Sermon: Faith Moves Beyond Limitations (Even the Dogs Qualify)
Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28 “Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” 25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”
Introduction: After hearing Jesus’ conversation with Peter about the smallness of his faith, we are introduced to a Canaanite woman’ great faith. The faith of this Gentile woman is a mystery. We are not told how heard about Jesus or how she knew he and his disciples were passing through her city. We are simply told that she came to Jesus pleading her case. The importance of faith in God cannot be over emphasized. The writer of the New Testament letter known as Hebrews identifies faith for us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The balance of the chapter is given to the personal, practical demonstrations of this assurance and conviction in the lives of many of the people of Old Testament history. The unknown author of Hebrews emphatically states the significance of spiritual faith in God. Romans 10:17 states that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. God’s word is “inspired”, (literally “breathed out”) by God through the work of the Holy Spirit causing faith to come alive.
I don’t know what this woman heard or how she heard it, but faith came alive in her heart. Her child was grievously vexed by an unclean spirit with remedy or hope for a future. What she heard caused her to believe Jesus had the answer. The question for us today is, is our testimony drawing people to seek Jesus? Is our faith in God lead us to seek to please him? Does our belief and trust in God serve as an example for the lives of our children and those who observe us, even in difficult and dangerous times?
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus stressed to the disciples more than love and obedience, the importance of faith. The thing that Jesus rebuked the disciples most often was their lack of faith. We hear “O ye of little faith”, “Ye faithless and perverse generation, How long shall I suffer you,” and “If you had mustard seed faith you could move mountain.” I know you got the idea. Every now and then we must be reminded that no matter our struggle, our lack of faith is the only thing that robs us of God’s unlimited power working in our lives to overcome the struggle. All things are possible if we believe. This is a lesson in persistent faith. A faith that stood the test and overcame every difficulty. The genuine faith of this Canaanite woman was tested, but all faith will be tested.
The lesson gives every believer the assurance that Faith in God will work for any one regardless of race, creed or color. This Gentile woman was an outsider, considered no more than a puppy or a house pet, yet her faith made this miracle possible. The story is one of the most unusual stories in the ministry of Jesus. For we witness a completely different side of Jesus. Jesus is under pressure, dealing with the death of John the Baptist, seeking a place of solitude. The woman is an interruption. Yet Jesus had been interrupted by people many times before during his ministry in Judah and in Galilee. Jairus with a sick daughter was an interruption, the woman with the blood issue, the leper and many more, but this is different. This woman was a foreigner who would not be denied. Somehow, she knows who he is and what he can do. Jesus uses her case as a teaching lesson for the disciples and us. The disciples lived with Jesus, heard his teachings and witnessed his miracles, yet they had little faith. Jesus uses this Canaanite woman who probably heard through the grapevine of a Judean prophet who could heal the sick, clean lepers, open blind eyes and cast out devils and her faith can alive.
I want to look at the unusual points in this interaction with Jesus and His disciples, the details of her situation, the testing of her faith, the persistence of her faith and finally How Her faith moved beyond limitations. The Faith of this Canaanite woman moved beyond her limitations because…
1. Her Faith was Fueled By Desperate Desire. “Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”
Her situation was so desperate, she threw caution to the wind. She left her daughter home alone, she traveled alone and boldly approached Jesus for help. Desperate situations require desperate actions. We must not be afraid or shame to bring our desperate case to the Lord. The suicide rate is a desperate situation, the earthquakes, floods and fires, killing and murders on every side too. We can bring them all to Jesus. Jesus knows what to do with scattered dreams and broken hearts. Her faith was fueled by desperation. She was in a state of despair. He actions was rash and her behavior was extreme. She came to Jesus believing and would not leave without an answer. She is humble, persistent, and has complete faith in the goodness and power of Jesus. These qualities helped her overcome obstacles and receive a blessing from Jesus.
2. Her Faith was Met with Resistance. 23 “But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” 24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
Silence was her first resistance. Jesus did not answer or acknowledge her presence. Nothing angers most people like being ignored. Almost all protests and riots begin when people feel they are being overlooked and unheard. Silence can be painful! Then Canaanite woman overheard the disciples saying, “send her away, she is bothering us.” The lesson teaches us that there will be times when we face difficulties, Heaven may seem to be silent. Our answers to our prayers maybe delayed. When our faith meets resistance, we must persist in believing. The final resistance is her nationality. Jesus says in effect, I have what you need, and I can do what you want, but you are the wrong color. The woman does not give up or leave in anger, she changes her posture from begging to worshipping. When our faith meets resistance, we should try changing our posture.
3. Her Worship was Accepted and Her Faith was Rewarded. “25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” 26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” 28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.”
Instead of leaving in anger and frustration, she began to worship. Jesus responds by saying, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.” What a splendid example for believers today. Many believers in frustration become angry with God and walk away in disappointment. The Canaanite woman shows the disciples and us, there is another way. When we worship God with a clean heart and offer sincere praise, doors will open and answers will come. We are not told how long the woman’s home had been in crisis, but it was long enough to exhaust every known remedy of her day. Somehow, she heard about Jesus and everything changed. Her hope was revived, and her faith came alive! When Jesus compared to a dog, a house puppy, she took as a compliment. She was saying in effect, I am not asking for the Children’s bread or to sit in the children’s seat, all I need is the crumbs that fall from the table. She believed the same healing that’s in the bread is in the crumbs.
She knows Jesus is the Messiah and tells Him her daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. At first, Jesus chooses not to cast the demon out. He tells the woman His mission is only to Israel, using a metaphor about table scraps. “Please, Lord,” she softly insists, “even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” What the Canaanite woman is saying is that she doesn't deserve anything. “But,” she asks, “how about giving me scraps that accidentally fall from your abundance?” With that, the heart of Jesus is moved with compassion, he praises her for her for faith and grants her desire. Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman reminds the church that God is constantly entering new territory and breaking boundaries. This God is in the unsettling business of meeting outsiders where they are and granting them not just a crumb, but a place at the table.
