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.
Reading both this scriptures and the parable of the Canaanite woman , I saw that Jesus really cared for the woman and her daughter, but He was just looking for her faith, that even though He did not answer her immediately and went to the extent of calling her a dog and telling her this to her face, did not mean that He did not love her but wanted to see that with everything He said would she give up? or would she continue to persevere? And from reading the parable we can see that she did neither but continued in faith.
This woman of faith, knew where her answer was going to come from and did not give up, not only because she loved her daughter but she had an inner conviction that the Messiah was her only hope. Why? she must have been hearing of the miracles of Jesus and let us remember again that faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God - Romans 10:17.
After all the things that went on between the woman and the Lord, we can see that the Lord was very pleased with her and said to her, "woman you have great faith". and instantly her daughter was healed!.
The response of Jesus was what got me excited and looking at all the parables of Jesus, we can see that all He wants from us His children is to trust in Him and I realized that truly the Bible says this to us all in Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.
Faith in God and trusting Him is very important and it simply means that God wants us to believe in Him at all times and by having faith He will show up, but He wants us to hold on like the Canaanite woman did and to continue to trust in Him.
There will be so many obstacles on the way, like the woman of faith had, she came to Jesus with a loud voice, and I am sure that a loud voice is not a whisper, the disciples of Jesus said to Him, stop this woman from coming after us, what about her family?, or what about the crowd of people around Jesus?, we all know that wherever Jesus went, there is always a crowd of people around Him, but her focus was on the Jesus at all times.
What are we focusing on when we are waiting for the Lord to answer us?
Is our focus on what we are seeing?
Are we listening to the lies of the enemy?
Or, are we simply not hearing from the Lord anymore?
Are we doing things our own way?.
Or maybe we are not just reading the bible anymore ?
Remember that the book of 2 Corinthians 5:7 says this to us
For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—
In the NLT version
For we live by believing and not by seeing.
This is saying to us that we live by believing in Him that is the author and finisher of our faith - Hebrews 12:2. You mean that Jesus is the author and finisher of our Faith? Exactly what the Bible says! Our faith comes from Him and finishes with him. Since, it is Jesus that gives us Faith , remembering that everything comes from Him and He loves us so much, will help us to hold on to Him and not live by seeing but by believing.
There are so many parables of Jesus about having faith in Him.
Examples:
Luke 18: 1 - 8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”
Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Daniel 3: 16 - 28
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
Saved in Fiery Trial
Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s command was [a]urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”
They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the[c] Son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar Praises God
Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
Mark 10: 46 - 52
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
Genesis 32: 22 - 32
Wrestling with God
And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
All of this is a genuine form of faith and this is exactly what God wants from us as His beloved children. Loving Him will help us to live by faith in Him, He is God Almighty and when Jesus was here on earth, He lived by faith every second and yes He Himself is God, yet He left us all an example to follow. And if the Son of God can live by faith we are also called to live by faith, and because He is our Father, He expects us to live by faith every second as well.
It's definitely not going to be by our might but by His Spirit that lives in us - Zechariah 4:6
With the help of His Spirit we can also live by faith and not by sight. We are not to be moved by what we see, what we hear or by how we feel, but by what He says to us, in His word.
Scriptures that encourages me
Isaiah 3:10
Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them,
For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
1 John 3:1
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Psalm 27:13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Psalm 138:8
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Of course there is so much more but just using this scriptures helps me in time of my weaknesses. There are many times that I wonder if God is there, but He is always there and carries us through. God is faithful to us His children and holds us by our right hand - Isaiah 41:13.
And so often I remember the appearance of Jesus in my life, and even if we have not all seen the Lord, He said to us that blessed are those who have not seen but believe - John 20: 19 - 29
John 20: 20 - 29
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you
When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Seeing and Believing
Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We believe not because we have seen but because He is.
Let's remain blessed as we put our trust in Him in the midst of our waiting on those promises in our lives. Be blessed
