The Nameless Mother With Great Faith
Matt 15:21-28
PRESSURES ON MOM TODAY are greater than ever. Its got to be the toughest job in the world. Just think of what’s expected of her in our success-driven society:
Have a successful career
Keep the house spotless
Raise perfect children
Be a great cook
Look like a model
Be a charming hostess and conversationalist•
THERE WAS A STUDY by attorney Michael Minton on the monetary value of a wife’s services in the home. First he listed the various functions she performs:
1. Chauffeur•
2. Gardener•
3. Family counselor•
4. Maintenance worker
5. Cleaning woman•
6. Housekeeper•
7. Cook•
8. Errand• runner
9. Bookkeeper•
10. Interior decorator•
11. Caterer
12. Dietician
13. Secretary
14. Hostess
Using this impressive list of housewife’s work in today’s labor market, He came up with $985/week. That’s $51,220/year!
THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN conducted a nationwide survey several years ago in which they asked thousands of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 what they would like to be in adult life. A surprising 80% expressed a desire to be like their mothers!
It has been said that no other force in the life of a son is as strong as the influence of a mother.
Illus.: “A Lesson on Magnets”
A teacher had just given her 2nd grade class a lesson on magnets. Now came the question session. She asked the class, “My name starts with an M and I pick up things. What am I?” A little boy shot up his hand and said, “A mother!”
A. Hey moms! Have you ever thought of going on strike?
1. I saw a story on TV about a woman who did just that.
2.She was tired of all the chores around the house, done on behalf
of her spouse and children with no offer of help and no thanks.
3.After warning them, she finally decided not to lift another
finger until the rest of the family pitched in. It only took a
few hours to get action.
Illus.: “My Mother is the Light of the World”
A little boy forgot his lines in a S. S. presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it didn’t help. Her sons’ memory went blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, “I am the light of the world.” The boy’s face lit up and with great feeling and a loud and clear voice he said, “My mother is the light of the world.”
B. YOU KNOW THIS THING ABOUT PRESSURE FOR MOMS IS
REALLY NOTHING NEW.
1. Eve was blamed for original sin and she had one son who
killed his brother.
2.Hagar, Abraham’s handmaiden, had a son by him. She was sent away by Abraham with her boy, Ishmael—and they almost died in the desert.
3.Jochebed was the mother of Moses; Egyptians were killing all male Hebrew babies to curb population; placed Moses in a basket and let it lose on the river.
4.Mary, mother of Jesus: no room for her in the Inn; had top flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath; Jesus was missing; His trial and crucifixion.
5.Mother in out text: she had a daughter who was demon-possessed.
A.HAVE YOU EVER KNOWN A PERSON WHO’S CHARACTER COULD BE SUMMED UP IN 4 WORDS?
B.In verse 28 of our Scripture passage, Jesus said to a Gentile
mother: “You have great faith.”
1.She was a Canaanite woman who came from the country north of Palestine—a country hostile to the Jews—and she was presumably married.
2. She had at least one child, but that’s all we know about her. We don’t even know her name!
3.All we know is that in her single encounter with Jesus, He said to her, “You have great faith.” Only 4 words, but they were enough to enshrine her as one of the greatest mothers of all time! And these 4 words tell us everything we need to know, and we can trust them because they were spoken by Jesus. Amen?
The Bible tells us that He searched for it as a gem collector searches for fine jewels, and when He found it He was filled with joy. He didn’t always find it in His disciples.
Not once did He say to Peter, John, or James, “You have great faith.” But He said it to this nameless mother from outside the house of Israel!
What did this woman do to deserve such praise from God? She did 3 remarkable things.
1. She Crossed Great Barriers
1. She was a woman
2. She was a Gentile
3. She was a Canaanite
Here was a mother who in her need was prepared to
cross any obstacle to turn to Jesus for help.
A.Faith still requires that we make the effort to cross whatever barriers may stand in our way. What barriers, you say?
1. Time: We’re often too busy with the things of earth
To pay attention to the spiritual. Then there’s the issue
of trusting One who lived 2,000 years ago…the time
gap!
2. Culture: This is the age of the technocrat.
a. Does God really understand the problems I face in this modern world?
b.And what about this politically correct society?
c.Christians are often accused of being too exclusive.
4. Pride: The greatest barrier of all—many today are like a person who is drowning but refuses help—even fights the rescuer.
5. Science: If you can’t see it, does it really exist? The doubting Thomas thing.
What exactly was it that drove this mother to cross her barriers and get to Jesus? I believe it was 3 things:
1. Desperation:
She knew that she wasn’t doing all right
by herself. She had tried other ways and they had all
failed. Now she would seek help from Jesus, regardless of
the cost.
2. Love:
Love for her child. Love made her accept Jesus’
silence and yet still appeal to Him; love made her
suffer apparent rebuffs from the disciples.
3. Vision:
She saw in Jesus a compassion that would not turn
her away. She believed in His ability and willingness to
help. The measure of our faith is conditioned by what we
see in Jesus.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
The second thing that this mom did to illicit such praise from Jesus was that…
2. She Persisted
This mother refused to be put off or intimidated. She was not going to take criticism or silence as an answer.
Illus.: “Kerri Strug”
On her first attempt, the veteran Olympian who stands 4’9” high and weighs 87 pounds had heard her ankle snap and had limped off. Perhaps she should have removed herself from the competition to avoid further injury, but she didn’t She pulled herself together, set herself for her final attempt and nailed a near-perfect vault before a cheering crowd! Hel a flamingo-like stance until the judges recorded their scoring of her performance—a performance that assured first place for her team.
With 2 town ligaments in the 18-year old’s left ankle, Kerri Strug then collapsed in pain onto the floor. Her coach, Bela Karolyi, carried her onto the medals platform. She had become the darling of Atlanta for fighting back through her pain
There were at least 3 intimidating factors that could have kept her from her persistence:
Silence of Jesus (v.23).
She didn’t perceive it as indifference. She reached behind it and spoke to the great heart of God.
Rebuke of the disciples (v.23).
She went over their heads to the Lord Himself!
Behavior of Jesus (v.24).
A.What He said in effect was, “Sorry Madam, but you don’t belong to the right group; you have no claim on me.”
B.She didn’t try to analyze His response.
C. She simply refused to be put off by it.
D.She let her need speak for itself.
E.She fell at His feet and cried, “Help me, Sir.”
That’s the essence of all great faith—to stretch out your hand to Jesus in desperation.
Illus.: “Young Man Crawls to Become Eagle Scout”
A story on the news recently told of an 18-year-old young man who had multiple sclerosis. He was trying desperately to become an eagle scout. All he lacked was a 16 mile hike, but he was in a wheelchair. He wheeled his chair for 10 miles. When his arms became too sore to continue, he crawled the remaining 6 miles!
Now that’s persistence! That’s the kind of dogged determination that this mother possessed.
Washington Irving:
“The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never hanges—it never tires—it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on.”
Persistence is the hallmark of godly-motherhood.
Not only did she CROSS GREAT BARIERS
Not only did she PERSISH
The third quality that caused Jesus to praise her was…
3. She Made No Claim (v.27)
A. She relied on the GRACE of Jesus.
When our Lord told her that it didn’t seem right to take
bread from the children of Israel and throw it to the
little dogs of the Gentiles, she didn’t burst into tears
and walk away.
B. Instead, she gave Jesus an answer that must have excited Him!
a. She said, “”True, Sir. I admit that I have no claim on
You, but there must be some extra grace—some grace
that I don’t deserve, and I’m appealing to You for
that.”
b. No wonder Jesus replied, “Woman, you have great
faith.”
c.No wonder from that moment her daughter was made whole.
d.This mother possessed great faith because she won over her difficulties and over the devil.
e.Every obstacle and opposition may be conquered by faith through prayer.
So, don’t despair when faced with a problem.
1.Cross the barriers to Jesus.
2.Persist in your belief.
3.Receive His grace which He offers freely to all who will approach Him in true humility.
