Bring it to Jesus
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· 6 viewsSermon about the mothers from the story of the Syrophenician woman
Notes
Transcript
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 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.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Introduction
Introduction
My Favorite Illustrations An Unanswered Prayer
An Unanswered Prayer
A woman lived in a small house built at the foot of a tall mountain. The mountain obstructed her view and made the inside of the house dark. She had read Jesus’ promise about faith moving mountains. Taking it literally, one night she prayed that the Lord would remove the mountain. The next morning the mountain was still there. “Humph!” she replied. “Just as I expected!”
What are you facing in your life? What problems seem so big that you cannot move them? What mountains do you have in your life that God needs to be involved in?
The faith of the woman in this passage is truly astonishing. Faith is believing something that otherwise would not be possible. The mother in this passage has a daughter with a problem. The possession of her daughter with a demon would have cause much concern to this mother. The word that she uses is “grievously vexed”. This was something that was truly dangerous to her daughter and to others as well.
Faith is something that we all need to have when it comes to problems in our lives. How is your faith today?
Declaration
Declaration
The woman here was persistent. She brought her problem to Jesus. Because of her great faith and her importunity, Jesus solved her problem. We see here the three portions of her cry for her daughter.
1. The Concern of the Mother
1. The Concern of the Mother
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 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.
A. Her concern overcame the prejudices of the times v. 21
A. Her concern overcame the prejudices of the times v. 21
These cities were known for their idolatry. Tyre was a city known for being the home of the Phoenician explorers who traveled and colonized throughout the Mediterranean and even beyond in the ancient world.
Sidon had a relationship with the Jews at the time of Solomon. They provided the cedar for the temple and together with Tyre, they were the twin cities that traded with the kingdoms of Judah and Israel until the time of Alexander the Great. These cities were not worshipers of Jehovah. Instead, they were known for their pagan idolatry.
For, behold, in those days, and in that time,
When I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will also gather all nations,
And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat,
And will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
And they have cast lots for my people;
And have given a boy for an harlot,
And sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon,
And all the coasts of Palestine?
Will ye render me a recompence?
And if ye recompense me,
Swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
Because ye have taken my silver and my gold,
And have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:
The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians,
That ye might remove them far from their border.
Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them,
And will return your recompence upon your own head:
And I will sell your sons and your daughters
Into the hand of the children of Judah,
And they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off:
For the Lord hath spoken it.
The Jews did not interact with the Gentiles of Lebanon. Interaction with the Gentiles would have caused them to become unclean.
Despite this, she sought out Jesus boldly. This woman traveled the distance necessary to meet the Saviour with her problem.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
How far will you go to find a solution to the problem in your life?
B. Her concern was brought to the correct Person v. 22
B. Her concern was brought to the correct Person v. 22
Why was Jesus there?
He knew she was there - it was 35 miles or 60 miles from Galilee
The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
2. Why did she know of Him?
She had likely been told of His power
And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
3. What would cause her to trust Him?
She recognized that He was the Promised One
And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
We see she asked for mercy. The first time it is ἐλεέω. The word here shows that she was looking for a judicial mercy that would change her daughter’s fate.
And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
We see she called Him the “Son of David”. This was a recognition of Him as Messiah.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
The work of concern was mixed with belief in His Power. The contemporary belief regarding demons was not their moral influence for evil. Instead, it focused on suffering and a distortion of God’s image. It is significant that the focus in this miracle is never on the demon or the daughter. In fact, both were far away.
I never have any difficulty believing in miracles, since I experienced the miracle of a change in my own heart.
Augustine of Hippo
2. The Call of the Master
2. The Call of the Master
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
A. Jesus reminds His disciples v. 23-24
A. Jesus reminds His disciples v. 23-24
Jesus did not answer the woman. This is different that He often acted when He was approached by people with problems.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
The disciples noticed and asked for relief. Here the situation is different from Paul’s. Jesus does not cast the demon out because of the person as Paul does.
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Jesus was faithful to the command of the Father. This is especially a theme of the Gospel of John. Here we see that the Father had sent Christ specifically to the people of Israel.
Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
B. The woman repeats her cry v. 25-26
B. The woman repeats her cry v. 25-26
Help: the lady truly needed Someone to step in and change the situation in her life.
She was not deterred by His silence. The rejection of the first time doesn’t cause her to give up!
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
She asks again as she worships. God wants us to worship Him as He is the one who is working all things according to His will.
Jesus speaks to her of the Bread of Life. Jesus is pointing out that the primary focus of His ministry is to provide for the children of Israel.
For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
3. The Confidence of the Mother v. 27-28
3. The Confidence of the Mother v. 27-28
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
A. The Illustration of the Table v. 27
A. The Illustration of the Table v. 27
The idea here is that the secret of the Torah was viewed as not to be shared with the unclean. The unclean were the swine and dogs.
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
The dogs were lapdogs but still Gentiles. This would have been a common view at the time.
But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
She recognizes this and see His plan. The woman realizes that though her nation may not be yet included, there is an opportunity to ask for herself. God wants us to come on our own to Him!
All she asks is for mercy for her situation. The Gentiles, though dogs, were still owned by the Master.
And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
B. The Faith is rewarded with healing v. 28
B. The Faith is rewarded with healing v. 28
Doubtful prayer is no prayer at all.
John Calvin
The faith was in the belief Jesus would help. In the Greek, the phrasing of Christ in His statements indicate barriers to action. Here, we have a breakthrough! The disciples in the previous chapter had seen their faith challenged by Jesus when there was a problem.
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
We are deterred by His silence. Sometimes it seems like God is not there. The Psalmist often observes that God feels far away!
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in thee:
They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto thee, and were delivered:
They trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
We are discouraged by His plan for blessing others. It often seems like other people are blessed though they reject Christ.
She left this behind. She saw that Jesus makes the oppressed whole!
For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The woman had likely heard of the fame of Jesus. Perhaps, she may have heard Him speak before. Regardless, she knew that He was the One to bring her problem to. As a mother, she had great concern for her daughter. She let nothing stop her taking care of her. By her continued pray for help, healing came. Each of us can learn from her example.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 4575 Tavern Keeper Believed that Prayer
The story is told of a small town in which there were no liquor stores. Eventually, however, a nightclub was built right on Main Street. Members of one of the churches in the area were so disturbed that they conducted several all-night prayer meetings, and asked the Lord to burn down that den of iniquity. Lightning struck the tavern a short time later, and it was completely destroyed by fire.
The owner, knowing how the church people had prayed, sued them for the damages. His attorney claimed that their prayers had caused the loss. The congregation, on the other hand, hired a lawyer and fought the charges. After much deliberation the judge declared, “It’s the opinion of this court that wherever the guilt may lie, the tavern keeper is the one who really believes in prayer while the church members do not!”
The woman believed that God would take care of the need that her daughter had. We can confidently say that she was a good mother who cared about her daughter. How much do we care about the need that we have in our life? Our greatest need is salvation. We can confidently say that the need of salvation has already been met in the past.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Stop letting your sight affect your faith. Stop letting the silence of God affect your confidence in His interest and care for you. Come boldly.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
What have you given up on in your life?
Who are you ignoring that needs healing?
Are you diligently bringing your concerns to the Son of David?
Jesus is waiting for you to ask with your great faith.