HEALING IS THE CHILDRENS BREAD

Matthew 15:21–28 (AMP)

21 And going away from there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman who was a Canaanite from that district came out and, with a [loud, troublesomely urgent] cry, begged, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon! 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us. 24 He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 But she came and, kneeling, worshiped Him and kept praying, Lord, help me! 26 And He answered, It is not right (proper, becoming, or fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. 27 She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little pups (little whelps) eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table. 28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was cured from that moment.

Mark 7:24–30 (AMP)

24 And Jesus arose and went away from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He went into a house and did not want anyone to know [that He was there]; but it was not possible for Him to be hidden [from public notice]. 25 Instead, at once, a woman whose little daughter had (was under the control of) an unclean spirit heard about Him and came and flung herself down at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek (Gentile), a Syrophoenician by nationality. And she kept begging Him to drive the demon out of her little daughter. 27 And He said to her, First let the children be fed, for it is not becoming or proper or right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the [little house] dogs. 28 But she answered Him, Yes, Lord, yet even the small pups under the table eat the little children’s scraps of food. 29 And He said to her, Because of this saying, you may go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter [permanently]. 30 And she went home and found the child thrown on the couch, and the demon departed.

Mark gives us his version of this story (Mark 7:24-30), he says Jesus retired to a house, evidently seeking rest from the rising tide of controversy with the Pharisees. But it did not work because Jesus could not escape notice.

Word had spread far and wide that Jesus had supernatural power to heal the sick and raise the dead. Even in this Gentile territory, people knew about his ministry, and that’s why one particular woman came to see him.

She is called a Canaanite, meaning she descended from the Canaanites in the Old Testament who were mortal enemies of the Jewish people. She had many things going against her that day:

This woman had everything going against her

Jesus had come to her region to rest, not to minister. She was a pagan, not a Jew. She was a woman, not a man.

Although there was no reason to think Jesus would help her, she came because he was her last hope.

Jews used kuon (dog) as a derogatory term referring to Gentiles. This dog (kuon) was a despised, filthy, homeless street scavenger. When speaking with this woman, Jesus uses a word for “dog” (kunarion) that refers to a household pet. The use of the word kunariois by both Jesus and the woman reflects the tenderness and spiritual depth of this exchange. More importantly, it foreshadows the fact that Gentile believers would not be spiritually homeless, but would also be welcomed into God’s household as His children. The gracious response of the woman recorded in v 27 confirms that on some level she understands this.

Mark 7:27 The Opportunities Of Faith – As Jesus speaks with this woman, He never slams the door of hope in her face. In Mark’s account of this encounter, he records Jesus as saying, “Let the children first be filled…” That word “first” was what this broken hearted mother needed to hear! Jesus did not say, “You cannot have what you are looking for!” He said, “I have come to the children of Israel. And, they must be filled first.” She took that to mean that “seconds” were available.

What we can learn from the Canaanite woman:

1. She wasn't deterred by delay

A faith is arising in the church that cannot be deterred

Jesus did not speak immediately to this Canaanite woman, but he heard everything she said. His silence was meant to draw out her faith.

Verse 25 - She kept praying

She persisted

Sometimes healing is immediate, some progressive - the lepers that were healed as they went and the blind man Mark 8:22-25 that Jesus prays for twice

Our faith grows in the testing - far from being a negative thing

Personal trust and confidence in God

Mark 8:22–25 NKJV

22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” 25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

2. She gave recognition to who Jesus was

Healing will be manifested in the church as Jesus is worshiped as King

Verse 25 - BUT SHE CAME.... there is much power in this statement

She gave recognition to His authority & Kingship

She kneeled

Kneeling is not only a sign of kingship, but also recognition of power. There is a connection between those who kneel before Jesus and the healings that Jesus performs. A leper kneels before Jesus and asks to be made clean (Matt 8:2). A ruler kneels and asks for his daughter’s healing (9:18). At the end of this Gospel, when the resurrected Lord appears, the disciples bow before him, and Jesus says that all authority in heaven and earth is his (28:17-18). Bowing in worship also recalls Jesus’ command to worship only the Lord God (4:9). This woman kneels before one whom she recognises as having authority not only to sit on the throne of David, but to wield power over evil.

She worshiped

My deeper revelation of Jesus as King and the Kingdom we are of

The power of God trumps all sickness and disease

3. She Came in Humility

Healing - as the church comes in humility

God is not indebted to us, He is not impressed by our effort & wisdom, but He always responds to humble, obedient faith.

What I love is the tenderness of Jesus - the disciples didn't get it and wanted to shut her up.....But Jesus saw and knew the woman and his purpose was to grow her faith & bring her to the place of His feet in humility.

She recognised that nothing about her was deserving, but she knew that there was healing available for her!

Simple acceptance of Jesus’s word. Great Faith is simply taking Jesus at His word. It is vital trust that God is able to do whatever He purposes.

Matthew 15:28 (AMP)

28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in My power] is great; it will be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was cured from that moment.