Why?
For the same reason you spend a great deal of time searching through the Hallmark Cards trying to find the perfect card that will begin to convey how deeply you feel about your mother.
If that is a strain on us consider the strain that puts on us preachers trying to preach a message that will convey love, and express appreciation for all the good things our mothers have done for us.
The founder of Mother’s Day is Anna Jarvis who spent forty years developing the concept. Her drive to create the holiday reached fulfillment in 1914 with a presidential proclamation by Woodrow Wilson.
Anna had two fears, both of them well-founded.
She was afraid that her effort to honor mothers would be exploited by:
• The florist industry. (And They Have!)
• The greeting card industry. (And They Have!)
• The restaurant industry. (And They Have!)
• The telephone industry. (And They Have!)
However, we accept these exploitations because we want to use flowers, greetings cards, restaurant and the telephone and every other way we know to convey how we feel about our mothers.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to Anna Jarvis who came up with the idea of Mother’s day.
Today I would like to preach about a GREAT MOTHER in the scriptures that every mother can relate to.
Look at Matthew 15:21-28. We read, “Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
Notice, in this passage, how any mother can relate to the mother of our text.
Let’s take a few minutes and see what the scriptures say about this Canaanite mother…
I. SHE HAD A PROBLEM.
In verse 21, we read, “Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.”
Do you know what the Lord found in Tyre and Sidon?
He found the same thing He found everywhere He went. He found a mother with some serious problems.
Illus: You could open a phone book and call any mother, at random, and you will probably talk to a mother who has some severe problems.
Illus. A mother that had three children gave her a lot of problems.
• She was asked, "If you had it all to do over again, would you still want children?"
• "Yes, she replied, but not the same ones."
Mothers are very special people in our lives
Illus: A Junior High science teacher lectured on the properties of magnets for an entire class.
• The next day he gave his students a quiz.
• The first question read like this: “My name begins with an “M,” has six letters, and I pick things up. What am I?”
• Half the kids in the class wrote, “Mother.”
Illus: That reminds me of the father who was trying to explain the concept of marriage to his 4-year-old daughter.
• He got out their wedding album, thinking visual images would help, and explained the entire wedding service to her.
• When he was finished, he asked if she had any questions.
• She pointed to a picture of the wedding party and asked, “Daddy is that when mommy came to work for us?”
Illus: I read about a woman who telephoned a friend and asked how she was feeling. “Terrible,” came the reply over the wire.
• “My head’s splitting.
• My back and legs are killing me.
• The house is a mess.
• And the children are simply driving me crazy.”
• Very sympathetically the caller said, “Listen, go and lie down: I’ll come over right away and cook and clean up for you while you get some rest. By the way, how is your husband Sam?”
• The complaining housewife gasped, “I do not have a husband named Sam.”
• “My heavens,” exclaimed the first woman, “I must have dialed the wrong number!”
• There was a long pause. And this mother of Canaan said, “Are you still coming over and cook and clean up for me?”
Yes, in any city and at any house there are troubled mothers.
The lady in our text was no exception. She had severe problems.
Look at verse 22. We read, “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
Notice, this dear mother knew exactly what was wrong with her child. She said, “...my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
The smartest mothers on this earth are mothers who recognize TWO THINGS:
(1) There is a devil.
(2) The devil is out to destroy their children every day.
Illus: There is not a mother here if she knew that someone was out to destroy her children would do everything she can to keep that from happening.
That is why Mothers here today bring their children to church every Sunday so they can be taught how they can overcome the temptations of Satan who is trying to destroy their lives.
I Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
The devil is attacking our children today as a ferocious lion.
The people who run around saying, “I do not believe there is a devil,” are believing exactly what the devil wants them to believe.
Satan does not want anyone to realize he is the one responsible for all the evil in this world.
The dear mother of our text had a problem and she knew what the problem was; the devil was out to destroy her daughter.
She said, “...my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.”
SHE HAD A PROBLEM. But this mother also…
II. SHE HAD A PLAN.
We have many mothers today who do not know what to do with their problems.
It is sad to say that today that many mothers their plan with their problem is….
• Head for the medicine cabinet for some medication…
• Head to the house of her best friend who has problems herself that does not know how to solve her own problems…
• Head to the liquor store…
We are hearing more and more that one of the major health problems mothers are having is heart attacks.
No doubt many of these mothers have shortened their lives because they had no idea what to do with problems.
The little mother of our text had about as serious of a problem as a mother can have. Her daughter was “...grievously vexed with a devil.”
Illus: One mother told her son one day, “You are about to worry me to death...look at all the gray hairs I am getting...every one of them is because of you.”
• The little boy told his mother, “Mom, I know I have worried you, but I have not worried you as much as you worried your mother.”
• The mother said, “What do you mean?”
• He said, “Mom, grandmother is completely gray. You must have been a holy terror when you were a child.”
Seriously, we are paying a dear price today because we have mothers who HAVE PROBLEMS and they HAVE NO PLAN TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.
THEY LIVE WITH THEIR PROBLEMS AND DIE WITH THEM!!!
The little mother of our text knew exactly what to do. She did the same thing that every mother should do.
Look at verse 22, “And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and CRIED UNTO HIM, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David...”
This little mother knew how to come to the Lord.
A. She came with tears.
Her child was blessed with a mother that loved her enough to shed some tears over her.
The Bible said, “…and she cried unto Him…”
Her tears were not “Hollywood” (fake) tears. They were real tears.
You children that are here today, if you happen to have an old-fashioned mother who loves you enough to shed tears for you, you are a blessed child.
Why? Because that is evidence that she cares for you.
Many children do not have mothers like that today.
The mother in our text was a loving mother who came to Christ with tears.
The Bible says she, “...cried unto him...”
She knew how to come to the Lord. She came with tears, but also...
B. She came in humility.
Look again at verse 22. She said, “...Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David...”
She knew that everything we get from the Lord is because of MERCY, not because we deserve anything.
She did not come saying…
• “Lord, I deserve your assistance. This is the least you can do for me.”
• I went to church last week and you owe me!
• I tithe last week and you owe me!
• I read my Bible and prayed last week and you owe!
Can I say something as nice as I know how…GOD DOES NOT OWE US ANYTHING!!! NOT ANYTHING!!!
No! She did not come telling the Lord she deserved His help.
Why?
Because she did not deserve it.
A great number of people will stop much of their sinning, and then they feel that, because they stopped, God owes them something.
We all need to realize that we have sinned against God thousands of times.
This little mother came to the Lord and pleaded for Him to have mercy on her. She was saying that God did not owe her a thing. She knew she did not deserve His blessing. She only asked for MERCY!
Again, everything we ever get from God is because of His MERCY! It is not because we deserve it.
Illus: Many come to the Lord as if they were playing the television game, “Let’s Make A Deal!”
God does not make “deals” with anyone.
This mother knew the best way to approach the Lord was with TEARS and PLEAD FOR MERCY!!!
Illus: The story is told of a blind man who stood on the corner. He had a cup and it was obvious he wished passers by would contribute.
• A man was waiting for the red light to change and watched the blind man. Then he said, “If I was blind, I do not believe I could do that.”
• The other man in the car asked, “What do you mean?”
• The man said again, “If I was blind, I do not believe I could stand at a street corner and plead with people to drop money in a cup.”
• The other man very wisely said, “Oh yes you could. If you were blind and you got desperate enough, you would throw away that stinking pride and get on your knees and plead for someone to put something in that cup.”
Listen mother, when you become desperate enough to shed some tears for those children and humble yourself before almighty God, He will help you.
This mother prayed, “Have mercy on me, O Lord!”
I. SHE HAD A PROBLEM.
II. SHE HAD A PLAN,
Also...
III. SHE HAD A PROVIDER.
Notice as she came to the Lord for help, there were at least three things she had to overcome.
A She had to overcome His SILENCE.
She cried unto the Lord in humility, but look at verse 23. We read, “But he answered her not a word...”
We all know those times when it seems God has become silent.
We are tempted to ask, “Where are you God.”
He did not say a word to this little mother. She was probably thinking, “He could at least say something.”
Let me state five things you need to do when God is silent…
God answers prayer. But sometimes, God is silent.
The Bible tells the story of a man named Job who was well-acquainted with God’s silence.
In his pain and suffering, he cried out to God. He asked for answers. And he kept asking. But for the first 37 chapters of the Book of Job, his cries for God’s help and relief are met only by God’s silence.
As Christians, we are not always going to hear God’s voice, but from Job we can learn a few practical things to do when God seems silent.
1. Examine Your Life
Begin by asking yourself, Is there any unconfessed sin in my life?
Why?
Because Psalm 66:18 says, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me!
Make sure nothing is blocking you from being able to hear God’s voice. “
If God brings to your attention there is sin ask for His forgiveness.
2. Accept God’s Authority
Recognize that God can be silent. There is no obligation for God to answer you, inform you or let you know anything. He is able to do as He pleases always, everywhere, forever.”
Like us, Job faced the choice of acknowledging — or rejecting — the authority of God. In response to his suffering and loss, Job’s wife suggested he curse God and die.
Instead of following her advice, Job chose to let God be God.
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
3. Listen to What God Is Saying
Although God may seem silent regarding a specific request or petition, remember that He is in a constant state of communication with us.
In fact, it is possible that you already have an answer from God. The Bible is full of specific answers about what is right and wrong, as well as information about God’s character and His intention for us as His children and His followers.
So don’t forget to dig into God’s Word — His written communication to us — to find out what He has to say about the problems you are facing or the questions you are asking.
4. Recognize That Silence Can Be Intimate
Silence can also be a sign of God’s trust in you.
The Gospel of John tells a story about Jesus’ friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. When Jesus found out that Lazarus was ill, rather than rush to Lazarus’ house to heal him, he stayed where he was for two more days (John 11:6). And before Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus died.
To Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, Jesus’ silence could have been interpreted as neglect — that Jesus did not care about or want to help them.
This mirrors many of the emotions we feel when God does not immediately answer our cries for help.
But in Jesus’ silence we, along with Mary and Martha, are drawn into a new closeness to God and understanding of His power. Four days after he died, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus, showing His power.
Illus: Oswald Chambers said, “When you cannot hear God you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible — with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation.”
When you are completely comfortable with a person, it is possible to sit in a room together and not utter a word.
In love, silence can be a sign of intimacy.
For Job, God’s silence was also a result of the depth of their relationship. When Satan approached God, God said, Job 1:8 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”
God chose Job because He trusted him.
5. Keep Talking to God
Just because God seems silent doesn’t mean you should doubt Him or stop praying.
God’s silence isn’t a license for us to turn our backs on Him. Instead, it’s an invitation to press forward and seek Him even more diligently.
The psalmists modeled crying out to God. David said, Psalms 22:2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”
Job also continually cries out to God, asking Him to answer.
God answers prayer.
This Canaanite mother had to overcome His silence.
B. She had to over the disciples RUDENESS.
Look at verse 23. We read, “...And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth AFTER US.”
The disciples were not only rude, they were also egotistical morons! Not one of the disciples was named, “Lord.”
She WAS NOT crying after them.
Verse 22 said she, “...cried unto him...”
C. She had to overcome HER IGNORANCE.
Notice these words in verse 22. She said, “...O Lord, thou son of David...”
She had no claim on the Lord as “son of David” and when she addressed Him that way, He answered her not a word.
The little mother was a Syrophenician woman. She was a mixture of several races. She was a true gentile.
At first He did not answer, but look what He said later, verse 24, “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
That is, Jesus came fulfilling prophecy as King of the Jews.
Illus: When He died this superscription was written and nailed to the cross over Him, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews.” (Matt. 27:37)
Jesus wanted to drive that stake in the ground that she might know that He was the promised Messiah, Who one day would sit on the throne of David during the Millennial.
Look what they said next, “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
The Jews considered the gentiles, which is what this mother was, dogs. She got the message!
Look at verse 27. We read, “. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.”
It is as if she more or less thought, “OK, if you want me to be a dog, I will be a dog. Art! Art!”
What about you, mother? Would you be willing to be so humbled?
Jesus saw the love this mother had for her daughter and for Him.
He said, verse 28, “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
Conclusion:
Do you want a miracle? This woman received one.
God’s Word tells us that her daughter was made whole that very hour.
God placed this great mother in the scripture so that we can learn from her.
I. SHE HAD A PROBLEM.
II. SHE HAD A PLAN.
III. SHE HAD A PROVIDER.
