A Gentile Woman’s Great Faith

And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” But He answered not a word, and His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 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!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. -Matthew 15:22-28

If anyone had a right to give up, this woman did. Her daughter was oppressed by an evil spirit and desperately needed to be set free. But this woman was a Syrophenician, a Gentile; she didn’t have a covenant with God.

Even so, this Syrophenician woman came to Jesus, the healer and source of power, and cried out for help. At first, Jesus ignored her. Then He turned to His disciples and said, “I’m not sent to help her anyway. I’m sent to the lost sheep of Israel.”

I used to read this Scripture passage and think, why did Jesus harass that poor woman? But Jesus didn’t harass her. He located her to see if she was in faith. God showed Him. But Jesus knew that if the woman came in faith, she could get results even though she had no legal covenant with God.

This woman didn’t quit. Hope would have given up, but her faith held on. And as a result, her daughter was made whole!

From: A Devotional for Divine Health Prescription for a Miracle, Mark Brazee, 1999