Tabor Baptist Church

• Jesus had opposition from the pharisees and the scribes - their teaching and laws had departed from Scripture
• The passage today is a huge contrast
• The Pharisees lived near the means of grace
• This woman lived outside Jerusalem and was not a Jew
• Had a young daughter severely demon possessed (Matt 15:22, Mark 7:25)
• This woman had great faith (Matt 15:28)
• She recognised that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah - she calls Him "Son of David" (Matt 15:22)
• The Pharisees didn't recognise this
• This woman has great knowledge, great insight, great faith
• Jesus honours this woman's faith

Barriers to Faith

• Her background and culture
• She was descended from Canaan (Matt 15:22)
• Canaanites were Baal worshipers
• She was a Greek from Syro-Phoenicia
• She was not from a Jewish family worshiping Jehovah
• She worshiped other gods
• Her thinking would have been shaped by how she was brought up
• Jesus has come not to preach to the masses
• He came to Tyre and Sidon and entered a house and wanted no-one to know (Mark 7:24)
• Jesus wasn't in a rush to fulfil His mission
• This must have seemed a barrier to this woman
• Jesus answered her not a word (Matt 15:23)
• Did the Lord Jesus not have any time for her?
• The disciples urged Jesus to send the woman away (Matt 15:23)
• They see her as someone who is getting in the way and as someone who is disturbing them
• The disciples were unkind, unloving and uncompassionate towards her
• The words of Jesus
• "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt 15:24)
• Yes there had been examples where Jesus had ministered to Gentiles but the message was to the Jews
• There would come a time for the Gentiles
• "Let the children be filled first" (Mark 7:27)
• Her personal circumstances
• Have you ever come across anyone that is bitter towards God because of their home circumstances
• This woman had a severely demon possessed young daughter
• How this happened we are not told - perhaps the family had been involved in dark worship
• How this affected the daughter we are not told

How these barriers are overcome

• Background and culture
• Nothing can be done to change this
• What might it be like if we were brought up into another culture
• It is not about place or race but about grace
• In the Old Testament there is prophesy about Ethiopia and Tyre finding faith
• Psalm 87:3-4
• God is not limited by boundaries or place
• Think of Jonah and the city of Nineveh
• What about places today with unreached peoples?
• God had purposes for every tribe and tongue and nation
• The people from Tyre and Sidon had previously come to hear and see Jesus (Mark 3:8)
• Perhaps she was one of these people?
• What about you?
• You could say we live in a pagan society
• We live in a country which to a certain extent is under the restraining grace of God
• What do we do with the privilege we have?
• Do we respond like this woman?
• Jesus has come not to preach to the masses
• Do you ever say 'it's not my time'
• The Bible says 'today is the day of salvation'
• Jesus answered her not a word
• You've prayed sincerely but not heard anything
• Do you give up or continue earnestly in prayer?
• The disciples urged Jesus to send the woman away
• Maybe you have met the wrong Christians or unkind or ungracious Christians
• This should be a minority situation - all Christians should be full of grace and love
• We need to pray that we would be kind, patient, speak appropriately
• This woman didn't let the bad example of others put her off
• Her eyes weren't fixed on men but on the Lord Jesus
• The words of Jesus
• There are many hard sayings in Scripture
• (Many of the disciples walked with Him no more" (Mark 6:66)
• If we do not understand these sayings we must accept them
• We must put these sayings in context
• Jesus had a three year ministry
• After His death He was to leave all believers the Holy Spirit
• We must accept by faith His word
• 'I am not deserving of mercy but I will come' - Jesus did not turn anyone away
• Jesus' silence was a test
• 'Little dogs'
• In the Greek: 'ravenous dogs' - False teachers are ravenous dogs who seek to devour people (cf Matt 7:6, Phil 3:2)
• In the Greek: 'puppies' - I am to receive what I can, let the Jews feast first and I will eat what is left
• She was not offended
• She did not feel discriminated against
• She believed
• Her personal circumstances
• She was not bitter because of her circumstances
• The Lord Jesus knows all our situations
• He is able to give you grace
• You must come to Him in belief