Faith Moves Beyond Limitations (Even The Dogs Qualify) Series

Sermon: Faith Moves Beyond Limitations (Even the Dogs Qualify)

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28 “Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” 25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”

Introduction: After hearing Jesus’ conversation with Peter about the smallness of his faith, we are introduced to a Canaanite woman’ great faith. The faith of this Gentile woman is a mystery. We are not told how heard about Jesus or how she knew he and his disciples were passing through her city. We are simply told that she came to Jesus pleading her case. The importance of faith in God cannot be over emphasized. The writer of the New Testament letter known as Hebrews identifies faith for us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The balance of the chapter is given to the personal, practical demonstrations of this assurance and conviction in the lives of many of the people of Old Testament history. The unknown author of Hebrews emphatically states the significance of spiritual faith in God. Romans 10:17 states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. God’s word is “inspired”, (literally “breathed out”) by God through the work of the Holy Spirit causing faith to come alive.

I don’t know what this woman heard or how she heard it, but faith came alive in her heart. Her child was grievously vexed by an unclean spirit with remedy or hope for a future. What she heard caused her to believe Jesus had the answer. The question for us today is, is our testimony drawing people to seek Jesus? Is our faith in God lead us to seek to please him? Does our belief and trust in God serve as an example for the lives of our children and those who observe us, even in difficult and dangerous times?

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus stressed to the disciples more than love and obedience, the importance of faith. The thing that Jesus rebuked the disciples most often was their lack of faith. We hear “O ye of little faith”, “Ye faithless and perverse generation, How long shall I suffer you,” and “If you had mustard seed faith you could move mountain.” I know you got the idea. Every now and then we must be reminded that no matter our struggle, our lack of faith is the only thing that robs us of God’s unlimited power working in our lives to overcome the struggle. All things are possible if we believe. This is a lesson in persistent faith. A faith that stood the test and overcame every difficulty. The genuine faith of this Canaanite woman was tested, but all faith will be tested.

The lesson gives every believer the assurance that Faith in God will work for any one regardless of race, creed or color. This Gentile woman was an outsider, considered no more than a puppy or a house pet, yet her faith made this miracle possible. The story is one of the most unusual stories in the ministry of Jesus. For we witness a completely different side of Jesus. Jesus is under pressure, dealing with the death of John the Baptist, seeking a place of solitude. The woman is an interruption. Yet Jesus had been interrupted by people many times before during his ministry in Judah and in Galilee. Jairus with a sick daughter was an interruption, the woman with the blood issue, the leper and many more, but this is different. This woman was a foreigner who would not be denied. Somehow, she knows who he is and what he can do. Jesus uses her case as a teaching lesson for the disciples and us. The disciples lived with Jesus, heard his teachings and witnessed his miracles, yet they had little faith. Jesus uses this Canaanite woman who probably heard through the grapevine of a Judean prophet who could heal the sick, clean lepers, open blind eyes and cast out devils and her faith can alive.