Mother’s Day Message - “A Mother’s Faith”
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is 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, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 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.
Matthew 15:21–28 (ESV)
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Today is Mother's Day. A special day like Mother’s Day affords us the privilege to do what we sometimes neglect to do and that is to express appreciation for mothers. We are prone to cultivating patterns of neglect whether intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, we have a variety of days as reminders that there are some things we should not forget. One of those days is Mother’s Day for it reminds us to acknowledge and recognize the contribution of mothers. We wish you a marvelous day of appreciation with love and kindness to all mothers, biological, adoptive, foster, stepmoms, surrogates, or nannies who serve as mothers.
We had a virtual zoom mother’s day program on Saturday, May 8. Members of our congregation were asked to send in pictures and a brief description of their mom.
There are a lot of demands of mothers. They are expected to be homemakers, raise well-mannered, successful children, prepare meals, create an enjoyable environment and you name it. It's got to be the toughest job in the world. Just think of what’s expected of her in our success-driven society:
Have a successful career / Keep the house spotless / Raise perfect children
Be a great cook / Look like a model /Be a charming hostess and conversationalist to name a few.
However, this thing about pressure on moms is nothing new. Eve was blamed for original sin and she had one son who killed his brother. Hagar, Abraham’s handmaiden, had a son by him. She was sent away by Abraham with her boy, Ishmael—and they almost died in the desert. Jochebed (joke ebed) was the mother of Moses; Egyptians were killing all male Hebrew babies to curb the population and she in the interest of saving her child, placed Moses in a basket and let it loose on the river. Mary, mother of Jesus: there was no room for her in the Inn; her baby was born in a stable, she had to flee to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath; Finally, Mary had to watch him falsely accused and be crucified.
Consider the demands that you can remember placed on your mother and mothers in general.
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21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” Matthew 15:21-22
The passage read in your hearing from the gospel of Matthew depicts a scene about a mother who comes to Jesus. As the scene unfolds we find that she demonstrates remarkable resilience which ends with Jesus saying, "Woman, great is your faith." She was a Canaanite woman who came from the country north of Palestine—a country hostile to the Jews. All we know is that she came to Jesus after hearing that he was where she could get to him. She was a mother whose child was possessed and she sought Jesus to help her child. We don’t even know her name! This anonymous mother exemplifies faith that is recognized by Jesus as great. Imagine the unnamed, unrecognized mothers that have great faith.
This woman acknowledges who Jesus is by addressing him as, "Son of David." Jesus does not answer her. The disciples are annoyed by her persistence and want him to send her away. Jesus says, that "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Sounds discriminatory, yet she continues in conversation until she is granted what she desires.
The Canaanite woman came to Jesus crying, "Have pity upon me Son of David!" It is the only occasion on which Jesus was ever outside of Jewish territory: the land of Tyre and Sidon north of Galilee where the hated Phoenicians, the enemies of the Jews, lived. What is implied here? Did it foreshadow the spread of the gospel to the whole world? Was it the beginning of the end of the geographical barrier to his message? Could it be that even enemies should have the gospel of Christ proclaimed to them? Could it be that Jesus is a bridge-builder who brings those who are divided together?
Consider what it means to be a single mom of faith and having full responsibility for making a life for your child.
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23 But he did not answer her word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” Matthew 15:23
The disciples reacted to the woman with irritation. It is so easy for those who think their privilege is for them alone and others are not entitled to receive the same privilege. We are living in a politically divisive time, where contentious, polarizing language is all too common; demeaning and denying people what everyone should have.
There were those who saw her as a nuisance and wanted her to go away. They wanted to be rid of her –consider all that is happening today that is reminiscent of the way people react when they just want to get rid of someone, i.e. voter suppression, conspiracy theories, disinformation, and labeling people so you can diminish their humanity. Even the response of Jesus seems inexplicable at first. You believe you have come to the right person and still, you are ignored.
After she pled for help in curing her daughter's possession, Jesus replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread, and to throw it to the pet dogs." This is hardly a comforting response given that calling a person a "dog" was an insult with the most contemptuous intent. Historians write that in those days, dogs were the unclean scavengers of the street -- lean, savage, and diseased.
The Canaanite woman must have been aware that Jesus was telling her that Jews considered her to be contemptible. But this did not stop her. She acknowledged him as "Son of David." The Canaanite woman was tough and resilient, and she took responsibility to overcome the barriers. Psychology tells us that resilience is a process of adapting in the face of obstacles, trauma, tragedy, and stress. One of the basic characteristics of resilience is to take decisive action. Surely that’s a fitting description of the Canaanite woman.
Consider what it means for mothers to be resilient in the face of opposition by taking decisive action to help their child.
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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, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 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. Matthew 15:24–28 (ESV)
What did this woman do to deserve such praise from Jesus? First, a mother's faith is purposeful. Here was a mother who in her need was prepared to cross any obstacle to turn to Jesus for help. She was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race (7:26). She was a Greek-speaking lady who was a Gentile. She kept on asking him to cast forth the demon out of her daughter. Matthew related that her request was formed in this way: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But he answered her not a word.” (Matthew 15:22-23) So intrusive was this woman that the disciples encouraged Jesus to send her away.
Faith still requires that we make the effort to cross whatever barriers may stand in our way. What barriers, you say? She crossed great barriers. She was a woman / She was a Gentile / She was a Canaanite, Syrophoenician by race / mixed-race / Syrians and Phoenicians.
She was desperate. Desperate times require desperate measures. Actions that might seem extreme under normal circumstances are appropriate during adversity. She knew that she wasn’t doing all right by herself. She had presumably tried other ways and they had all failed. Now she would seek help from Jesus.
She was motivated by the love for her child. Love made her accept Jesus’ silence and yet still appeal to Him; love made her suffer apparent rebuffs from the disciples. Love caused her to respond in ways that would make a different outcome from what she had been experiencing. Her love drove her to be deliberately purposeful.
Purpose propels you to get beyond what hinders your accomplishing what is important to you. Purpose pushes you to do what you can even when you are not considered a part of their clan. What purpose does your life fulfill? What end does it achieve? To what goal does it strive? Toward what aim does it drive? A purposeful faith is one that drives, guides, inspires, and motivates people to do whatever they can to fulfill what is in the best interest of those they love.
Mothers are coming together who keep experiencing the tragedy of their children’s plight. Their purpose is to make of their world a place where their children can have an opportunity to be treated fairly. The recent deaths of unarmed African Americans by police is appalling. Mothers who are the victims of these senseless occurrences are coming together to seek justice for these atrocities.
She saw in Jesus a compassion that would not turn her away. She believed in his ability and willingness to help. The measure of our faith is conditioned by what we see in Jesus.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Consider how a mother’s love propels her with an unrelenting desire to fulfill the purpose of getting help for her child.
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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, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 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. Matthew 15:24–28 (ESV)
Second, a mother's faith is persistent. There were at least 3 intimidating factors that required her to be persistent.
1.) Silence of Jesus (v.23). She didn’t perceive it as indifference. She reached behind it and spoke with faith when she addressed him as “Son of David.”
2.) Rebuke of the disciples (v.23). “And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” She went over their heads to the Lord himself!
3.) Behavior of Jesus (v.24). What he said in effect was, “Sorry Madam, but you don’t belong to the right group; you have no claim on me.” She didn’t try to analyze his response. She simply refused to be put off by it. She let her need speak for itself. She fell at His feet and cried, “Help me, Sir.” That’s the essence of all great faith—to stretch out your hand to Jesus in desperation.
She possessed a kind of dogged determination that would not take ‘no’ for an answer.
Washington Irving states: “The love of a mother is never exhausted. It never changes—it never tires—it endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s condemnation, a mother’s love still lives on.”
Persistence is the hallmark of godly-motherhood. She was persistent and did not let obstacles prevent her: not the insults of others, the division between her race and Jesus’, the different locations of their residences.
She would not be discouraged when Jesus did not respond to her cry for mercy:
“But He answered her not a word.”
She would not be discouraged by the contempt shown her by Jesus’ disciples:
"And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, ’Send her away, for she cries out after us." Matthew 15:23
She would not be discouraged by what Jesus declared: “But he answered and said, ’I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." “Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, ’Lord, help me!" Matthew 15:25 One of the most powerful prayers that anyone can pray is embodied in these three words: “Lord, help me!” A person must lay aside all contempt and all confidence to be able to cry out this three-word prayer, “Lord Help Me!”
Consider what it means for a mother’s faith to be persistent against the odds to get her child the help she needs.
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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, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 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. Matthew 15:24–28 (ESV)
Third, a mother's faith perseveres. ’It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs." Matthew 15:26 She relied on the GRACE of Jesus. When our Lord told her that it didn’t seem right to take bread from the children of Israel and throw it to the little dogs of the Gentiles, she didn’t burst into tears and walk away. Instead, she gave Jesus an answer that must have excited Him! The Greek word employed by Jesus was “kynarion,” which is best translated “little dogs” (household pets), rather than the scavenging mongrels that roamed the streets and waysides of that day.
She said, “True, Sir. I admit that I have no claim on you, but there must be some extra grace—some grace that I don’t deserve, and I’m appealing to you for that grace.” No wonder Jesus replied, “Woman, you have great faith.” No wonder from that moment her daughter was made whole. This mother possessed great faith because she circumvented the barriers that would have prevented her from getting the help she needed for her daughter. Every obstacle and opposition may be conquered by faith through prayer.
So, don’t despair when faced with a problem. Cross the barriers to Jesus. Persist in your belief. Receive the extra grace which the Lord offers freely to all whosoever will come in sincerity. The Canaanite woman grasps what the crowds and disciples fail to understand and perceive - that the good news belongs to everyone even those considered outsiders.
What an unbelievable statement of faith this is in face of such little outward evidence for hope. For on three occasions, Jesus seems to turn her away. First, he remains silent after her initial plea, and then only answers her after the disciples insist that he send her away. After making another, more insistent plea, Jesus makes a statement that seems to reinforce the disciple’s desires that she give up asking and just go away. But then it is her third plea that changes everything and for such a wise reply, Jesus grants her request and her daughter is healed.
The Canaanite woman teaches us a great deal about the nature and practice of faith. Take just a moment and consider her situation. The woman’s traditions and her people’s history offered her little comfort when confronted with a crisis much bigger than her herself. They told her to not expect anything from the Jewish rabbi. They told her that the Jews cannot offer her any help according to their own traditions and laws. And yet, this woman persisted and pushed through conventional wisdom and refused to give up. Her reward was a gift of divine mercy and the discovery of a God who gives unending grace to those who ask.
And look at how this woman behaved at her darkest hour. She answered Jesus’ silent and initial replies by continuing to beg for his help. She essentially says: “I admit that I am no more than a household pet, Jesus. But even household pets are granted mercy from their masters’ table. Even they are permitted to eat up the scraps that fall from their children’s plates. So I don’t believe that you will not do anything more for me, Jesus, because I know you are merciful. I’ve heard how you’ve helped other Gentiles. I’ve heard about the mercy you’ve shown for your people. I believe in your Gospel and so I refuse to believe that you will not help me in my distress just as your Father helped the Syrian widow and her son, (1 Kings 17:67-24), and helped Naaman the leper, (2 Kings 5:1-19), through the prophet Elisha.
Jesus was delighted with her answer. He happily granted her request and we are forever blessed with her brave example. This desperate mother pushed through her fear and believed. She expressed faith in the face of her Lord’s seemingly indifference and was rewarded beyond her expectations when Jesus healed her daughter with but a word.
Consider what it means for a mother’s faith to persevere beyond whatever hinders her from getting her child the help she needs.
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Moms! I want to tell you that the world can be changed by women of great faith!
One child at a time, the world can be a different place.
Keep praying! Keep believing! Keep coming to Jesus!
Keep waiting on Jesus for the crumbs to fall from the table and the extra grace that is waiting for your request.
Continue with a purposeful faith, a persistent faith, and a persevering faith so you too can get the extra grace that you don’t deserve, but appeal to receive, to accomplish what to relieve.
Consider the mothers you know whose faith has been purposeful, persistent, and persevering to do what is in the best interest of their children, including yourself.
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Los Angeles, CA 90011
Phone: (213) 748-0318
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