Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew 15:21. Then Jesus went thence,

He was glad to get away from the scribes and Pharisees, who had been disputing about such trifles as the washing of his disciples' hands; he was tired of the murmuring of these cantankerous, frivolous triflers.

Matthew 15:21. And departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

He felt that he would rather be with «sinners of the Gentiles» than with these Ritualistic and hypocritical Hebrews. He will get as far away from them as he well can he will go even to the heathen, for among them he will be able to do his real business, and not be trifled with.

Matthew 15:22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,

When sinners come to Christ, it is because Christ comes to them. Notice the two statements, how they coincide. Jesus «departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon,» and this «woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,» and so they met. Oh, that there might be such a meeting here tonight, between someone who has come from a long distance to meet Christ, and Christ who has come on purpose to meet that person!

Matthew 15:22. And cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

The devil had extraordinary power at that time, so that he possessed the bodies and minds of men. I am not certain that there are not instances of Satan's possession even now amongst us; there are cases that look very much like it, but in the Saviour's day there were evidently singular and remarkable possessions of men and women by Satan. This poor mother says, «My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.»

Matthew 15:23. But he answered her not a word.

Has the Saviour become deaf and dumb? Will he not hear a suppliant cry? He heard her, but he said nothing.

Matthew 15:23. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

«She is a stranger, and, as far as we can judge, she means to hang on until she gets what she wants. If thou wilt not give it to her, bid her begone, for she crieth after us.» One thing I notice that they said, which was not true, «She crieth after us.» Not she! She never cried after them she was crying after Christ, she would have pleaded in vain if she had cried after them, for all they had to say was, «Send her away.» A very different result came from her crying unto the Lord.

Matthew 15:24. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As a Preacher and a Teacher, Christ came to administer to the circumcision, the Jews, the seed of Israel. He did not go about among the nations, it was his work to be a witness to the Jews. As a Preacher, he must begin somewhere, and he chose to begin with them. «I am not sent,» said he; therefore, how could he go if he was not sent? Our Saviour had a greater regard to the sending of the Father than some preachers have, for they run before they are sent, sometimes they run when they are never sent at all; but, as Paul asked, «How shall they preach, except they be sent?»

Matthew 15:25. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

She takes a humbler attitude than she had at first assumed. She comes closer, and she is more earnest and personal in her pleading than she had been: «Lord help me.» Her prayer is shorter than it was at first; and I think that, when prayers grow shorter, they grow stronger. There is often more proof of earnestness in a short prayer than there is in a long one; glibness of speech is not prevalence in intercession.

Matthew 15:26. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord.

You remember the sermon that we had upon this text not long ago. The woman did not contradict the Saviour, she did not enter into any controversy with him, but she said, «Truth, Lord.» Whatever he says however black the words may look to her, she accepts them as true, and says, «Truth, Lord.»

Matthew 15:27. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which far from their masters' table.

When the children drop the crumbs then the little dogs which have been fondled by the children feed on the crumbs which fall, not from «the» master's table, but from «their masters' table» that is, from the table of the children.

Matthew 15:28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:

He seems quite amazed at the woman's faith, but he admires it, and exclaimed, «O woman, great is thy faith.»

Matthew 15:28. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter made whole from that very hour.

It was as she wished, and she went home to glorify the Christ, and to tell everybody how her prayer to him had sped.