Persistent Faith in Jesus is a Good Thing based on Matthew 15:21-28

I. Do you ever get tired of getting letters in the mail asking for money?  Do you ever get tired of emails begging for money? As Jesus once said in the New Testament in Matthew 26:11, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.”

II. In our standing before God, we are all beggars.

III. The woman in our Gospel lesson in Matthew 15 was a beggar before Jesus, too.  She was begging Jesus for a miracle for her daughter.  Matthew 15:22 tells us, “And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.’”

IV. Jesus seemed to give her the cold shoulder.  Matthew 15:23 states, “But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”

V. Jesus then made a strange statement to His disciples and to the woman in Matthew 15:24, “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”

VI. Matthew 15:25 tells us, “But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’”  She showed how humble and persistent she was by kneeling before Jesus and begging Him again: “Lord, help me.”

VII. Jesus responded with the words of Matthew 15:26, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

VIII. She replied with amazing words of faith and said in Matthew 15:27, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Once again she would not be denied.

IX. Jesus finally did what the woman wanted.  Matthew 15:28 informs us, “Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’  And her daughter was healed instantly.”

X. A Lutheran pastor tells the following story: “Several years ago when we got Barklee, our beagle puppy, my wife and I decided we wouldn’t feed her from the table. We’ve stuck to that. But we have a neighbor who from the time Barklee was a puppy has snuck food to her when she’s a guest at our table. Barklee knows not to beg from us; it won’t do any good. But she’s also learned it’s worthwhile to beg from any guest at the table. Sometimes she gets lucky. Sometimes she gets fed. She knows who to beg from. She will keep on begging as long as there’s a guest at the table. She doesn’t give up hope. “The Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21–28) also knew from whom to beg. She knew who could give her the scraps she desperately wanted. She didn’t give up. Her hope and faith were strong. She looked to Jesus to supply her needs. Her begging was well placed. And she was not disappointed.”

XI. Because of our many sins and wrongs we do not deserve even the crumbs from the table of Jesus.

XII. Jesus, our Lord and the Son of David, hears our prayers for mercy and He listens to those prayers and shows us mercy.  We will not get what we want every time, but we will get what Jesus knows we need.