Does Faith Matter?

Matthew 15: 21 - 28

The NKJV version

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The Amplified version

The Syrophoenician Woman

After leaving there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from that district came out and began to cry out [urgently], saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David (Messiah); my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon.” But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.” He answered, “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and began to kneel down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” And He replied, “It is not good (appropriate, fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the pet dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord; but even the pet dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

The Contemporary version

A Woman’s Faith

Jesus left and went to the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Suddenly a Canaanite woman from there came out shouting, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is full of demons.” Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.

Jesus said, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”

The woman came closer. Then she knelt down and begged, “Please help me, Lord!”

Jesus replied, “It isn’t right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs.”

“Lord, that’s true,” the woman said, “but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner’s table.”

Jesus answered, “Dear woman, you really do have a lot of faith, and you will be given what you want.” At that moment her daughter was healed.

When I saw this parable again in the word of God, I had to meditate on it several times, I was trying to locate the hidden gem in this powerful but eye opening parable that the Jesus was saying to us all. There was something in this parable that caught my attention, and as I read it, I eventually saw what Jesus was saying to us all.

I had to give us three different ways that the parable is written, for a deep understanding of how we can please God and get the results we also want for ourselves and our loved ones.

First and foremost, the word of God says in Acts 10:38 - that Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil. This simply means that Jesus did not want any to be oppressed and to be bound by the devil and this is all because He loves us all. A Father that loves will not want any of His children to be in pain and this also tells us that Jesus does not in any way discriminate because He is love, and remember that the Bible says to us all that God is not a respecter of persons - Acts 10: 34

Acts 10:34

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism"

And in Matthew 5: 45

That you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.