Jesus’ ministry in Israel was full of life-changing encounters with needy and desperate people, but was also full of some intense confrontations with religious leaders. Jesus was constantly “hounded” by those seeking to entrap Him and expose Him as an imposter. Because of the constant pressures He faced, along with the need to have some quality time with His disciples, Jesus left the borders of Israel on two different occasions, venturing into “pagan” territory.
Their second trip took them 30 miles north, to a Greek city called Caesarea Philippi where, in a discussion with His disciples, Jesus asked them who they thought He was. If you recall, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Mt. 16:16). Such a response by Peter could have only come after God revealed to him Jesus’ true identity. But their first trip outside of Israel took them 40 miles northwest out near the Mediterranean coast. It is upon this first trip that I would like to focus our attention today. This encounter with an amazing mom is found in two Gospels: Mt. 15:21-28 and Mk. 7:24-29.
The Scriptures tell us that a Canaanite woman (a descendent of the ancient Canaanites who lived in the region for thousands of years) came up to Jesus pleading,
“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, my daughter is cruelly demon possessed.”
Word of Jesus’ ministry in Israel had spread like wildfire throughout the entire region, and by hearing the reports of others, this mother had been assured that Jesus was the Messianic “Son of David,” even going so far as to call Him “Lord.” Even though we don’t hear much about demon possession here in America in the 21st century, we do know that Jesus dealt with it frequently. There is a lot of speculation as to how demon possession occurs, but exploring that issue now would distract us from the important elements of this encounter.
Quite uncharacteristic of Jesus, He did not respond to her, but just kept walking with His disciples. Eventually, the disciples came to Jesus, asking Him to send her away because she kept following them, repeatedly shouting out her request for all to hear. The disciples had become weary and frustrated at her repeated attempts to get Jesus’ attention, and finally, Jesus stopped and responded to her,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
We might think that His response was uncaring and even harsh, but it was a true statement that He had come to preach “repentance” to the “lost sheep of Israel,” knowing that if they did not repent of their injustice, immorality, and unbelief, they would lose their nation. In the end, they rejected the One sent to redeem them as they descended into greater and greater apostasy, and about 40 years later, the Roman army destroyed the City of Jerusalem and the Temple, putting an end to the entire sacrificial system.
Interestingly, the woman did not complain about Jesus’ statement, as she knew that what He said was true. But that did not deter her. She reduced her request to three simple words spoken from the heart,
“Lord, help me!”
She had certainly tried everything to bring healing to her daughter, but nothing had worked. I don’t know about you, but I love her simple request. It’s a 4-letter word that Jesus loves to hear from each of us: H-E-L-P! The moment we cry for “HELP,” He senses our desperation, knowing that we are coming to the only One who can truly help us. But then Jesus said to her,
“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
A parent would never think of taking bread meant for their children sitting around the table and giving it instead to the dogs. Again, Jesus’ response seems so “harsh,” but to her, once again, she acknowledged the fact that His ministry was to the “children of Israel” and that Gentiles were considered by Jews to be nothing more than “dogs.” How could Jesus respond with such an apparent racial slur? But she was not deterred. Race didn’t matter to her, but the healing of her daughter did. She never gave up! In the end, Jesus was testing both her faith and her persistence. She believed without a doubt that He could heal her daughter, and it didn’t matter to her about race or any other social stigmas, she was intent on Jesus healing her daughter. Now check out her response to what Jesus had just said,
“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”
In essence, she is simply saying: “I understand what you have said. I don’t need a whole loaf of bread; whatever you can give me, I will be satisfied, even if it is just a few crumbs.” She didn’t need a complete sermon on the history of the Jewish people or on Jesus’ life and ministry, she just needed His attention and His care for just a few minutes. And then it happened,
“O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish.”
And, of course, the Scriptures tell us that her daughter was immediately healed. Her recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, her faith in the fact that He alone could heal her daughter, and her persistence in the midst of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, resulted in her request being granted. Jesus had mercy on her, and her daughter was healed.
Moms (and all of the guys out here reading this too), I encourage each of you to learn from this Canaanite mother whom Jesus met out near the Mediterranean coast. I know how you hold your children deeply in your hearts, just like this mother did with her child! Just recognize Jesus as Lord, and acknowledge Him, believing by faith that only He can meet your deepest needs. And, be persistent in your request(s) to Him. The woman never gave up until she received what she had asked for. May each of us do likewise!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
