Set Apart by Faith

Some of my favorite heroes of faith like Gideon, Jeremiah and even Moses started off quite insecure. There were others who said, “Here am I send me” like Isaiah and also Deborah, to the shame of Barak. There is such a variety of personalities and backgrounds of women of faith in the Bible. There are prostitutes, such as Rahab; mothers, like Sarah, Deborah and Elizabeth; singles, like Mary and Martha; and widows, like Ruth and Naomi. There were those who had been demon possessed like Mary Magdalene, and there was even a queen, Esther.

 

Some of them were by nature more gentle and reflective and others were women who were quick to take action. Some we’re told were very beautiful. Others, perhaps most, were not. Some had very questionable pasts while others were always devout. They were of different races, cultures, languages and backgrounds. They were very much like us today. And those are just the ones we know. They all had one thing in common….the only thing that counts.

 

Galatians 5:6b “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

 

Mary while serving Jesus chose “the one thing that was needed” and it could not be taken away from her. The rich young ruler did not have the faith to give up the “one thing” he lacked. I love how God likes to keep things simple for us.

Of course Jesus lived out this verse for us perfectly; “the only thing that counts if faith expressing itself through love”.

 

Let’s look at the one woman in the Bible who Jesus said had “great faith”. If we must have faith to please God let’s aim for “great faith”.

 

 

Matthew 15:1-28

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"

Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

 

" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"

 

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "

Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"

He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."

Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."

"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

 

 

This scripture and Mark 7:1-30 begin with the encounter with the Pharisees and Jesus’ teaching on clean and unclean.

(verse 6) God’s principles never change, and His law doesn’t need additions.

(verse 7) “You hypocrites!” The Pharisees didn’t consciously or intentionally set out to nullify God’s law, but their outward forms led them to a way of life that blinded them to God’s demand for human kindness and family love.

(verse 9) The Pharisees knew a lot about God, but they didn’t know

(verse 10-16) Jesus has something important to say but the disciples don’t get it

even though he had made this point before.

 

Matthew 12:34 For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth

In verse 17-20 Jesus gets more specific. Sin comes from the heart. The heart is the source of our true character, our purity or impurity. Your heart is what “really makes you tick”

 

After offending the Pharisees Jesus heads toward Gentile territory, probably to escape from danger. There he encounters a woman with great faith!

 

 

(verses 21-22) Have mercy on me!

 

A Canaanite woman, clearly a Gentile, comes to find Jesus. She is obviously emotional and intense, “crying out”. But what does she cry? “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” She recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah and she actually addresses Him as “Lord” three times in their brief encounter.

 

Her first request is for mercy for herself. We don’t know if she wants mercy for her own sin or because she has a demon-possessed daughter. This is the beginning for all of us who want great faith. How often do we ask first for mercy from Jesus and then from others? How aware are we of our need for mercy?

 

Several years ago a horrible event touched our hearts when several Amish school children were murdered. What was different about this event and others we have experienced in this country? The difference is the response of the victims and their families. What astounded the media and the world was how quickly the parents were willing and able to forgive the man who kidnapped, executed and intended to molest their little girls. Two grandfathers of the girls went to the wife of the killer that day and told her that they forgave her husband. The next day, the woman sent word to them that she would like to visit the children who were shot and their families. The grandfathers were so pleased and said that they were hoping she would ask to do this.

 

When they were asked how they could forgive so easily, their answer was simple. “We ask forgiveness of Christ for our own sins; then it is easier to forgive others.” When we start thinking we “deserve” something from God for our sacrifice and service to Him, we’ve lost sight of mercy. When we ask “why me, why am I suffering this way?”, we’ve lost sight of mercy. When our sins are only a few, or small and really insignificant (especially as we compare them to others), then our love is small, insignificant and only for a few. Because as Jesus put it; She who has been forgiven little loves little. (Luke 7:47b).

 

 

(verse 22b) “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”

 

Her daughter was in a very bad way. She was not just suffering, but had extreme suffering. This was not just an illness, but the very forces of Satan himself had taken hold of her. The need for help was very great. This mother’s desperate need produces a great faith. Great faith and love must go together just as with the centurion in Chapter 8, who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant who was paralyzed.

 

This woman came asking first for mercy for herself, but in the next breath asked for her daughter’s suffering to cease. Great faith overcomes selfishness. This is a great challenge for us. We start off with faith, but somewhere along the line our faith can be overcome by our selfishness. When our self-centered, ambitious sinful nature takes control, we then think more of ourselves than God or others. We can become very concerned with what others think of us or whether we are really being appreciated for our talents.

 

Maybe your struggle is with fear and fear has been driving out your love. There is no fear in love. (1 John 4:18) Great faith comes from great love. This Canaanite woman passed on a blessing to her daughter, instead of a curse.

 

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 gives us this same choice. See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse—the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

 

When my children were little, I prayed for them through the 3rd and 4th generation of our family line. The Bible refers to that a number of times and truthfully that was as far as I could imagine in my mind. I am still praying for those generations and all of our children. This thought is beautifully expressed in a song called Generations by Sara Groves.

 

I can taste the fruit of Eve. I'm aware
of sickness death and disease. The results
of her choices were vast. Eve was the first
but she wasn't the last. If I were honest
with myself, had I been standing at that
tree, my mouth and my hands would be covered
with fruit. Things I shouldn't know
and things I shouldn't see

CHORUS:
Remind me of this with every decision.
Generations will reap what I sow. I
can pass on a curse or a blessing
to those I will never know.

She taught us to fear the serpent. I'm
learning to fear myself and all of the
things I am capable of in my search for
acceptance, wisdom and wealth. To say
the devil made me do it is a cop-out
and a lie. The devil can't make me do
anything when I'm calling on Jesus Christ

CHORUS

To my great-great-great-granddaughter,
live in peace. To my great-great-great-grandson,
live in peace. To my great-great-great granddaughter,
live in peace. To my great-great-great-grandson,
live in peace, live in peace.

CHORUS

Eve was the first but she wasn't the last.

 

 

In verse 23 we see that at first Jesus ignores the woman. Have you ever felt like your prayers and pleas to God were just coming back like an echo in an empty room? It has been said that the worst punishment you can give a child is to ignore them. A child would rather be disciplined than be ignored. No one likes to be ignored. It strikes at our very worth as a person.

 

In this encounter there is a stone silence from Jesus. Why? He is not mulling over her words and we certainly know that it is not “beneath” Him to talk to a woman. He is either turning her down or trying her faith. His disciples urge Him to do something about her. The word “send away” can also be “dismiss” or “set free”. We don’t know what the disciples intended. But because of His reply, they may have thought He should heal her daughter. Jesus’ reply here is just to the disciples. Jesus makes it clear to them that their mission is to the Jews. Was this the challenge to their faith? Earlier, in verse 16, Jesus admonished them for being dull and not understanding what makes a person unclean. They had no response. Great faith is tested, sometimes by silence.

 

 

In verse 25 “The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.” With great faith comes great humility. How many people have you knelt before in your life? And then asked them to help you? Not many of us have, especially from someone we respect who is ignoring us. She calls Him “Lord” again. She is begging. She will continue to humble herself to gain a blessing from Jesus. Great humility takes a great deal of determination and Godly self control. It’s been said that, “love and pride can occupy the same space, but only one makes you free.” (Sara Groves)

 

 

(verse 26) He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” The Jews referred to the Gentiles as “dogs” in a derogatory way. Jesus has just insulted her. Earlier in Matthew 7:6 Jesus taught, “Do not give dogs what is sacred…." He has made it clear to her that she is not one of His children. She doesn’t have the right to ask for the children’s food. Again her faith is tested. Many of us have endured the “test of insults”. ( I wish I could say that I have only had to endure it once. But 34 years of discipleship means I have had lots of “tests, exams and pop quizzes” in the area of insults.) I can be a proud person by nature and find it hard to just admit that “I’m a dog.” I had to work my way through tests to pass them. My friends help me, give me perspective (and give me tissues).

 

What are these tests of the heart? --To stay humble; to not lose sight of the goal—Love; To not lose sight of God; To know that Love covers over a multitude of things; To stay honest with myself and God—“I am a dog”; To stay available to God—however He wants to use this dog and to not go into hiding until I change into something better than a dog, or to just move and not leave a forwarding address. Only God can help us pass this test. Even our faith is a gift from God…For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—(Eph.2:8). Great faith is tested, repeatedly. Remember Surrender!

 

 

(verse 27) “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” The woman is no longer emotional but is using her head. She acknowledges that He is the Lord for the third time. This places her spirited exchange within the confines of faith; she confesses Jesus’ lordship even as she argues her case with Him. She accepts her role as a “dog” and the place of the Jews. Those were the facts not to be debated. But even dogs get something and she asks for a dog’s share. This woman never loses her faith in the Power or the Goodness of Jesus. She believes so much in His power, that even a crumb will do. Had she heard about Jesus feeding the 5,000 just the chapter before and that there were 12 baskets left over? Who knows. But somehow, she knew the kind of Master He was, and that with Jesus there would always be more than enough to go around. And she never doubted His goodness! She is acting on her “Knowledge” of God and not her feelings or experiences. She believed there was power even in the crumbs to overcome Satan’s hold on her daughter. She would be very happy with the “least” He could give her. She “knew” a God whose love had no boundaries and whose blessings were pressed down and always overflowed.

 

Sometimes we struggle to believe that God will overcome the Satanic forces in our world even with His mighty hand. She had faith in a God she knew to be Good. Since Eve, Satan has been tempting us to doubt the Goodness of God. Can He really be trusted? Is He really a Good God? That is the question that great faith answers with a resounding YES! Knowing who God really is produces great love and great trust.

 

 

(verse 28) Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Jesus has not changed His mind about His mission. He was not convinced because she was so effective in quick thinking response. Her great faith forced the barrier of Jesus’ rule of first working only among His own people. Maybe you’re thinking, “but faith doesn’t always get the result we want”. Faith is not magic. It is not the power we have over God to manipulate Him. But a good, loving father is always moved by the trust of His children.

 

One of my favorite examples of faith is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel 3:13-25 Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

 

 

From that very hour, her daughter was healed, her life was changed and has been changing lives ever since. The question for us is: Where do we go from this very hour?

The one thing Satan is after in every one of our lives is: Our Faith. He will take it any way he can get it. Whether it’s pain, insults, pressure, unanswered questions, disappointments, fear, missed opportunities, or just sheer fatigue. He is after only one thing in every situation—to destroy your faith.

 

If you can envision a scenario where your faith won’t survive—it isn’t surviving now. Some of us can easily go from “Lord I don’t understand it—but I trust you” to “I don’t understand it and I want to know why. I’m not going to take your word for it anymore.” The fruit of anger, bitterness, cynicism and fear—is anger, bitterness, cynicism, fear and death. We can’t create a perfect world for our children—we have to introduce them to the world we’re in. We must also introduce them to a Loving God. If our highest goal is to be safe—we are not reaching a lost world. Do we really want our children to grow up watching us be safe? Our faith affects how we live.

 

Sara Groves also wrote a song called I Just Showed Up, For My Own Life. It’s been said, that 80% of success is showing up. This Canaanite woman just kept “showing up”.

 

God started a good work in you and He won’t quit until you’re free! (Philip. 1:6) God doesn’t leave any “unfinished” projects or people. He said He won’t let us go until His day comes. Maybe you’ve been like Jonah and just felt like God should leave you and Jonah alone. But God’s question is, “What about Nineveh?” Nineveh was an evil place. An evil place where little girls are kidnapped, sexually abused, and murdered as they plead for the lives of their sisters. God sent Jonah to their rescue to save a hurting woman, a mother, a child. He needs people to do that. He needs you and me. The kingdom of God is coming and it’s here now. Be God’s hands and feet. Let’s not just aim to survive and keep our faith. Let’s imitate this woman and go for Great Faith!

 

“People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.” (Mother Theresa)

 

Matthew 5:14-15 You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept….Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—Shine! (The Message Bible)