“Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matthew 15: 21-28)
The evangelist Matthew records an interesting conversation between the Lord Jesus Christ and a desperate mother after she approached Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. The parallel account in Mark 7: 24-30 tells us that “the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation” (Mk 7: 26). This means that she was a Gentile. Her status as a non-Jew did not deter her from seeking Jesus’ help because she knew that, apart from Christ, none could deliver her daughter.
Commentator William Burkitt elaborates: “The faith of believing Gentiles was not only praise-worthy and well-pleasing to God, but more excellent and better pleasing than that of the Jews, to whom the promises did belong.”
Having “heard of him”, the woman “came and fell at his feet” (Mk 7: 25), saying “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil” (Matt 15: 22). But the Lord ignored her plea – “he answered her not a word ” (v 23).
o A woman of faith
Commentators hold differing views on this incident. Some believe that the woman saw Christ as Israel’s promised Messiah when she addressed Him as “Lord, thou Son of David”. Though a Gentile, she had exercised faith in Christ and believed that He is the God-sent Saviour of the world. Proponents of this view believe that Jesus “answered her not a word” (v 23) because He was testing her faith. Would she persist to seek His help even when He seemingly snubbed her?
Others, however, believe that her address revealed her limited concept of Christ. Apparently, the woman had heard about the Messiah of the Jews who had come. She had also heard about His miracles – how Jesus had healed the sick and delivered the demon-possessed. Desperate for her daughter to be healed, the woman had approached Christ for help. Those who hold this view believe that Jesus ignored her plea because of her inadequate knowledge of Him. The Lord wanted her to understand Who He really was.
Like advocates of the first view, we believe that the “woman of Canaan” was a woman of faith. Though a Gentile, she knew how to address Jesus by His Messianic title: “O Lord, thou Son of David”. The Lord initially ignored her in order to test her faith. Her response to Jesus’ seemingly harsh words in verse 24 reflected her faith and humility.
J C Ryle made an interesting observation on the woman’s faith: “True faith may sometimes be found, where it might have been least expected. It is grace, not place, which makes people believers. We may live in a prophet’s family, like Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, and yet continue impenitent, unbelieving, and fond of the world. We may dwell in the midst of superstition and dark idolatry, like the little maid in Naaman’s house, and yet be a faithful witness for God and His Christ. Let us not despair of any one’s soul, merely because his lot is cast in an unfavorable position. It is possible to dwell in the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and yet sit down in the kingdom of God.”
o Sore affliction
It is clear from the account that this Canaanitish mother had been severely tried. The phrase, “grievously vexed with a devil” indicates that her daughter’s demon possession was of the worst kind. As a helpless mother watching on, she had not been able to relieve her daughter’s suffering. But her sore trial brought her to Christ, and taught her to pray earnestly. Without it, she might never have sought the Lord at all, and might have continued living in woeful ignorance.
Brethren, God has a purpose for our trials (Rom 8: 28). They wean us from the world and direct us to the Lord. In the woman’s case, it was the grievous afflictions of her daughter that had made her flee to Christ. While health is a blessing, sickness is far better if it leads us to Christ for mercy. May we be thankful for every adversity that the Lord sends our way. Like the psalmist, we can say: “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” (… to be continued)
– Pastor