“When A Mother Prayed”
Matthew 15:22-28
David P. Nolte
A six-year-old boy couldn’t see his mother so he panicked and began shouting frantically, “Joyce! Joyce!” His mother was just an aisle away and she chided him, “You shouldn’t call me ‘Joyce,’ you should call me ‘Mother,’ because I am your mother, you know.” “I know,” said the child, “but the store is full of mothers.”
And the world is full of mothers, too. But not all mothers are the same. Some are homemakers and some home wreckers. Some lead their children to the world and some lead them to the Lord. Some emphasize the temporal things and possessions and others emphasize eternal things, God things. Some mothers raise their children to fear strangers and others raise them to fear God. Some mothers teach their children to panic and others teach them to pray.
The Dynamic Duo sang,
“How sweet and happy seem,
Those days of which I dream
When memory recalls them now and then
And with that rapture sweet,
My weary heart would beat
If I could hear my Mother pray again.
If I could only hear my Mother pray again
If I could only hear her tender voice as then
How happy I would be,
T’would mean the world to me
If I could hear my Mother pray again.”
Today I want to talk with you about a mother who prayed. Before giving her an answer, Jesus tested her humility and faith. The text says, “A Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’ But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ And He answered and said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she said, ‘Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed at once.” Matthew 15:22-28 (NASB).
Let me dispose of one issue first: Jesus was testing, proving and demonstrating her humility, her urgency and her faith. A proud, unhumbled heart would have flared up in self-defense. He was pleased by her bold humility and determined faith. He commended her and answered her request. But the lessons we learn from the woman’s prayer are the point for today.
I. HER PRAYER WAS PERSISTENT:
A. “His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’”
1. They implied, “She’s driving us bonkers! Get rid of her!”
2. What seemed to them a pestilent persistence was for her a passionate appeal.
B. Even when there were discouraging factors, she persisted.
1. The disciples wanted her to shut up and go away.
2. Jesus wanted to test, prove and increase the intensity of her by first saying nothing and then saying,
a. ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Still she persisted: “Lord, help me!”
b. Then He said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
C. Because she didn’t allow the disciples to discourage her, and she didn’t fly into an argument with Jesus’ statements, and she humbly accepted the lowly position of a dog under the table she passed His tests and Jesus said, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.”
1. This woman would not be derailed or put off in her quest to get to Jesus and to get Jesus to her child no matter how rude the disciples were or how disinterested Jesus seemed to be.
2. Sometimes it seems that way – no one cares – not friend, or family, or God.
3. Do not languish! Take a stand at the throne of God. Pray without ceasing! Pray when prayer is the hardest thing to do! Pray through!
4. Mothers, do not allow anything to keep you from tenacious persistence at the Throne of Grace and Mercy on behalf of your children.
a. Pray boldly for their salvation.
b. Pray persistently for those who have drifted away, that the Lord would send godly influences into their lives.
c. Pray for those who need to be liberated from addiction of any sort.
d. Pray confidently, pray fervently, pray without ceasing!
e. Pray as a means of opening the door of your heart and home to Jesus.
D. So, let me ask,
1. What makes it difficult for you to persevere in prayer?
2. What is the depth of your faith?
3. Are you willing to be humbled?
4. Have you taken your burden to Jesus?
5. Are you willing to wait on the Lord for an answer?
6. Will you, despite discouragement, delay and distress be perservering in prayer?
E. This gentile woman, refusing to be unheard, turned to Jesus and cast herself on His mercy. Another mother did the same. Louis Palau told this story about a mother who approached Napoleon determined to get a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. “But I don’t ask for justice,” the mother explained. “I plead for mercy.” “But your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied. “Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” “Well, then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy.” And he spared the woman’s son.
This mother’s prayer was persistent, and,
II. HER PRAYER BROUGHT JESUS INTO HER LIFE:
A. Heretofore there was no connection between this woman and the Lord.
1. She knew about Him obviously.
2. But as yet her contact with Him had not been established.
3. It was her heart-wrenching concern for her daughter that compelled her to step over the gender, ethnic and cultural barriers to get to Jesus and involve Him in her life.
a. She didn’t come asking for wealth.
b. She didn’t come asking for a fulfilling life.
c. She didn’t come asking that all material needs be supplied.
d. She came asking Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter.
e. She wanted to involve Jesus in her life and that of her child.
B. Jesus wants to be wanted; He desires to be involved.
1. If He can find a heart that is hungry enough He will come and not just visit there, but will dwell there.
2. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NASB). Jesus was not talking to unbelievers He was talking to a church.
C. He wants to enter our homes. He wants to enter our families, He wants to enter our lives.
D. Do not allow any barrier or opposition or pursuit to keep you from opening your life and your home to Jesus!
1. Not the opinion of friend or family. Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37 (NASB).
2. Not the fear of rejection or ridicule. Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38 (NASB).
3. Not what the secular world offers. Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36 (NASB).
4. Not a seeming disinterest on Jesus’ part in your plight. He said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NASB).
E. Years ago, a big New York NBC radio program offered a certain young man a singing contract. The only condition was that he had to sing the songs that were the most popular at the time. The young man wanted to sing Gospel but was told that if he took the contract he still could sing a few Gospel songs but that the majority of his singing would be whatever was popular at the time.
The young man didn’t know what to do. While all of this was going on his mother was praying. She wanted him to do what God wanted him to do not necessarily what NBC wanted him to do.
She came across a poem that had been written some years earlier by Rhea F. Miller. So, while he was at home she left the poem on the piano where she knew her son would find it.
Sure enough he did find it and the words spoke deeply into his heart. He started putting the words to music. He now knew what he needed to do. Rather than spend his life on the radio for NBC he decided that he needed to give his life totally to Jesus.
Five years later the young man was invited to sing for a young evangelist by the name of Billy Graham. They quickly became friends. In 1947 this young man began a relationship with Billy Graham that would continue for the next 60 plus years until his death at the age of 104.
Of course by now you know the name of that young man - George Beverly Shea. The poem that helped change his life - “I’d Rather Have Jesus”.
“I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold,
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.”
They are words of commitment, surrender and believing that Jesus is all that a person needs or should want.
Her prayer brought Jesus into her life, and,
III. HER PRAYER WAS ONE OF SURRENDER:
A. “She acknowledges the priority of Israel but believes that just a leftover crumb of attention from Jesus is sufficient to meet her need. In response to her words, Jesus heals her daughter.”
1. There was no proud defense: “I’ll take the place of a dog; I’ll settle for crumbs; but please be merciful and help me.”
2. There was no claim to entitlement – she made no demand claiming that she deserved His help – it was mercy she needed.
3. There was no bargaining with Jesus – she didn’t seek help on an exchange basis – it was a gift she sought.
4. There was no promise made to engage His help – she simply lifted an urgent plea.
5. There was no manipulation involved – she didn’t try to make Jesus feel obligated to help since He had helped others.
B. Each of us in invited to God’s throne: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 (NASB).
C. Let us come boldly, confidently, with happy assurance, but let us come in reverence, awe and surrender to His will.
D. Sometimes our familiarity with God makes us forget that He is not only our Friend and Savior, but He is Lord and God. He is to be loved and trusted and we may freely approach Him. But we must come reverently and obediently.
1. When Jesus turns up, He comes to take over, not to bend His will to ours.
2. Jeanita Jinnah wrote, “When we enter His presence, we should enter respectfully, with an understanding that we are now entering a sacred, holy place where God dwells in the midst of His people.”
E. Students are expected to enter the class room punctually, in-an orderly fashion and to be ready to learn. But once, while I was in High School, on one of the rare days I managed to get to school, it was time to go to class. Now, in them thar days it was considered “cool” to have metal plates secured on heel and toe – sort of a “Jock’s tap shoe.” Not only did it make the hallways sound like a herd of horses was passing through, but in wet weather it made the sole slick and slippery.
So, while entering the class room, my foot started sliding and I skidded from the door clear across the front of the room, slamming my extended foot into the teacher’s desk. Sitting on the floor with my foot in the trash can, I looked at the astounded teacher and asked, “Am I tardy?”
Too often we rush into our prayer time like that without preparing ourselves for reverence and a spirit of surrender and obedience. Let us pray in such a way that our offspring will say,
“How happy I would be,
T’would mean the world to me
If I could hear my Mother pray again.”
Let us be like this mother – pray with persistence, open your heart, life and home to Him and be prepared to surrender your will to His. Then He will recognize your faith and answer your prayer.
This mother came to Jesus burdened and departed blessed; she came distraught and departed delighted; she came as a victim, she departed a victor!
Come to Him in whatever state or condition you find yourself – he can help – and He will.
