Spiritual Warfare Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 5 of 7 Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

 

Spiritual Warfare

Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 5 of 7

Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

This woman knew she was an outsider and yet she

Cried out for mercy for her daughter (seemingly for some time)

She knelt in humility before Jesus

She knew that just the leftovers, discarded food or provisions

Were enough to supply her daughter’s need

If you are tested by Jesus’ silent

Will you have the faith to keep pressing till you get the crumbs?

 

Jesus’ Encounters with Demons Part 5 of 7

Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

 

Jesus began this miracle by testing the faith

of the desperate Gentile mother who…

 

Begged Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter.

 

Jesus the Messiah says…

 

“It is not right to take the children’s bread

(a reference to the Jews)

and feed it to dogs

(a reference to Gentiles).”

 

The mother says…

 

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs

under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

 

Needless to say...

 

 She had passed the test with flying colors

and her daughter was

delivered that very instant.

 

This instance is different then any of

the other cases we read about

 those coming for healing…

 

 Jesus was temporarily silent and non-committal

in regards to a miracle of healing.

 

Jesus did not answer a word.

So his disciples came to him and urged him,

"Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

Matthew 15:23

 

 This is the second miracle involving a young girl,

the other was Jairus’ daughter.

Matthew 5:22

 

See how Matthew introduced this miracle…

 

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out,

"Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!

Matthew 15:22

 

W. L. Pettingill writes…

 

It will not be forgotten that this woman was a Gentile, and not only a

Gentile, but a Canaanite, a representative of that race which was under

God’s peculiar curse. ‘Thou shalt drive out the Canaanites’—this was the

word to Israel upon their entering the land of Canaan; and the promise of

Zechariah 14:21, looking forward to the restored land and restored temple

worship, says, ‘In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the

house of Jehovah of hosts.’ But grace is without any limit and overleaps

all obstacles. Through Israel’s failure, this despised outcast receives the

blessing of the Lord that maketh rich. It is at first a most astonishing

thing to see the Lord Jesus refusing to respond to this woman’s cry of

need. It is so unlike him, whose ears are always open to the slightest call

upon his name. But he cannot answer her. She is calling upon him as the

Son of David; and so he is, but as such—as Son of David—he has nothing

to do with a Canaanite. (The Gospel of the Kingdom, Fundamental Truth

Publishers, Findlay, Ohio, p. 183.)

 

This woman did not receive

support from the disciples.

 

…"Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

Matthew 15:23

 

One other time we see the disciples not wanting

Jesus to be bothered by children.

 

Then little children were brought to Jesus

 for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.

But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Matthew 19:13

 

Jesus fed the 5000 and the 4000

by multiplying loaves and fishes.

 

This story tells us…

 

 There is hope.

 

For even people who should

have been destroyed

for their wickedness.

 

Just the crumbs that

fall off the Master’s table

are enough to sustain.

 

This young girl now joins a number

of demon-possessed females

to be delivered by Jesus.

 

Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2…

  

When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week,

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,

out of whom he had driven seven demons.

Mark 16:9

 

…also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases:

Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out

Luke 8:2

 

This woman knew she was an outsider.

 

 Yet she…

 

Cried out for mercy for her daughter

(seemingly for some time).

 

She knelt in humility before Jesus.

 

She knew that just the leftovers,

 discarded food or provisions…

 

 Were enough to supply her daughter’s need.

 

If you are tested by Jesus’ silent…

 

 Will you have the faith to keep pressing

till you get the crumbs?

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Matthew 15:21-28 NIV

 

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

 

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

 

24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

 

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

 

26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

 

27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

 

28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.