The Canaanite Woman

Day 31, Mar 6th, 2024

Text:  Matthew 15: 21-28

Introduction-The story of the Canaanite woman shows that God’s plan is to bring both Jews and gentiles into the sheepfold of his Kingdom. Jesus left Galilee and headed north to Tyre and Sidon. However, this Canaanite woman found him, fell at his feet and begged Him to heal her demon possessed daughter. Notice the obstacles this woman had to overcome: 

1. Racial prejudice – she’s a Gentile, she’s a woman, and the disciples do not want her around.
2. The silence of Jesus – the hardest thing we face when we pray.
3. The reluctance of Jesus (the disqualification of the disciples). Note that Jesus did not say no, he only said she did not deserve or merit the blessing. She was not qualified.
4. The rebuff of Jesus. Jesus replied that it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.

Despite all these obstacles, the woman persisted with her request because she knew whom Jesus is and she believed that He would meet her need. This unnamed Canaanite woman demonstrated such a great faith that impressed Jesus. There are two people in the Bible that Jesus commended for their great faith. The first was the Roman centurion, and the second was this Canaanite woman.

Life Lessons–

1. The Influence of Praying Mothers. There is under God no greater power over human life than a mother who prays for her children with an unyielding faith. The Bible is packed with powerful stories of women who prayed and changed the course of history. Examples include Hannah, Esther, Deborah, Rehab, and Mary, mother of Jesus.

The Canaanite woman persisted in prayer until her daughter was healed. As a parent, you are under obligation to pray for your children against juvenile delinquency, spiritual illiteracy, indifference to godliness, ignorance of God’s word, and lack of disciplines in homes. If this woman who was a Pagan could pray, there is no excuse for mothers today.

2.  The Persistence of her Prayer. She faced painful silence (Matt. 15:23), and then painful words (Matt. 15: 23, 24, 26). Yet she did not give up or waver in her faith. 

Did Jesus call this woman a dog or even referred to her as a dog? No. Compare two Greek words for dog. 

• Kuon – Primary word for dog, meaning Wild Scavenger (used in Matt. 7: 6 and Phil. 3:2).
• Kunarion – Little puppy, cute little household pet, part of the family (used here in Matt. 15:26). 

Notes that Jesus knew from the beginning that he will heal this woman’s daughter. Therefore, he was merely drawing her faith to the fullest expression. The woman find hope in the silence of Jesus, and many of us do not even have hope in God’s promises. She persevered in the face of discouragement. Finally, we see the triumph of her faith – “Oh woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” (Matt 15:28).

3. Her Humility. The woman remained humble even when it appears as if she was ignored and rejected. She remained respectful even when the initial answer was no. She continued to worship because she realized who Jesus is even though she was outside the Hebrew circle. To her, even the crumb would be sufficient.  

4. Effect of Her Faith on Those Around

• Effect on the disciples who wanted to have the woman to be sent away.
• Effect on her family – the children especially the daughter that got healed. Jesus told her “Oh woman great is your faith.”  Do your children and your spouse think of you like that?
• Effect on the public – the “great multitudes” of verse 30 who came to Jesus bringing the blind, cripples, dumb, maimed and many others for Him to heal them. 

Life applications

1. The silence of God when you pray does not indicate a “No” answer to your prayer. Sometimes it’s a matter God’s timing. Perhaps He wants to test our faith and bring us to the level of worship, like the Canaanite woman, and to draw us to a deeper level of relationship with Him (Job 23:10). Don’t be discouraged. Just hold on until He answers your prayer. 

2. Delay is not denial – Do not stop praying. You must persevere in prayer (Matt. 7:7-8). Remember the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18: 1-8) teaching us that “…men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (v. 1). 

3. Be patient, God is at work. When things don’t happen as quickly as you want them to, do not become anxious, frustrated, irritable, and negative. And if you’re a ‘make it happen’ person, you can rush ahead of God and get into trouble. Remember that God knows what He is doing. He works according to His schedule, not ours (Psalm 37:34). 

4. Come to God with faith (Heb 11:6). Faith believes the promises of God whereas unbelief doubts the word of God and His promises. Faith brings comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief brings fear in the midst of comfort. Faith gives us victory (1 John 5:4).  Unbelief leads us to strife and defeat. 

5. Come to God based on His grace and mercy, not on the basis of I deserve it; you have to do it for me. If God doesn’t do it, I will no longer serve Him. Remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18: 9-14). 

6. Don’t Judge by Exteriors. Jesus doesn’t judge people by their nationality, race or religious criteria. At the beginning of the conversation with the woman, He was simply sticking to His primary purpose -the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He wasn’t judging her for being a Gentile. Man looks at the outer appearance; God looks at the heart. We should too. 

Lesson of the Day. Prayer that produces great results requires faith that has been tested to overcome all obstacles and adverse circumstances. Remember the Canaanite woman.

Complied by: Pst. Eleazer Ekwue