There Is Bread Enough For All

THERE IS BREAD ENOUGH FOR ALL

Matthew 15:21-28 - August 29, 2004 - Pentecost 13

MATTHEW 15:21-28

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26He replied, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs."

27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table."

28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour

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Dearest Fellow-Redeemed and Precious Saints in the Lord:

During our lifetimes we learn many different things. Learning begins very early on in our society when we send our children off to school. We may recall those early days in school when we learned to write, to count, add and subtract and everything else that we needed to live in society. As life continues we discover that we also learn a lot from life. We learn as we look back at our life and as we look at the present, that the Lord is with us day after day after day. We remember that as we look back, the Lord has always been with his people year after year. When we examine Scriptures we discover once again from generation to generation the Lord provides for his people.

This is what our text reminds us of today. The Lord takes care of his people with the very simple needs. The Lord’s provisions begin with what we would call the bread of life. God’s word reminds us today that there is bread enough for all. Listen to the invitation of Isaiah and his question, as he says, "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare" (ISAIAH 55:2). Our Lord says we will partake of the bread of life that renews our soul and strengthens our spirit, the richest of fare--which is the word of God.

As we come before the Lord today, we realize he provides us with exactly what our spirit, exactly what our souls need. THERE IS BREAD ENOUGH FOR ALL

I. for those who are outside. II. through faith in Jesus alone.

II. FOR THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE

In chapters 4 through 15 of Matthew, we learn about Jesus’ ministry in the region of Galilee, this is the area around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had spent his ministry there preaching and teaching among the Jewish people. From time to time Jesus would run into the Scribes and Pharisees who stood opposed to him. Then Jesus would defend the teachings of the Gospel. From time to time Jesus would perform miracles. And now that was all going to change. Jesus was going to move to a different location. So it is towards the middle of Chapter 15, where our text begins, it says 21leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. So Jesus left Galilee and went up to the northwest of the Promised Land, an area called Phoenicia. In that country called Phoenicia was Tyre and Sidon. These are two of the cities of the day mentioned in our text. This area was also a place where there weren’t many Jewish people.

So not only was Jesus going to move his ministry and it’s location, we are going to find out that Jesus is also going to change the focus of his ministry. We notice this happens quickly in our text, 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, We are told a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him. Now here is someone who wasn’t a Jew by birth. Here was someone who hadn’t learned the promises of God from very early on in childhood. This woman lived in the country of Phoenicia, and she was called a Canaanite, a non-Jew. Still, she came to Jesus looking for help because she saw in Jesus that he was indeed one that could help.

Listen to how she addresses him: A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me’. She recognized this Jesus as the Son of David. Now even his own people often only called Jesus the son of Mary and Joseph. Sometimes they called him the carpenter’s son. But it was hard for Jesus own people to recognize him as the Son of David. Here is this outsider who should not have known who Jesus was. But she recognized Jesus as the Son of David, saying Lord, Master have mercy on me.”