“A Mother’s Faith”
Text: 2 Timothy 1:3-5
I. Welcome
While we are to honor our mothers each day of our lives, we do want to take a moment and wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. We all had a mother or we wouldn’t be here this morning. Yet, this can be a very bittersweet day for so many reasons. I hope you had a godly mother whether it was your birth mother, foster mother, adopted mother or someone else who loved you and helped raise you. Anna Jarvis of Grafton, WV began a campaign in 1905 to make “Mother’s Day” a nationally recognized holiday. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers. So, may we invoke the LORD’s blessing on all our wonderful mothers this morning with the words of Numbers 6:24-26 –
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
II. Introduction
As we celebrate and honor our mothers this morning, we are reminded of this general truth from Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
That is perhaps the most important job God has given parents. But, I also know that mothers bear the lion’s share of this burden. Charles Spurgeon offered some great advice on this passage when he said, “Train up a child in the way he should go – but be sure you go that way yourself.” It is so important for our mothers and fathers to be people of faith. A good example of this is found in our scripture reading this morning from 2 Timothy 1:3-5 – I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. What a great servant of the Lord Timothy turned out to be but his faith was passed on to him by his mother Eunice – and her mother Lois had passed it on to her. This morning I want us to look at one mother’s faith from scripture – a faith that received the highest commendation possible. I hope you’ll turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 15:21-28 as we look at an unlikely model for a mother’s faith. As always, we urge you to be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11 and search the scriptures daily to make sure we’re teaching the truth.
III. Lesson
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. It is important to understand that Jesus had been in Gennesaret – a town on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. He had been engaged in a dispute with scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem. They were more concerned with the traditions of men than with the commandments of God – and Jesus used one of their own traditions to show that they were failing to honor their fathers and mothers. How appropriate is that context for a lesson this morning to honor our mothers! From this encounter, Jesus left for the region of Tyre and Sidon. These cities were 30-50 miles away in Phoenicia and perhaps Jesus was trying to take a rest from Jewish opposition. While we do not know if Jesus traveled as far as these cities, we know He crossed over into Gentile territory. Notice verse 22 of our text: 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.” The parallel account beginning in Mark 7:24 states that Jesus entered a house and didn’t want anyone to know His whereabouts. Evidently, Jesus needed to get away from the crowds for some rest – but even here His fame was known. While it is difficult for us to fully understand demon-possession in those days, it must have been a horrible condition – especially to see it in your child. In Matthew 17, a man has a son who falls into fire and water. Mark and Luke further describe him as foaming at the mouth, gnashing his teeth and being left bruised by the demon. So, when this woman describes her daughter as severely demon-possessed, we’re not talking about a child with a normal illness. It was something that would physically and emotionally drain both child and parent. That brings us to the first of five characteristics of a good mother we learn from this woman. And, although it is not mentioned in the text, she was comforting. If you want to know how I know that, it is because that’s what mothers do. You let one of these little ones get hurt and most likely they’ll cry for their mommy. Even the LORD Himself assumed the role of a mother as a comforter of His people – Isaiah 66:13 – “As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Can you imagine how many times this poor mother hugged and kissed her daughter during and after these demon-possessions? Can you imagine her heartache and despair watching this go on and on with no end in sight. But, then a visitor came to the area – one who had been known to heal people of all diseases as He had done in Gennesaret. And, this brings us to a second characteristic of a good mother and one we can see in this woman – she is concerned. She cares and wants what’s best for her daughter. You may think this is too simple to describe a good mother but not all mothers want what’s best for their children. A pregnant woman using drugs is not concerned for her child. A Christian mother who doesn’t teach her daughter about modesty is not concerned with what’s best for her daughter. Recently, a mother left her 14-month old daughter in a hot car while she auditioned for a job in a strip club – in Nashville. I don’t want to be judgmental but this young woman was not too concerned with what was best for her daughter! Just listen to the news and there’ll be plenty of other stories to bear this out. But, this poor woman is concerned for the health and well-being of her daughter and seeks help. This lady was a Canaanite – one of the pagans the children of Israel were supposed to have destroyed when they came into the Promised Land. We have no way of knowing where she was spiritually – if she was a Jewish proselyte or still a pagan. But, she cries out to Jesus to have mercy on her and addresses Him as Lord. She also calls Him “Son of David” – a Messianic title – indicating she knew something about the identity of this man. This Gentile woman had a third characteristic of a good mother because she was courageous. It took a lot of courage to ask this Jewish teacher for help – especially when He wanted to be left alone. Like a mama bear, she was fearless. A good mother has to have a lot of courage: to empty the pockets of little boys; to go anywhere with more than one child without help; to respond to cries of help – not knowing what you’ll find; to let her daughter go out on her first date – that may take more courage for a dad; to unloose the apron strings when the time comes; and the list goes on and on. This woman had the courage to seek help for her poor daughter. She then exhibited the fourth characteristic of a good mother – she was committed. She was not going to be denied. Like the persistent widow in Luke 18, this woman was steadfast in her efforts to get help for her daughter. Let’s follow the dialogue in verses 23-25 after she initially asks for mercy: But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
The tense of the verb for “cries out” or “shouts” is one of continually doing it. This mother was committed to getting help for her daughter – even pestering our Lord’s disciples. Mark 7:26 states that she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
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!”
Despite His rejection, she was committed – both to getting help for her daughter and also to Him as indicated by worshiping Him. This Gentile woman was so courageous and so committed that she was willing to go toe to toe with the master teacher. The message of the coming kingdom had not been opened to the Gentiles yet – only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Listen to this next exchange: 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.”
While many have seen harshness in Jesus’ answer, I don’t believe this was the intention of our compassionate Lord and Savior. A lot of confusion arises from His use of dogs in the illustration since, to the Jews, this unclean animal was synonymous with a Gentile. But, Jesus is using a family example of priorities – that you wouldn’t take the necessary food for your children to feed your little lap-dog or house pet. Yet, this woman’s response is priceless as she states that even these little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ tables. Remember that’s all the beggar Lazarus desired in Luke 16. Here, the woman said what all dog owners know. You’d better be quick if you drop any food on the floor when a dog’s around. While it was not the Gentiles’ turn – they were not the Master’s priority at the moment, they would be happy for some crumbs! Finally, we get to the fifth characteristic of a good mother – she is commended! Jesus will commend this good mother for her great faith. It is interesting that Jesus only commends one other person for their great faith – also a Gentile – the centurion whose servant was healed in Matthew 8:5-13. Listen to the last verse of our text: 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. Jesus commended this good mother for her great faith. And, good mothers are to be commended for being good mothers – Proverbs 31:28 – Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
In fact, all these characteristics of a good mother can be found in the description of the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.
IV. Conclusion/Invitation
Using the account of the Canaanite woman who begged Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter, we observed five characteristics of a good mother. She is comforting, concerned, courageous, committed and commended. But, the lesson title was “A Mother’s Faith”. We began with the faith of Timothy’s mother Eunice and ended with the great faith of the Canaanite woman. As we extend the Lord’s invitation this morning, may I suggest one more characteristic of a good mother that is a reflection of her faith? A good mother is comforting, concerned, courageous, committed and commended but she is also a Christian. That’s what everyone needs to be.
