Mark 7:28-29

PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER

‘And she answered and said unto Him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.’

Mark 7:28

I. The example of faith.—Though apostles entreated that she might be sent away, yet this woman ‘cries unto’ our Lord, because He alone could save her. And though she had heard Him say He was not sent to those of her race, yet she repeats her entreaty, as confident He could help whom He would; she did not say, ‘Pray for me,’ or ‘Entreat for me,’ but ‘Help me,’ as believing the help was in Himself to bestow. Our Lord was pleased to try her yet further and more sharply. But the woman, so far from being disheartened, makes for herself a fresh plea from those very words of His. She acknowledges herself a dog, and the Jews children, nay masters; but on this very ground she claims to partake a little of the blessed privileges of His presence and healing, so fully enjoyed, though so little valued by the Jews.

II. It was His gracious will to give her occasion to exercise and show forth this faith and humility. Else, if it had been His purpose from the first to deny her, He would have refused her still, for He was not a mere man that He should repent and change His mind, so that it was not in sternness He kept silence, but in order to unfold the concealed treasure of her humility and faith; and also that we might draw from her history a full assurance that, however severe and repeated the discouragements we may meet with in prayer, and in our endeavours after holiness, we have but to persevere in faith with humility, and we shall obtain in the end an abundance of blessings the more ample the longer our faith is tried.

Illustration

‘Fathers and mothers are especially bound to remember the case of this woman. They cannot give their children new hearts. They can give them Christian education, and show them the way of life; but they cannot give them a will to choose Christ’s service, and a mind to love God. Yet there is one thing they can always do—they can pray for them. They can pray for the conversion of profligate sons, who will have their own way, and run greedily into sin. They can pray for the conversion of worldly daughters, who set their affections on things below, and love pleasure more than God. Such prayers are heard on high. Such prayers will often bring down blessings. Never, never let us forget that the children for whom many prayers have been offered, seldom finally perish. Let us pray more for our sons and daughters. Even when they will not let us speak to them about religion, they cannot prevent us speaking for them to God.’