Series: Character Studies
A Lesson in Faith From a Faithful Mother
Matthew 15:21-28
Intro: When Robert Ingersoll the notorious skeptic, was in his heyday, two college students went to hear him lecture. As the walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, “Well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn’t he?” The other said, “No, I don’t think he did. Ingersoll did not explain my mother’s life, and until he can explain my mother’s life, I will stand by my mother’s God.
James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, Tyndale, 1972, pg. 38
By the way, there is a great deal of difference between a strong woman and a woman of strength.
I found this article this week:
A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape, but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.
A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything, but a woman of strength shows her courage in the midst of fear.
A Strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her, but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone.
A strong woman walks sure-footedly, but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.
A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face, but a woman of strength wears grace.
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough fot he journey, but a woman of strength has the faith that in the journey she will become strong.
Pulpit Helps, author unknown
And it is exactly that that separates the strong woman from the woman of strength.
Faith
I’m sure we could fill this hour with testimonies of godly mothers and examples of faith.
But the passage that we read this morning carries lessons to everyone not just mothers.
Returning to our series of Characters of the Bible, this message was a bit difficult to title, because we don’t even know this mother’s name.
By the way, everyone doesn’t have to recognize your name in order for you to have an impact on this world. I know of no more influential person than a mother.
Many scholars have concluded that you cannot really understand John Wesley unless you understand his mother, Susanna Wesley.
Abraham Lincoln Stated (and I paraphrase), “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my mother.”
What a treasure a godly mother is.
I can remember sometime ago when I was going through a particularly rough period in my life, I called my mother. When she answered the phone, I could tell she had been weeping. I said “Is everything alright mom? What were you doing?” She replied, “Oh, I was just in my bedroom praying for my son.”
How effectual are the prayers of a godly mother.
I have seen my dear wife labor in prayer over her children.
I doubt there is a mother present here who has not done the same.
The title of my message this morning is simply…
A Lesson in Faith From a Faithful Mother
This was not some bigger than life figure. It was just a mother who loved her daughter.
So she came to the only person that she knew could help—Jesus Christ.
I see three things about her approach to Jesus.
I. SHE CAME TO HIM IN DESPERATION – VS. 22-23
Sin had ravaged the life of her daughter.
By the way, sin always takes it’s toll.
This young lady might have thought she knew what she was doing.
I can imagine that her mother saw the warning signs and began to plead with her to turn back to God.
But the daughter had everything under control—she thought.
This mother was at her wits end.
I can imagine she had tried everything that she knew to help her demon possessed daughter.
I can imagine she had contacted
The rabbi
The priest
The Pharisees
The Sadducees
No one had been able to help her.
So she comes at last to Jesus Christ
There were at two major barriers that she had to overcome.
1. She was a woman
In this time period, women were considered no more than property.
By the way, to those feminist who think that Christianity is hostile to women, they need to understand that it was Christ who changed the world’s attitude toward women.
Examples:
Mary & Martha – it was unheard of at that time for a man to have this kind of a friendship with a woman.
Woman at the well
Mary Magdalene at the tomb.
The question then comes to mind, “Why then did Jesus ignore this woman at first?”
We’ll get to that in just a moment.
But suffice it to say, this woman had a great barrier in just being female.
Not only was she female…
2. She was a Gentile
Salvation had not yet been offered to the Gentiles at this time.
That’s what Christ meant when he said that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. – vs. 24
Not only was she a Gentile,
3. She was a Canaanite
The Canaanite religion was basically that of a fertility cult
It is very possible that this woman had been a Temple prostitute and that the child was a product of that lifestyle.
Truly sin had taken it’s toll on this woman and her daughter.
Never underestimate the power of sin in your life.
But never underestimate the power of Jesus Christ to give you victory over that sin as you yield your heart and life to Him.
Not only did she come to Christ in desperation
II. SHE CAME TO HIM IN ADORATION – VS. 25
Worship is not a complicated chore.
You don’t have to know all the catechisms and liturgies in order to worship.
Her worship consisted of three simple words—“Lord, help me.”
So many today think that you have to say just the right words at just the right time in just the right place in order to be saved.
This mother didn’t know all the “churchy” words and vocabulary.
God is not listening for you to say the right words. He is more interested in the attitude of your heart.
These three words are pregnant with emotion.
1. Lord
This word is the Greek word kurios. It means “supreme in authority or controller.”
With that simple word, she acknowledges that she no longer desires to control her own life. She desires to give Jesus Christ complete control.
In our effort to lead people in the sinner’s prayer, I’m afraid that many times, we leave out this most important element.
The willingness to make Him master of our life.
2. Help
Lit. – to aid or succor
She was acknowledging her inability to help herself or her daughter.
She had been to all the religious folk, and they had been powerless.
She needed help beyond herself.
She needed the help that only Jesus could provide.
3. Me
Before, she had been asking help of her daughter. Now, she understands that she needs divine help herself.
The circumstance her daughter found herself in may very well have been a result of her own sin.
She needed the touch of Jesus Christ just as much as her daughter did.
For the person that doesn’t know Christ as his Savior, God is not listening for a flowery prayer that uses all the right punctuation and modifiers and participles and King James English.
He is looking for a heart that has come to the end of itself. And is crying to Him to save it.
Publican
Turn to Luke 18:9-14
Thief on the cross
“Lord, remember me.”
Phillippian Jailer
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
God is looking of that heart that is willing to turn from self, admit their need and trust in Him.
But I see one more aspect of this woman’s approach to Jesus.
She came to Him in Desparation
She came to Him in Adoration
III. SHE CAME TO HIM IN HUMILIATION
Jesus says something here that at first may sound shocking.
Read verses 26-27.
Our first response to this might be,
“If Jesus Christ brought such honor to the office of womanhood, why did he speak to her this way?”
or
“Why did He seem to reject her when she was coming to Him for help?”
There is something that we must remember. Jesus Christ was God. And as God, he was able to look into her heart. He knew the sin that meant the most to her.
To help us understand this a little better, let’s examine another example in Scripture of this kind of response from Jesus.
Turn to Matthew 19:16-22
Jesus wasn’t saying that in order to be saved, you have to sell all you have. If that was the case, why didn’t he tell anyone else this?
Jesus understood this man’s heart better than he understood it himself.
He knew that this young man’s besetting sin was his money.
This young man had not come to the point that the mother in our story did.
He was still clinging to his riches. He was not ready to make Jesus Christ, Lord. He was not ready to admit that he couldn’t saved himself.
Jesus merely made this demand to reveal that fact.
Now, back to our desperate mother.
Jesus was able to see the sin she was struggling with as well.
Based on Jesus’ response, we would have to conclude that this woman’s besetting sin was her pride.
I have a feeling that this woman didn’t cower easily.
But now her salvation and the salvation of her daughter was at stake.
All pride was dismissed.
She said in essence, “True Lord, I have no claim on you. I am just a Gentile. But there must be some extra grace—some grace I don’t deserve. I’m appealing to you for that.”
And then we see Christ’s entire demeanor change.
Read verse 28.
She went from being a “dog” to a woman of great faith in just a matter of a few moments.
Conclusion: Why? What made the change?
It was the way she came to Jesus.
Everyone standing
1. She came in Desperation
The love of a daughter drove her to the feet of Jesus.
God can use all kinds of circumstances to bring us to Himself.
2. She came in Adoration
No fancy prayers.
“Lord, Help me.”
3. She came in humiliation
In just a moment, we will be singing a hymn of invitation.
I wonder if there is someone here who perhaps in a way is in the same position that this woman was.
Can I beg of you this morning? Don’t let pride keep you from trusting Christ.
There is not a person here this morning that would not rejoice in your coming to the Savior
