on your back, pain racking a feeble body, and yet at the same time be well? Is it not possible?

Is it not possible to be poor - not have a penny to your name, not have the materialistic wealth of a neighbor, and yet at the same time be rich? Is it not possible?

Is it not possible to be in bondage - imprisoned behind steel walls, and yet at the same time be free? Is it not possible?

Is it not possible today, to be sad, grieved by death, disheartened by illness, and yet at the same time experience joy? Is it not possible?

Somehow, this woman is asking us to look at possibilities. I may be in a rut now, but that does not mean that I will always be in a rut. It may be dark in my life now, but that does not mean the light will not glow after a while. It may be raining in my life today, but that does not mean the sun will not shine tomorrow because weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Another observation we make about this Canaanite woman is that she had made the proper assessment of her own situation. She had risen above listening to the ignorant rants of other folks who did not have a clue as to what her needs were. We know this because if she had listened to the disciples she would have given up her plight and returned home. The disciples told Jesus to send her away; she is disturbing, a nuisance and making a spectacle of herself, send her away. But she ignored them, she refused to allow them to discourage her from getting to Jesus. Instead of living our own lives, there are those of us who permit the multitude of others tell us how things ought to be. We allow the opinions of others to confuse and discourage us. Rather than being still and listening to the voice of God, we allow others to dictate what is best for us, as though they know.

If this Gentile had listened to her fellow citizens they would have told her, not to have anything to do with this Jew, the Jews and the Gentiles do not get along. But this woman had overcome allowing others to run her life. She had taken her position and she was not about to be moved. There should come a time in every man and woman’s life when we are willing to say, live or die, survive or perish, success or failure, this is where I stand.

Finally, this woman of God tells us we must be people of great faith because power comes through faith.

The Syro-Phoenician woman had gone through the test. But look at her today as she comes to Jesus. On pleading terms of mercy, this mother with a sick child at home cries out to Him in utter humility: I have heard about your miracles Jesus, I know all about what You can do and I want you to heal my daughter. But Jesus said,I cannot help you, I have not been sent to your folks, I have only been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Is it not interesting that sometimes after we have been through hell and high waters just to get to Jesus, sometimes seemingly, He turns His back against us and tells us, I cannot help you? It is times like this when we can understand what the song writer meant when he said,

In shady green pastures so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Some through the waters, some thro’ the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood.

But this woman would not give up. She pressed the issue. She bowed as low as she could get at Jesus’ feet and begged, Lord, help me.

Again, Jesus spoke discouraging words, "It is not right to take the children's [Jews] bread and toss it to their dogs [Gentiles]." (Keep in mind that theologically, Jesus was sent to the Jews only. The biblical intent was that Israel would be the instrument through which salvation would be evangelized to the whole world.)

Oh, I can see this mother today, no doubt with tears streaming down her cheeks, with reddish eyes and a pain only a mother can know, trying to get control of herself, blurts out sharply; "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This woman of great faith, did not hesitate to go tooth and nail with Jesus for the sake of her child. She bequeaths to us a stubborn faith that will not shrink under any circumstances. The Syro-Phoenician woman had a need, a great faith, and she knew where to go to get her need met, do you?

O, FOR A FAITH THAT WILL NOT SHRINK

O, for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!

That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt.

That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That seas of trouble cannot drown,
Nor Satan’s arts beguile.

A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life’s last hour is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray
Lights up a dying bed.

Lord, give me such a faith as this,
And then, whate’er may come,
I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.

William H. Bathurst