Jesus’ Commendations 3: The Gentile Woman
This series reviews instances where Jesus commended either individuals or groups, clarifying circumstances, identifying the heart intent of all and the impact on us today.
- Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word. This study is about a Canaanite woman with a demon-possessed daughter, who longed for her child to be set free (Scripture portion: Matthew 15:21-28; Commendation: 28). One day she heard that Jesus was nearby, and although she was a Gentile, she went to Him and pleaded for His mercy and help. Apparently He took no notice of her (v. 23) and even likened her to a “dog” (v. 26). At first sight His treatment seems to conflict with His welcoming word in John 6:37; but in spite of His attitude towards her, the woman continued to plead with Him until she received His gracious commendation – “Woman, you have great faith!” (v. 28). In fact, she not only received His commendation, but also the answer to her prayers, in the healing of her little girl. She had “great faith”. Why was her faith so great? Five points to consider:
- Her faith was great because of who she was.
Mark 7:26 tells us she was “a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia”. She (a Gentile) came to Him (a Jew), and as a Gentile had no claim whatever upon the Messiah. She was outside the privileges of the Jewish ethnicity to whom our Lord first came; “a foreigner to the covenants of promise” (Eph. 2:12); yet she believed that if she came and cast herself upon His mercy Jesus would heal her child. How glad we must be that today no ethnicity has prior claim upon our Lord for His salvation! (Rom. 10:12-13).
- Her faith was great because it came from the right source.
Mark 7:25 tells us that this woman “heard about him”. Faith begins when we hear the word of the Lord (Rom. 10:17). What did she hear? She heard about His power to heal, cast out demons, open blind eyes, cleanse lepers and make the deaf hear and the dumb speak. Who told her these things? We do not know, but when she heard, she believed. She accepted the testimony of those who had spoken of Jesus. Then she reasoned, “If He is able to cast demons out of others, He is able to do the same for my little girl! He is mighty and loving, and I’ll ask Him to do it. He can, and I believe He will!” You have heard of all that God is able and willing to do. Have you trusted Him to do it for you – to save you (Heb. 7:25), cleanse you (1 John 1:7), and make you His child (John 1:12)?
- Her faith was great because it did not waver in the face of tremendous testings.
What testings they were! We need to remember that faith will always be tested (1 Peter 1:7). This woman’s faith was tested in four ways:
- The silence of Christ. In 23 we are told that she went to Him and made her plea and “Jesus did not answer a word.” He practically ignored her – yet He was testing her faith. He knew what was in every person, He knew that she had faith. He was waiting for her faith to find full expression. Notice she was not discouraged to the point of giving up by our Lord’s apparent denial. She waited and held on, believingly.
- The attitude of the disciples. The disciples said, “Send her away; for she keeps crying out after us!” ( 23). How sad that they thought more of their own comfort than of this woman’s need; but then she was only a Gentile! Yet their attitude made her more to hold on until she received the blessing she needed so much. Great faith persists.
- Our Lord’s words. His words ( 24), must have seemed to shut the door to blessing – and yet she did not accept that. Jesus meant that His primary ministry was to the Jews; but she wonderfully reacted to His words (v. 25). She uttered a quick “telegram” prayer – “Lord, help me! All that you say may be true, but please help me!” What weak faith ours sometimes is!
- Our Lord called her “a dog” ( 26). Surely this was enough to quench her faith? – yet it did not. What did our Lord mean? He meant that the “children” were the Jews, and the “dogs” were the Gentiles; in effect He said, “You are not one of My children, and My message and My power are only for them. It wouldn’t be right to give My blessing to you!” Does this sound strange from the lips of our Lord? He was testing her faith, and she passed the test well (v. 27).
- Her faith was great because she turned all these obstacles into stepping-stones. This is essence of her reply (v. 27). The woman essentially said, “It is quite true what you say, Lord; I am a dog, but I’m not a wild wandering dog any more. I am with your ‘children’, and although it wouldn’t be right to give me the food meant for them, surely you will not refuse me the privilege of picking up the crumbs that fall under the table?” She accepted our Lord’s verdict of herself, but she turned it to good account.
Matthew 15:28: “Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”
- Grammatical Usage: “great” or in the Greek, “megas” meaning, “intense; high degree”; “faith” or “pistin” meaning, “belief; trust; confidence”.
- Literal Interpretation: Then Jesus replied to her, “O woman, how intense is your belief, trust and confidence (in Me). Let it be done for you as you wish. And her daughter was healed instantly.
- Her faith was great because it was so richly rewarded.
The Canaanite woman illustrates that no one comes to Christ without first being drawn (Jn. 16:7-11), taught of God (Jn. 6:45), convinced by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:7-11) and enabled by the Holy Spirit to call Jesus Lord (1 Cor. 12:3). They come to Christ with the gifts of repentance (Acts 11:18) and salvation (Eph. 2:8, 9) – certain to be saved (Jn. 6:37) and to have all requests granted generated from a heart supernaturally regenerated therefore aligned and constantly yielded with and to God’s will (1 Jn. 5:14).
- Conclusion: To what intensity, if at all, is your heart aligned with God?
