Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Matt 15:21-28 SS Lesson for 02/07/2010

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1 Devotional Scripture: Heb 11:1-12 Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Matt 15:21-28 SS Lesson for 02/07/2010 OUTLINE INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW AND APPROACH TO LESSON LESSON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator MAJOR THEME ANALYSIS THE NEED (MATT 15:21-22) The need for mercy Because of being a sinner (Luke 18:13) Because mercy is part of God's plan (Rom 11:32) Because God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9) Because God provides mercy in our time of need (Heb 4:16) Because once we were not one of God's people (1 Pet 2:10) Because God is the only source of mercy (Ps 146:3-5) The need of deliverance from attacks by Satan We need deliverance because Satan is looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) We need deliverance because Satan is an accuser (Zech 3:1-2) We need deliverance because Satan wants to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31-32) We need deliverance because Satan knows his time is short (Rev 12:12) We need deliverance because Satan is our enemy and we must fight him every day (Eph 6:11-12) We need deliverance because the influences of Satan is always at war within us (Rom 7:23) THE DENIAL OF HELP (MATT 15:23-24) Denial through negative answers to petitions Negative answer because God knows what's best for us (2 Cor 12:8) Negative answer because sometimes it is the consequence of our sins (2 Sam 12:16) Negative answer because sometimes it takes more spiritual power (Mark 9:29) Negative answer because we don't know what to pray for (Rom 8:26) Negative answer because we have the wrong motives (James 4:2-3) Denial through bad advice from others Bad advice from friends (1 King 12:8) Bad advice from sinners (Prov 1:10-16) Bad advice from those who gossip (Prov 20:19) Bad advice from those whose desire it is to cause division (Rom 16:17) Bad advice from bad company (1 Cor 15:33) Bad advice from those whose desire it is to deceive (Eph 5:6) Denial through not finding applicability Wrong applicability of spiritual power (Acts 8:18-20) Wrong applicability of using human reasoning and not obeying God's word (1 King 13:15-24) Wrong applicability of the reason for difficulties (2 Cor 12:8-9) Wrong applicability of what to pray for (I Jn 5:16) Wrong applicability based on our spiritual condition (Isa 1:15-16) Wrong applicability of allowing our lustful desires to rule our life (James 4:2-3) THE PERSISTENCE (MATT 15:25-28) Persist in knowing that Jesus is the only help Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who has the words of eternal life (John 6:67-68) Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who has the power and guidance we need (Ps 73:24-26) Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who can provide salvation (Acts 4:12) Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 1 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

2 Jesus is our only help because He is the way, truth and life (John 14:6) Jesus is our only help because He is the only mediator between God and us (1 Tim 2:5) Persist by acknowledging unworthiness We are unworthy because we sometimes put others before God (Matt 10:37) We are unworthy because Jesus is so much more holy and powerful than we are (Luke 3:16) We are unworthy because of our sin (Luke 15:21) We are unworthy because God loved us when we were His enemy (Rom 5:8) Persist by realizing that even the crumbs from Jesus is worth more than possessions and wealth Because our life is worthless without Jesus (Acts 20:24) Because nothing can be compared to the glory that Jesus can provide (Rom 8:18) Because our faith is worth more than any worldly wealth (1 Pet 1:7) Because there is greatness in the knowledge of Jesus (Phil 3:8) Of Little and Much (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) CONCLUSION AND OTHER THOUGHTS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE NIV STANDARD LESSON COMMENTARY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR PRACTICAL POINTS FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR HEART OF THE LESSON FROM THE BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR A Gentile woman's request and Jesus' answer (Matt. 15:21-23a) The disciples' request and Jesus' response (Matt. 15:236-24) The Gentile woman's faith and her daughter's healing (Matt. 15:25-28) Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 2 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

3 Introduction Overview and Approach to Lesson The outline and detail of the lesson came from a pervious lesson date 09/23/2001. This week's lesson studies how Jesus was Recognized by a Canaanite Woman. According to the Bible Expositor and Illumniator, the study's aim is to understand that Jesus was justified in testing a person's faith before granting that individual's petition and the study's application is to exercise humility, persistence, and faith when requesting Divine aid. Lesson Introduction and Background From the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Plenty of Food for All Many have lived through it. It is an embarrassing situation. You are a guest for a meal in an unfamiliar place. You are very hungry. Your host brings out the food. To you it looks like far too little to satisfy you and the others at the meal. So as you are served, you take only a little, insisting politely that you are not very hungry but actually intending to leave enough for others. As the meal proceeds, however, you realize that there is much more food than you thought. Bowls are refilled; new dishes are brought out. There s plenty for everyone, but you already have said that you have little appetite. Your misunderstanding will leave you either hungry (as you decline to take more food) or humiliated (as your taking of more food proves that you are indeed hungry). Today s text addresses a similar misunderstanding. We know that God is rich in mercy. The good news of Jesus teaches us that no sinner is too far from God to be forgiven. But we easily fall into another way of thinking. We behave as if God s love and grace are in short supply and should be hoarded. Yet today s story about Jesus and the Canaanite woman and the healings that follow is a vivid demonstration of the opposite. God has more than enough for all who have need, no matter how far from him they seem to be. Lesson Background In Matthew s Gospel, today s episode belongs to a section stretching from 15:1 to 16:12. In this section the writer frequently mentions bread and other terms related to eating. Before our story, Jesus was in a controversy with the religious leaders about questions of purity in eating. Afterward, he fed a great crowd with only a few loaves of bread and some fish. Then he warned the disciples about the leaven (yeast) of the religious leaders. The disciples mistakenly take that as a comment on their own lack of food. So we will want to pay close attention to the way that bread plays a role in this story and connects it to the others in its context. The first part of our lesson takes place in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This area was to the north of Galilee, which was the region where most of Jesus ministry takes place as recorded in Matthew. Historically, Tyre and Sidon were bitter enemies of the people of Israel. The wicked queen Jezebel, who sought to replace the worship of Israel s God with the worship of the idol Baal, came from Sidon (1 Kings 16:31). The prophets had identified Tyre and Sidon as doomed to destruction because of their overweening pride that excluded worship of the true God (Isaiah 23; Ezekiel 26 28). Yet God had made a promise that embraced Tyre and Sidon. In Psalm 87 God pledged that one day those who belong to him would include even people from nations that have seemed most opposed to him through history. Among these is Tyre (87:4). If God s plan is to bless all nations as he promised to Abraham (Genesis 22:18), then even these pagan, hostile cities will be included. Still, that promise was difficult for Jesus contemporaries to remember. For them, the people of Tyre and Sidon seemed like rich, oppressive tyrants. Those cities had made peace with the Roman government, and many of their people became wealthy with trade and seafaring. To the poorer, more isolated Jews of Galilee, the Gentiles of Tyre and Sidon posed a threat both culturally and economically. It was not easy to think warm thoughts about Tyre and Sidon one day being saved! Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 3 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

4 From the Bible Expositor and Illuminator There are many churches in which the pastor receives unusually large amounts of criticism or opposition. It is a fact that our culture promotes a "have it your way" life that has undermined the concept of pastoral authority. Young people often lack respect for all authority, including that in the spiritual realm of life. Those pastors experience much heartache on their field of service but are often respected much more highly when given the opportunity to minister somewhere else. This fact of life was true of Jesus' ministry too. His hometown people could not get past the idea that He was merely the ostensible son of a carpenter. But when Jesus made a journey into a neighboring country, He was eagerly sought out by someone who knew the strength and reality of His ministry. Racial prejudice is an ugly trait to observe in anyone. This trait would seem to apply even to Jesus if one takes certain verses out of context and does not consider the whole account and its outcome. Properly viewed, this narrative highlights the values of humility and perseverance on the part of a mother when seeking help for her daughter from her only source of deliverance. It also shows the crucial part played by faith while engaged in that search. People who are not religious may assume that they never use faith, but that is not true. They may call it trust rather than faith, but they do depend on others to protect and guide them every day. For example, while driving a car, a person expects the highway to be there when rounding a curve or going over a hill. If something is wrong, he expects a sign or an officer to guide him around it. Those who met Jesus during His earthly ministry and felt helpless in dealing with a problem had to demonstrate a whole different kind of faith or trust. In the testing of the Canaanite woman, Jesus seemed overly harsh. However, His action aided her and her daughter and taught onlookers a lesson in tenacity. Major Theme Analysis (Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV) The Need (Matt 15:21-22) 21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 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." The need for mercy Because of being a sinner (Luke 18:13) "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' Because mercy is part of God's plan (Rom 11:32) For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. Because God's power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9) But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. Because God provides mercy in our time of need (Heb 4:16) Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Because once we were not one of God's people (1 Pet 2:10) Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 4 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

5 Because God is the only source of mercy (Ps 146:3-5) 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, The need of deliverance from attacks by Satan We need deliverance because Satan is looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. We need deliverance because Satan is an accuser (Zech 3:1-2) 1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?" We need deliverance because Satan wants to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31-32) 31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." We need deliverance because Satan knows his time is short (Rev 12:12) Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short." We need deliverance because Satan is our enemy and we must fight him every day (Eph 6:11-12) 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We need deliverance because the influences of Satan is always at war within us (Rom 7:23) but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. The Denial of Help (Matt 15:23-24) 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." 24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Denial through negative answers to petitions Negative answer because God knows what's best for us (2 Cor 12:8) Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. Negative answer because sometimes it is the consequence of our sins (2 Sam 12:16) David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 5 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

6 Negative answer because sometimes it takes more spiritual power (Mark 9:29) So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." Negative answer because we don't know what to pray for (Rom 8:26) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Negative answer because we have the wrong motives (James 4:2-3) 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Denial through bad advice from others Bad advice from friends (1 King 12:8) But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. Bad advice from sinners (Prov 1:10-16) 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, "Come along with us; let's lie in wait for someone's blood, let's waylay some harmless soul; 12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse" my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; 16 for their feet rush into sin, they are swift to shed blood. Bad advice from those who gossip (Prov 20:19) A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much. Bad advice from those whose desire it is to cause division (Rom 16:17) I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. Bad advice from bad company (1 Cor 15:33) Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Bad advice from those whose desire it is to deceive (Eph 5:6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Denial through not finding applicability Wrong applicability of spiritual power (Acts 8:18-20) 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! Wrong applicability of using human reasoning and not obeying God's word (1 King 13:15-24) 15 So the prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat." 16 The man of God said, "I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 I have Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 6 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

7 been told by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.'" 18 The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was lying to him.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house. 20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the old prophet who had brought him back. 21 He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. 22 You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.'" 23 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. Wrong applicability of the reason for difficulties (2 Cor 12:8-9) 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. Wrong applicability of what to pray for (I Jn 5:16) If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. Wrong applicability based on our spiritual condition (Isa 1:15-16) 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, Wrong applicability of allowing our lustful desires to rule our life (James 4:2-3) 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. The Persistence (Matt 15:25-28) 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." 27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 28 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. Persist in knowing that Jesus is the only help Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who has the words of eternal life (John 6:67-68) 67 "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 7 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

8 Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who has the power and guidance we need (Ps 73:24-26) 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Jesus is our only help because He is the only one who can provide salvation (Acts 4:12) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Jesus is our only help because He is the way, truth and life (John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus is our only help because He is the only mediator between God and us (1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, Persist by acknowledging unworthiness We are unworthy because we sometimes put others before God (Matt 10:37) "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; We are unworthy because Jesus is so much more holy and powerful than we are (Luke 3:16) John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. We are unworthy because of our sin (Luke 15:21) "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' We are unworthy because God loved us when we were His enemy (Rom 5:8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Persist by realizing that even the crumbs from Jesus is worth more than possessions and wealth Because our life is worthless without Jesus (Acts 20:24) However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Because nothing can be compared to the glory that Jesus can provide (Rom 8:18) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Because our faith is worth more than any worldly wealth (1 Pet 1:7) These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 8 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

9 Because there is greatness in the knowledge of Jesus (Phil 3:8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ Of Little and Much (from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary) A woman once brought two small coins to the temple and placed them in the offering. Jesus commended her. The seemingly small contribution was really a great gift (Mark 12:41 44). Hattie May Wiatt (died 1886) followed in these footsteps. She was a little girl who lived in Philadelphia near a church that had an overcrowded Sunday school, and she had trouble getting in. The preacher spoke of the day when there would be a building large enough to accommodate all who wanted to attend. But little Hattie May became sick and died before that became a reality. After Hattie May s death, a small change-purse was found in which she had saved 57 cents toward this dreamed-of building. Through a series of events, the 57 cents became much more. This eventually became seed money for the purchase of a nearby house that would accommodate the primary department of the Sunday school. God can indeed do much with little! Sometimes he may decrease our visible resources intentionally in order to demonstrate his power in this regard (example: Judges 7). But whether he grants us many resources or few, he expects faith. Jesus own disciples were amazingly deficient in this regard (example: Matthew 17:19, 20). On the other hand, a Canaanite woman of all people was the complete opposite: Woman, you have great faith! Which example are you following? A. E. A. Conclusion and Other Thoughts Concluding Thoughts from the NIV Standard Lesson Commentary Clearly, the Canaanite woman was right to have the confidence that she had in Jesus. Despite her discouraging reception, she believed that Jesus had enough to give her the blessing she so desperately sought. The love of God is stronger than any social boundary; the grace of God is greater than any sin. Sometimes we may think or act as if Jesus died only for a particular kind of people people of our own ethnic group, nationality, or social status. Or we may think that some people are simply too far lost ever to be saved. Today s text tells us otherwise. It also reminds us that to receive Christ s mercy we need to realize how desperately we need it. Concluding Thoughts from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator As Jesus approached Tyre and Sidon, a woman of Canaan whose daughter was possessed by demons came to meet Him. In great earnestness she pleaded with the Lord to have mercy on her daughter. He did not answer her, because His mission was to the house of Israel, not to the Gentiles. It was not appropriate for Him to bestow blessings on the Gentiles before He bestowed blessings on the Jews. This Gentile woman, however, must be given an A for effort. Instead of giving up after she was purposely ignored, she continued pressing the disciples to move the Lord to change His mind. The disciples became so weary of her persistence that they came to Jesus asking Him to send her away. Another way to understand the words of the disciples asking Him to send her away is to understand this as an implied request. In beseeching Jesus to send her away, they were asking Him to heal her daughter and then send her away. Jesus' reply does seem to be a response to such a request. Immediately after Jesus said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24), the woman fell down before Him and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me" (vs. 25). Jesus said to her, "It is not meet to take the children's tread, and to cast it to dogs" (vs. 26). She was evidently familiar with the Jews' custom of referring to themselves as children of God and to..the Gentiles as dogs. We should note that Jesus used a word for "dogs" that referred to the dogs that lived in people's homes as pets, not to the wild, vicious dogs that roamed the streets. The woman had no difficulty accepting that God had chosen the Jews as His people, which meant that the Gentiles were outside the circle of God's covenant blessings. As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 9 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

10 Instead of feeling rejected, the woman saw in this imagery an opportunity to receive blessing. She quickly pointed out that dogs do not go hungry; they eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus could not resist the woman's persistent faith. She believed in the Lord and pleaded that He give her the "crumb" of delivering her daughter from the demon who was destroying her life. The Lord credited her with great faith and granted her request. What was so great about her faith? There are three things that stand out. First, she had absolute confidence that Jesus could heal her daughter. Had she had any doubts concerning the Lord's power, she probably would have given up when she met with the Lord's delay. Often the Lord's people fail to persist in prayer, because they do not have a strong confidence that nothing is too hard for God. Second, her faith was great because she did not criticize the Lord for hesitating to answer her request. The first words she uttered were "Truth, Lord" (Matt. 15:27). Great faith accepts that the Lord has a good reason for delaying His response. Third, her faith was great because it revealed a great desire for the answer. Often God delays in order to test how deeply we want what we are asking Him to do. Persistence is fueled by desire. Practical Points from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator 1. The gospel is meant to go forth to the lost, not to stagnate among believers (Matt. 15:21) 2. God's irresistible grace draws people to Jesus from the ends of the earth (vs. 22) 3. Beware of those who think that some are beyond the reach of God's saving grace (vs. 23) 4. Sometimes we do not understand God's purposes, but we must trust Him anyway (vs. 24) 5. True faith is willing to humble itself without limit to lay hold of Jesus Christ (vs ) 6. True faith passes God's testing and afterward receives the full rewards of being a child of God (vs ) Heart of the Lesson from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator Faith has been described in many ways. It has been explained through the use of synonyms such as "belief," "trust," and "reliance." It has also been expounded upon through the examples of such people as Abraham, Moses, and Paul. Faith is defined in the Bible as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1). An anonymous individual defined faith as "daring the soul to go farther than it can see" (www. elbourne.org). In this week's lesson text, a Gentile woman exhibited this anonymous person's definition of faith. She acknowledged the messianic character of Jesus Christ, and her daughter was healed. A Gentile woman's request and Jesus' answer (Matt. 15:21-23a) Jesus left the region of Galilee and entered pagan territory, specifically the cities of Tyre and Sidon. While He was there, a woman whose home was located in this region approached Jesus. Raising her voice to the level of a shout, she acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah and that He had the ability to heal people including her daughter. But this Gentile woman did not receive the response she desired; Jesus was silent. The woman in this passage is an extraordinary example of faith in action. She not only knew that she had an unmet need (her daughter was demon possessed); she also recognized that Jesus was the only one who could meet that need. Believers should learn a lesson from this woman's extraordinary faith. They should learn to take the risk of approaching Jesus in prayer, acknowledge His lordship, and tell Him boldly what their need is. The disciples' request and Jesus' response (Matt. 15:236-24) The Gentile woman's presence and Jesus' silence placed His disciples in an uncomfortable position. The woman's behavior was annoying, and it meant that going unnoticed was becoming increasingly unlikely. Desiring a quick resolution to this situation, Jesus' disciples asked Him to send the woman away. Jesus responded by staling that His mission and ministry were to Israel, not to the Gentiles. In many instances, believers who are absolutely certain of God's will for their lives and live in obedience to that will intimidate fellow Christians. This should not be so! Spiritual maturity and assurance of God's leading should encourage and embolden followers of Jesus Christ to grow in their faith. Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 10 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10

11 The Gentile woman's faith and her daughter's healing (Matt. 15:25-28) The Gentile woman was not to be deterred from her mission. She knelt before the Messiah and begged for His help. Jesus tested the woman's faith. Would she continue to trust in His goodness? Indeed, the woman's response showed profound wisdom and faith. Jesus honored this faith, and her daughter was immediately healed. Believers can learn here an important lesson on the value of persistence. Their spiritual lives should be in tune with the epitaph of Gail Borden, Jr., the inventor of condensed milk. It reads, "I tried and failed; I tried again and again, and succeeded" ( Recognized by a Canaanite Woman Page 11 of 11 SS Lesson for 02/07/10