Word of Salvation – Vol. 18 No.25 – June 1972

 

A Great Faith

 

Sermon by Rev. J. Vander Reest, Th.Grad. on Matt.15:21-28

Scripture Reading: Matt.18:1 -40; Mark 7:24-30

Psalter Hymnal No’s: 37; 121; 456:1,3,4; 450; 491

 

Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

After having spent some time at Gennesaret, Jesus went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  This was outside the borders of Palestine and in the land of Syria.  Jesus went to this heathen country in order to withdraw; in order to have some rest.  And He did not want anyone to know who and where He was.  Jesus wanted some time to rest and spend with His disciples, in order to instruct them.  He wanted some time away from the crowds and the spying eyes of the Pharisees.

But it did not work out the way Jesus would have liked it.  His fame had spread abroad and most people knew who He was even before He had arrived.  Even in that heathen country He was confronted with the needs of people.  “Jesus could not be hid!”, says Mark.  No sooner had He arrived than a woman came and asked for help for her little daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit, a demon.

While Jesus and His disciples went along she came after them and began to cry out, to shout: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”

A heathen woman living outside the borders of Israel came to Jesus, desperate for help.  But Jesus gave no answer.  He did not answer her a word.

Apparently, she did not let up and kept shouting so that the disciples could not bear it any longer and begged Jesus, saying: “Send, her away, for she is crying after us.”

This did not necessarily mean that the disciples wanted to get rid of her, for the word used in Greek and translated as “send away” can also mean “help her”.  They may have been concerned about this woman and surprised that Jesus did not help her.  So they asked Jesus to give His attention to her.

It appears that Jesus wanted to use the whole incident to teach His disciples a lesson.  For He began to speak, not to the woman but to the disciples.  He answered them, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Jesus’ first task was to save the sheep of the house of Israel; He came first of all for God’s covenant people.  After they had heard the gospel of salvation, it would break through the bonds and barriers of Judaism, pass the borders of Israel and become the “Good News” for all nations.  Yes, indeed all nations, Heathen and Gentiles alike, would receive the Gospel; but that time had not come as yet.  That would become the task of the disciples, which Jesus would give them just before His departure.  Then He would tell them: “Go into the world and make disciples of all nations!”

However, that time had not arrived as yet.

First He would have to minister to the house of Israel.

And the woman?  She was not easily silenced.  She was almost stubborn in the way she kept at Jesus.  This showed that she was convinced of Jesus’ might and power.  This showed that she believed that Jesus was able to heal her daughter.

Maybe she heard what Jesus said to the disciples.  Even so, she was determined to continue with her pleading and she knelt down before Jesus and said; “Lord, help me!”  It is a plea for help and assistance: “Lord, help me!”

And then Jesus spoke to her.

He gave her – we would think – a disappointing answer.  After having refused to take notice of her; after having refused to listen to her, He now almost gave her a rebuttal.  Jesus answered her, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Don’t you think that this is a hard answer to a plea for help?  Wouldn’t this break anyone’s courage?  Our hopes would sink into our shoes.

X  X  X  X  X

The word “dog” was often used by the Jews.  They used it for everyone they didn’t like.  Anyone who was disliked or hated was called a dog.  The heathens especially: they were called heathen-dogs!  And it wasn’t exactly a compliment either to be called a dog.  The Jewish street dogs were dirty, savage, ugly and disease ridden.

But note!  This was not the word used by Jesus.  Jesus uses a diminutive.  He actually says “doggy!” He is speaking about the little house-dog; the pet which is looked after and kept in the home and which is fed by the kids with the left-overs from the table.

Jesus used a much milder word than appears at first; yet we might still consider this a rather humiliating answer .  So let us look a little closer at this answer Jesus gave.  First of all, we must note that Jesus said; “It is not fair!”  He does not say it is not possible or it is not right, but it is not fair.  One will hardly take the children’’s bread and throw it to the dogs!

Jesus said this to make it clear that the time had not come as yet, to take care of those outside Palestine.  He first of all, must work for and help His own people.  After that He will turn to the nations.  One first feeds the children and then after that one turns to the little doggies.

Congregation, how great is this woman’s faith!  Note her reaction to Jesus’ words.  She did not feel hurt, she was not insulted or offended.  She accepted this answer including its humiliating aspects.  And understanding the figure of speech which Jesus used, she answered even with wit, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

She agreed with the Lord: “Of course one does not give the food that belongs to the children to the dogs, even when they are pets; but don’t doggies also eat the crumbs that fall on the floor from the table?”

The woman fully understood that Jesus was first of all the great prophet for the people of Israel.  Yet, at the same time she saw an opening, a ray of light.  There was just that small possibility.  If only she could receive some of the crumbs, some of the left-overs, something of that which was to spare.

It is as if the woman said; “Yes Lord, I know that you are the wonderful Master and the Master of Wonders, for the people of Israel; but could You spare me just a little of your power and heal my daughter?”

Then Jesus exclaims: “O woman, great is your faith!”  And this Congregation, must have been the underlying reason, the real reason, why Jesus gave such an apparently harsh answer; in order to awaken this deep faith in this woman.  Jesus did not want to be nasty to her; Jesus did not want to exclude her from His saving and healing work.  Jesus tested her faith and in that way made it stronger.  Despite refusals, rebuttals and a humiliating answer, her faith in Jesus and Jesus’ power is unmoved and even increased in strength.  Therefore Jesus granted her the request she made and says full of assurance:
            “O, woman, great is your faith!
             Be it done for you as you desire.”

And her daughter was healed instantly.

All this, congregation, may strike us as a rather interesting story, but what do we learn from this text?  What is God’s Word teaching us here?

This text teaches us much about faith.

For this heathen woman was an example for the people of Israel who did NOT display such great faith.  This is one of the reasons why Matthew tells us this incident so fully in his gospel.

This text, Brothers and sisters, young people, teaches us to have faith.  We need a faith that is unmoveable, strong and persevering.  Jesus wants us to have a faith that fully trusts in Him, in His power and that does not collapse under the first testing or trial.

This text teaches us to have a faith which, like that of the Syrian woman, is daring, trusting, humble and prayerful.

That heathen woman was not afraid to go to Jesus.  She knew Jesus was a Jew and she a heathen.  She realized that there was quite a barrier between them.  Yet, this did not deter her; this did not frighten her away.  She had courage, she dared to go to Jesus and ask for help.

Maybe there are barriers in your life – barriers between Jesus and you.  Do these barriers keep you away from Jesus?  Are you afraid to go to Jesus?  Don’t be afraid!  Take courage and ask Him for help!

That heathen woman had a trusting faith.  That Syrian woman was so convinced that Jesus could help her and heal her daughter that she did not let up; she kept at Jesus knowing that the Lord could do it.  Despite the rebuttals, refusals and the humiliation she continues to place her trust in Jesus.

Does this mean that we must always continue to nag the Lord, like a nagging child that does not let up until its wish is fulfilled?  No, certainly not.  But nagging is different from continued pleading with a trusting faith.  Nagging is always to fulfil selfish demands; trusting faith will continue to pray for that which is God-glorifying.

That heathen woman also had a humble and prayerful faith.  She was not a proud woman, she does not say, “Oh, well, if I cannot get it on my terms then I don’t want it!”  Nor did she lay down the rule for Jesus.  No, she comes humbly asking only for the crumbs, the left-overs.  She asked for something that was to spare.  She was not greedy nor demanding, nor proud.  She came with a prayerful, humble faith to Jesus and pleaded:
            “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David…..!”

Quite likely the woman knew a great deal about Jesus, for otherwise she would not have called Him Son of David.  At the same time she also knew about herself.  She knew that she was unworthy and she showed it in her behaviour and attitude.  She knelt before Him and pleaded: Lord have mercy on me.

Jesus replied: “O woman, great is your faith!”

How do WE compare with this, congregation?

Are we not often Christians without faith?  Don’t we often refuse to go to Jesus?  Don’t we often think too little of Jesus’ power and Jesus’ grace?  Don’t we often lack the trust, the confidence and the assurance of faith?

That Syrian woman was convinced that the Lord could do it.  Aren’t our hearts often filled with doubt and pride?

This text not only gives an example by which we can compare our life, our faith.  Here we also see that Jesus showed himself as Lord and King.  Jesus showed here that He was and still is, the Master, the God-Man, the miracle-worker.  In short Jesus showed himself as the Messiah with Messianic powers.  Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah also for the non-Jew.  To Him all people, Jews, Gentiles and heathen are all sinners in need of His redeeming power and forgiving grace.

And by helping this woman the Lord himself begins to break down the walls of Jewish exclusionism.  The first ray of the bright light of the gospel for all nations is seen here.  And very clearly Jesus indicated, by what he did and said to the Syrian woman, that all those who come to Him need: faith!  Faith is the all-important criteria, congregation.

The Bible teaches us: Believe… — i.e. have faith — and you shall be saved!

The problem is that we ourselves have put a lot of ‘but’s’ and ‘if’s’ behind faith.  That Syrian woman had no ‘but’s’ or ‘if’s’; she believed, she was convinced that Jesus could and would help her.  Jesus heard her and said, Great is your faith!

Of course, it is not necessary to set up a standard by which we can measure the faith of that woman and our own.  Jesus said; Even if you have the faith like mustard seed, you can do great things.  Neither do we first of all have to clear up all the problems and difficulties, nor answer all the ‘if’s’ and ‘but’s’.

We need to become like children with a child-like faith and trust in God, our heavenly Father.  All that we need to do is to go to Jesus and say; Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

Then Jesus will say – even to us – ‘Great is your faith!’

To such people the Kingdom of Heaven will be opened.

Amen.