Matthew 15:21-39
“Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.” (Matthew 15:28, ESV)
In God’s economy, nothing else compares with faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ. And every blessing we receive from God comes by faith. But what is faith, and how is it developed?
The best definition of faith is Hebrews 11:1:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV)
In short, it is the conviction that things we do not see exist. This applies to the unseen God and to our confidence in His promises. We have the assurance that what God has promised, He will perform.
Now a Canaanite woman came to Jesus because her dearly loved daughter was demon-possessed. Jesus was her only hope, but as a Gentile she was outside the covenant privileges of Israel. What right did she have to ask this Jewish rabbi to deliver her daughter from a demon? If she were to obtain the blessing, she would need strong faith.
She continually cried out to the disciples until they begged Jesus to send her away. So, Jesus told her that He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel. Since she was not a Jew, what else could she do? But she did not quit. She fell as Jesus’ feet and said, “Lord, help me!” Somehow through the reports she heard, she knew that Jesus was full of compassion. But then Jesus said to her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
I think most people would have given up at this point. Many would have been offended and thought to themselves, “He’s calling me a dog?” But the word Jesus used was a little dog or house pet. They had a different word for wild, scavenger dogs. The woman immediately seized the opportunity.
“And she said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.’” (Matthew 15:27, NKJV)
At this point, Jesus could no longer withhold His goodness. He said, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was instantly delivered from the demon. She had passed the test. Her faith had triumphed. I believe that Jesus knew from the beginning what He would do. But He allowed her faith to push through obstacle after obstacle until she received what she asked for.
What about us? When our faith meets obstacles and opposition, do we press forward in faith? Or do we become discouraged and quit? We purchased land to build our church in 2003. Through the years my constant prayer has been, “Whatever comes our way, make us intrepid (having resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance).” By prayer and perseverance, we are seeing God grant to us the desire of our hearts. But it hasn’t been quick or easy. In the process, God is strengthening our faith as a church, and He will receive all the glory when it is built!
What is your heart’s desire today? Will you bring it to Jesus and persevere in faith until the blessing comes? That is the lesson we receive from this Gentile woman.