10-27-2024 Faith in a Family Crisis
Text: Matthew 15:21-28
Every family no matter if they are rich, poor, black, brown, yellow, or white will experience a crisis. In fact, over time there may likely be many crises that a family will have to work through. But the good news is our Bible teaches us how Jesus can help. Our text is from Matthew 15:2-18 which says: “(21) Then Jesus went thence [He was leaving Capernaum] and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (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; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” (23) But He answered her not a word. And His Disciples came and besought Him, saying, send her away for she cries after us. (24) But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (25) Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me. (26) But He answered and said, It is not meet [meet means appropriate] to take the children’s bread [the children He is speaking of are the Jews], and to cast it to dogs. [Gentiles were looked at as dogs by Israel and here Jesus was testing her faith.] (27) And she said, Truth, Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. (28) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith; be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
So here we have a Gentile woman coming to Jesus because her family was in crisis. Jesus didn’t answer her at first because as a Gentile she was forbidden to address Him as the Son of David. The Disciples wanted Jesus to send her away because they understood she wanted Him to do something for her. Jesus tells her in verse 24 that He was sent only for the Jews. Yet, when she worshipped Him, likely falling down on her knees in front of Him and again asking for His help, it was a turning point for Jesus. He reminds her in verse 26 that it wasn’t appropriate for the Gentiles, who were considered as dogs by the Jews, to take what was meant for the children of Israel. She understood how she was seen by the Jews and admits in verse 27 that she has no claim on what He can give her. She knew how out of line she was by asking anything of Him, yet she chose to put her faith in His grace as Lord and we see in verse 28 how He immediately responded telling her that her daughter was healed that very hour.
Jesus will always respond to faith. Because she humbled herself and trusted in His grace and His healing abilities, He immediately responded, just as He will do for all those today who humbly go to Him and trust that He will respond to their request for help. Jesus was impressed with her great faith. Did you know there are only two people spoken of in the Bible as having great faith. The first was the Roman Centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant. The other is this Canaanite woman. Interesting is the fact that both were Gentiles and not Jews.
This story presents a lesson of the importance of having genuine faith in Jesus Christ. First and foremost, it’s faith that saves us. It also brings answers to our prayers, drives away our anxiety, and pleases God our Father. Our greatest test of faith comes during a family crisis when someone we love is sick or hurt in some way. This woman shows us what can happen when our faith is strong.
She was at her wits end because of the problem she was having with her daughter. Mark says in his Gospel that this child was controlled by an unclean spirit. She may have been experiencing times of profound rage with other behavior that was so out of control that she was causing problems for the entire family. Yet this Gentile mother went to the Jewish teacher asking for mercy for her family. She accepted the deity of Jesus as the Son of God when she referred to Him as the Son of David, and she believed He could heal her daughter.
She is teaching us how to have faith under fire. When she asked for help, at first Jesus didn’t answer her and she was likely aware that the Disciples wanted her to be sent away. But she knew in her heart that Jesus was her only hope. I’m sure that all of us have felt at some time that Jesus seemed silent when we have prayed for help. Did you ask knowing that He would eventually answer, or did you give up after one try? This desperate woman kept on crying out for help while her life was under fire. Sometimes we have to do the same always believing that help will come.
The Disciples didn’t want Jesus to take the time to get involved with a Gentile woman. Perhaps they were even a little embarrassed by her strong faith in Jesus or the fact that she was persistent in asking for His help. All of us should take the time to examine our own lives to see if there were times when we have ever been intimated by those who showed more faith and persistence when they asked Jesus for help.
This woman was not going to go away. She recognized Jesus as the Messiah when she called Him Lord and the Son of David. She believed Jesus was more powerful than the evil that possessed her child and that allowed her to see beyond the rejection when Jesus said He was sent to care for the children of Israel. She persisted in asking for His help. She understood Jesus better than His Disciples did. She where she stood as a Gentile and still humbled herself before Him when she said that dogs eat the crumbs from their master’s table. It was her faith in Jesus that demanded she keep asking for His help.
In the end, it was precisely her strong faith that caused Jesus to answer this woman’s cry for help and He commended her for it. He healed her daughter by releasing her from the evil that had a hold of her. And it happened immediately. Imagine how fast that mother must have run home to her child. The crisis in her family had ended.
Every family will experience times of crisis. These are the times that we must keep our faith strong, humble ourselves, and ask for the help we need always trusting that it will come. Sometimes we may have to show our persistence and ask for help several more times. When our faith is tested under fire it will make us stronger when we face the next crisis. Each time we ask for help, we must do so fully expecting that the help will come at the right time and in the exact amount needed to fix our problem. We must always trust that our most heartfelt and persistent prayers will be answered. And we must remove all doubts trusting instead that the answer we need will come in God’s time and that it will be in line with His will for us. Even when you don’t understand the delay, never give up hope and ask for the needed strength and patience while you await His answer.
When we are experiencing a crisis in our family or anywhere in our life, the importance of praying for help with a strong faith will not only ensure our prayers will be heard, but that they will be answered in our best interest. Strong faith is what will guarantee that the answer will come. If there is the slightest doubt in your mind, the answer may not come. Always be patient, persistent, and most of all trust with all your heart that the answer will come at the right time in the best way God intends for your life.
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.