Matthew 15:21-28

²¹ And after Jesus went away from that place, he withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

²² And see, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is badly demonized.”

²³ But he did not respond to her with a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus responded to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it become for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. _________________________________________

great faith

The disciples’ little faith is now contrasted with this Canaanite woman’s great faith. Note that they had all the teaching and experience with Jesus. All she had was a need. They did miracles by his direct authority. She had no authority and did no miracles. All she could do was seek deliverance for her daughter. Yet, in the end, it was her faith which Jesus proclaimed as great.

1. Her faith did not focus on itself. She sought the solution to her problem in Jesus, not her faith. She could have had all the faith in the world, and it would have counted for nothing if she had not sought out Jesus.

2. Her faith was persistent. She cried out to Jesus, and when he did not answer, she kept pestering the disciples until they brought the matter again to Jesus. How easy it is for little faith to give up. But great faith keeps PUSHing – praying until something happens.

3. Her faith was humble faith. Some teach as if faith is a power that one has to develop, then can unleash it to gain health and prosperity. She humbly admitted that she had no clout with the Lord. She was simply a dependent puppy, waiting for table scraps, because she would not even consider herself a child of God.

LORD, increase our faith, not to give us clout or power, but so that you can show yourself as the glorious object of great faith.