“She needs a miracle!”
Have you ever said these words and prayed for someone- he or she? Or even yourself! “I need a miracle!” Well, here was a (Gentile) woman in the Bible from Canaan who had a daughter that needed healing. Literally, she needed a miracle! The woman’s daughter it is said was ‘grievously vexed with a devil’, (Matthew 15:21-28). This woman’s daughter needed a miracle!
This mother who’s child was sick must have been watching Jesus for some time, in that she spoke the Jews’ dialect in her cry to Him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”” (Matthew 15:22).
“But He answered her not a word.” (Matthew 15:23).
“And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” (Matthew 15:23).
Jesus was silent, and the followers of Jesus were ‘cold-hearted’ and impatient and more, BUT the woman…she was desperate and she knew something deep down… that, He was her only hope. She was ‘turning her eyes upon Jesus’ and she was ‘looking full in His wonderful face.’ Then, Jesus spoke, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Is this even worse than silence? Is this “No?” from the mouth of the Lord? Stop! Right now and look at God’s word – my heart is overflowing to write the next verse: “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus broke His silence to tell this desperate woman who came seeking Him, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ‘The lost sheep of the house of Israel?’ We ‘know’ what that means, the ‘Jews’, but perhaps for you and me today, in our short amount of time in reading the Bible this morning…after praying, “Lord, speak to me today before I go out about the busy-ness of the time You’ve given me today.” You are showing me that, yes, You came for the Jews, but perhaps even more! ‘You don’t see as other people see- YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE HEART! ‘The lost sheep of Israel’? The meaning of the name Israel? Those who ‘strive with God’.
Of course, ‘Israel’ is a nation, but today, one who ‘strives with God’, as this woman did, with all her heart, believing Him to be her only hope…she was a lost sheep ‘striving with God!’
This is not just a history lesson, this is a lesson for me and perhaps you! Amazing, that Jesus had just PREVIOUSLY been with the Pharisees, (the religious leaders!) from Jerusalem and He spoke Isaiah’s prophesy to them saying, (Matthew 15:7-9)”These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.”
Jesus was not silent! Jesus spoke, “…but their heart is far from Me.” This woman heard His words! This woman believed with all her heart that Jesus could help her! This Canaanite, Gentile woman was 100% there! With her whole heart she was seeking Jesus: “…she came and worshiped Him, say, “Lord, help me!” (Matthew 15:25).
“So what happened next?” you might be asking. Jesus answered: “But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26).
In today’s language Jesus answered her, “It is not good to give the children’s bread” (the children being the Jews, and the bread being their Messiah, the Bread of Life) “and throw it to the dogs.” (or ‘toss it to the Gentiles’) –
This mother who’s child was sick must have been watching Jesus for some time, in that she spoke the Jews’ dialect in her cry to Him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”” (Matthew 15:22).
“But He answered her not a word.” (Matthew 15:23).
“And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” (Matthew 15:23).
Jesus was silent, and the followers of Jesus were ‘cold-hearted’ and impatient and more, BUT the woman…she was desperate and she knew something deep down… that, He was her only hope. She was ‘turning her eyes upon Jesus’ and she was ‘looking full in His wonderful face.’ Then, Jesus spoke, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Is this even worse than silence? Is this “No?” from the mouth of the Lord? Stop! Right now and look at God’s word – my heart is overflowing to write the next verse: “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
Jesus broke His silence to tell this desperate woman who came seeking Him, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ‘The lost sheep of the house of Israel?’ We ‘know’ what that means, the ‘Jews’, but perhaps for you and me today, in our short amount of time in reading the Bible this morning…after praying, “Lord, speak to me today before I go out about the busy-ness of the time You’ve given me today.” You are showing me that, yes, You came for the Jews, but perhaps even more! ‘You don’t see as other people see- YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE HEART! ‘The lost sheep of Israel’? The meaning of the name Israel? Those who ‘strive with God’.
Of course, ‘Israel’ is a nation, but today, one who ‘strives with God’, as this woman did, with all her heart, believing Him to be her only hope…she was a lost sheep ‘striving with God!’
This is not just a history lesson, this is a lesson for me and perhaps you! Amazing, that Jesus had just PREVIOUSLY been with the Pharisees, (the religious leaders!) from Jerusalem and He spoke Isaiah’s prophesy to them saying, (Matthew 15:7-9)”These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.”
Jesus was not silent! Jesus spoke, “…but their heart is far from Me.” This woman heard His words! This woman believed with all her heart that Jesus could help her! This Canaanite, Gentile woman was 100% there! With her whole heart she was seeking Jesus: “…she came and worshiped Him, say, “Lord, help me!” (Matthew 15:25).
“So what happened next?” you might be asking. Jesus answered: “But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” (Matthew 15:26).
In today’s language Jesus answered her, “It is not good to give the children’s bread” (the children being the Jews, and the bread being their Messiah, the Bread of Life) “and throw it to the dogs.” (or ‘toss it to the Gentiles’) –
BUT HEAR her response: “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the Master’s table.”(Mat. 15:27),in other words, “Lord, I know I am a Gentile, but even the crumbs from Your table will be enough for me.” What a wrestler this woman is! She is ‘striving with God! She is on this day as a ‘lost sheep’ who is ‘striving with God!’
I am not a theologian! I am a child of God, seeking and searching for truth each day in His word. Jesus speaks: (And the same words that Jesus spoke to His mother, He spoke to this Canaanite woman), “O woman,” and then He added, “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her child was healed that very hour.(Matthew 15:28).
There are ‘religious leaders’ whose hearts were ‘far from Him. But not this woman! She was right there! Her whole heart was desperate for Him. And Jesus response to this ‘outsider’, this Gentile? “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” (Matthew 15:28).
Today, today! Do you hear what Jesus says? He desires a heart, a whole heart. Today, is it mine and yours?*“O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” (Psalm 95:6,7).
We are ‘His people’…those who worship Him with their whole heart! Oh yes, we are the ‘lost sheep of Israel!’ …
* Do not look at his appearance…For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Sam. 16:7).
*”How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; O let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD!” (Psalm 119:9-12).
“I just want to be a sheep… Pray the Lord my soul to keep! I just want to be a sheep! I don’t want to be a Pharisee… ’cause they’re not fair, you see – I just want to be a sheep! Baa,Baa,Baa Baa!!”
I am not a theologian! I am a child of God, seeking and searching for truth each day in His word. Jesus speaks: (And the same words that Jesus spoke to His mother, He spoke to this Canaanite woman), “O woman,” and then He added, “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her child was healed that very hour.(Matthew 15:28).
There are ‘religious leaders’ whose hearts were ‘far from Him. But not this woman! She was right there! Her whole heart was desperate for Him. And Jesus response to this ‘outsider’, this Gentile? “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” (Matthew 15:28).
Today, today! Do you hear what Jesus says? He desires a heart, a whole heart. Today, is it mine and yours?*“O come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” (Psalm 95:6,7).
We are ‘His people’…those who worship Him with their whole heart! Oh yes, we are the ‘lost sheep of Israel!’ …
* Do not look at his appearance…For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Sam. 16:7).
*”How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; O let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD!” (Psalm 119:9-12).
“I just want to be a sheep… Pray the Lord my soul to keep! I just want to be a sheep! I don’t want to be a Pharisee… ’cause they’re not fair, you see – I just want to be a sheep! Baa,Baa,Baa Baa!!”