WHEN THE LORD IS SILENT
Matthew 15:21-29
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 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.\”
23 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.\”
24 He answered, \”I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.\”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. \”Lord, help me!\” she said.
26 He replied, \”It is not right to take the children\’s bread and toss it to their dogs.\”
27 \”Yes, Lord,\” she said, \”but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters\’ table.\”
28 Then Jesus answered, \”Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.\” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
This text is also presented in Mark 7:24-31 which gives more information
Mark 7:24-31
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
I take my subject from verse 23
“AND HE ANSWERED HER NOT A WORD”
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN JESUS IS SILENT?
Let me give you some background for this text.
Jesus spent most of His time in the cities around the area of Galilee near His hometown.
His preaching and teaching drew large crowds because He healed their sick where
ever He was. In addition, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law from Jerusalem
came down to find fault with His teaching to condemn Him.
Have you ever wanted to get away from the problems of your life and just have
some quiet time alone? Just have some peace to get your mind together.
The text presents Jesus in this stressful situation. He just needed to get away from the
crowd. He traveled with His disciples uphill 50 miles to the Mediterranean coast in the area of Tyre and Sidon.
Galilee is 686 feet below sea level. The mountain is 1400 feet above sea level
To get to Tyre and Sidon Jesus traveled on a road up the mountain and then back down
the mountain to get the port cites of Tyre and Sidon. This is a 50-mile trip one way.
Jesus traveled to a place where the people were worshipers of Baal and Astarte
He traveled with His disciples to a place where He would not be known, to get away
from the crowd. He went to these Gentile cities for some quiet time.
Did I tell you that Jesus and His twelve disciple traveled up the mountain
then down the mountain to the sea?
Did I tell you it was 50 miles one way? Did I tell you it would have taken 3 days
to go from Galilee to Tyre and Sidon? Did I tell you that Jesus did no ministry
during the trip to Tyre? Did I tell you it was supposed to be a secret trip?
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP? I AM GLAD YOU ASKED.
As soon as Jesus arrived, He went into a house to hide out. But the word got out that He was there. It would been obvious to the city folk that this group of 13
men were visiting from somewhere. You can’t just slip into a city all dusty from
a trip and nobody notices. They had to check into somebody\’s house or Inn.
PREPARING TO MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE
A mother came out of the area with a prayer request.
Her daughter was demon-possessed. She had one of them
kids who was unruly and destructive. You know one of them kids that was constantly
having a temper tantrum. You know one of them kids throwing and breaking stuff.
You know one of them kids that was in trouble all the time. One of the kids that
gave you a headache all day long. You know one of them kids that a belt whipping
made no difference.
She had heard about Jesus. She may have even witnessed some of his miracles.
Since He cured other folks, she became convinced Jesus could cure her child.
She probably had tried all her idol gods to no avail. She heard Jesus was in town and
she came crying after Him.
Jesus and His disciples must have been walking around town because the text says
she came crying after them. It is in verse 23.
The woman had some background on this doctor. She knew all the right words.
I don\’t know whether she knew Jesus or just knew what He could do.
I don\’t know if she knew Jesus as Lord or just called Him that to get his attention.
The fact is she was convinced, Jesus could heal her daughter.
The evidence is Jesus made a 50-mile trip to get to her, a Gentile idol god worshiper.
That’s my first point in the text
JESUS IS PREPARING TO MEET YOU WHERE YOU ARE
She cried out, Lord Son of David have mercy on me. My daughter is demon-possessed.
She stated her case. You would think Jesus having made a 50-mile trip from Galilee up a mountain road and down the mountain, would have addressed her immediately.
She cried out to Jesus, but the text says:
He answered Her, not a Word.
THERE IS A REASON FOR GOD’S SILENCE
This was unlike Jesus. Jesus heard the prayer but said nothing. What was He up to?
Jesus is always up to something regarding you.
Jesus\’ disciples spoke up. Send her away, she is making too much noise.
I think Jesus\’ reason for not saying anything was twofold. He used the situation to teach His disciples a lesson and to teach the needy mother a lesson.
The disciples were quick to send the lady away. They dismissed her problem as unimportant.
They were too busy following the church, that they could not be the Church. They knew
Jesus wanted some quiet time, so they ignored, and diminished the worth of this suffering, crying mother. They showed no compassion for a mother and child in need.
She was a Gentile, not a Jew. She may have been Black. The Phoenician people
of the area had an African stock and a Syrian stock. The text says she was Greek.
The disciples may have been biased, prejudiced, or racist. We did not see Peter denying the service of Jesus in healing his mother. Peter brought Jesus to his house. They did not treat this mother with compassion. They didn\’t consider her as their neighbor.
Jesus allowed His disciples to show their bias and lack of compassion for the mother’s
daughter. Jesus led the disciples to the Gentile area to show them their mission.
They needed to understand that God is no respecter of a person.
Jesus will meet you where you are. Jesus will meet you in your
darkest hour. Jesus will meet you in the hospital. Jesus will meet
you on the job. Jesus will meet you deep in sin. Jesus will meet
you in the courtroom. Jesus will meet you when your bank account
is empty.
Jesus met this Phoenician woman in her city, 50 miles away from
area of ministry.
GETTING YOU TRAINED TO BE BLESSED
You may wonder why you have so many problems. God uses your
problems to train you. Train up a child in the way he should go.
God is the parent, and you are His children. We are all in a training
program.
God used the mother’s demon-possessed child to draw her to Jesus. Sometimes your
problems are a blessing in disguise. Your problem is your training program.
The text says she came out. The only way to get us out of a dark situation is to
present us with problems near and dear to us that we can\’t handle. A problem so
heavy that your heart breaks with sadness. You are hurting on the inside for
someone you love.
Allowing His disciples to speak first with a negative tone, may cause the mother
to question her confidence in Jesus. The disciples\’ negative response might have
sparked a fire that produced a flame for Jesus. The minimizing of the woman’s
need may have made her more determined to see Jesus.
The text says she followed after Jesus crying for help. Lord. Master, Son of David.
The more you say a word, the more it will be fixed in your mind
He was the Son of a King. The more you say it the more you will believe it.
Matthew 15:23
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.\”
Why didn’t the disciples urge Jesus to help her? Why didn’t the disciples see the
woman\’s daughter as worthy of Jesus\’ help?
Maybe Jesus\’ silence was purposed to keep her calling His name.
If you want a relationship with Jesus, He is worth the trip. He came to her area
not to ignore her but to draw her from idol gods, Baal and Astarte.
She came out of her darkness toward the marvelous light.
She had a prayer of desperation. She had a prayer of hope
Baal couldn’t help. Astarte couldn’t help. Jesus was her help
She had a prayer of love. She had a prayer of faith
She had heard or witnessed the miracles of Jesus.
It was a prayer back with her knowledge of the power of Jesus
She was a Greek, not a Jew. It was a prayer from the wrong race at the right time.
Why did Jesus answer not a word on her request?
It allowed Satan to step in through the mouths of Jesus\’ disciples.
It planted seeds of doubt in the situation
Jesus\’ answer planted more doubt.
Matthew 15:24
24 He answered, \”I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.\”
This appears to be another rejection. It appears to be a confirmation of His
disciples minimizing her daughter\’s illness.
If that was the case, why was Jesus in the region of Tyre and Sidon?
We find no sermons or miracles on this 50-mile journey.
There were not many Jews in Tyre and Sidon. They were Gentile cities.
Jesus\’ response didn\’t make any sense to me. But I am only seeing it through
my eyes.
It was an opportunity for her faith to be tested.
It was an opportunity for faith to prosper in her heart.
All things work together for our good. If she didn’t have a problem with her daughter,
She would not have gone to Jesus. The Lord presents Himself to us in our time of need.
She needed the Lord\’s help. But more importantly, she needs the salvation of the
Lord. How much do you want Jesus in your life? Do you want Him for a season or
do you want Him for all times? Do you want Him for your health or do you want Him
for your soul?
To know Jesus, you have to spend some time with Him to know his plan and His Will.
Jesus drew her with a conversation that required more explanation. He had a plan for
Israel but did He have a plan for the Gentiles? Specifically, does Jesus have a plan for
you?
Jesus had the teach this woman who He was; He was Lord
Jesus needed to teach this woman His Power and authority; He Was king
Jesus had to teach this woman to be blessed you got to have a relationship
with Him.
She knew He could heal. Why was He giving her a hard time?
LEADING YOU TO A CONFESSION OF FAITH
Matthew 15:25
The woman came and knelt before him. \”Lord, help me!\” she said.
When your family member is sick, no is not an option.
Her desperation brought her to her knees to worship Him.
Before she cried out to him walking behind Him, but now her pride was gone.
She was on her knees in prayer. All thoughts of her idol gods are out of her mind
It\’s just the woman and Jesus. Lord help me was her prayer.
She passed the negative folk and went straight to Jesus.
It is good to develop a relationship with Jesus in prayer.
LEADING YOU TO CONFESSION OF SIN
Matthew 15:26
26 He replied, \”It is not right to take the children\’s bread and toss it to their dogs.\”
What do you say, Jesus? You called this suffering Black woman a dog.
You can compare a man to a dog. We can take it. You can’t call a woman a dog
and not expect a fight. I don\’t know about you but if I ever call my wife a dog
I would be sleeping in the car on the street headed for a divorce.
Look like the conversation went from bad to worst. First Jesus ignores her.
Then He appears to say she is not the right race. Then He calls her a dog.
I don’t know what the woman was thinking, but I would expect an explosive
response from her.
Here is where I know this woman had let go of her idol worship and developed
a strong faith in God.
Matthew 15:26
\”Yes, Lord,\” she said, \”but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters\’ table.\”
When you need something for Jesus you can’t get upset with Him. You have to see the
good in His Word. The truth is we are all dogs in need of God\’s crumbs of mercy.
This Gentile woman confessed her sins while seeking God’s mercy
His word says we don\’t need much mercy from Jesus. Just a little
mercy will do.
This Gentile mother knew that a dog was a family pet, loved by its owner. She knew that the family members ate before their pets. She also knew that a crumb from the master\’s table was all that was needed to heal her daughter. She knew it was a privilege to be under the Master\’s table.
It is a privilege to be under God\’s guidance and direction. It is a privilege to be
in the house of the Lord. It is a privilege to get crumbs of God’s mercy.
God knows you. He knows your sins. He got to clean you up so He can dress you
up in His righteousness. God has a way of cleaning you up to sit at His table.
It is the Word of God that does the convicting of
your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit.
LEADING YOU TO THE VICTORY IN JESUS CHRIST
Matthew 15:28
28 Then Jesus answered, \”Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.\” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
It was not by accident that mercy met misery. It is not by accident that Jesus shows up at
your doorstep in times of need. Jesus uses your misery to get your attention.
He strings you along until you are ready to let go of your sins and let Him in.
He strings you along in your misery until you are ready to confess your faith.
It is faith in Jesus that brings a change in your life
It is faith in Jesus that brings healing
It is faith in Jesus that brings comfort
It is faith in Jesus that puts your finances in order.
That 50-mile trip was worth it to Jesus to win her soul.
The angels rejoice when one sinner repents.
You are worth it to Jesus. Are you willing to take the journey with Jesus?
We are all on a journey with Jesus. The journey got some mountains.
The journey got some rough roads. The journey is filled with trouble
The journey is filled with God’s grace and Mercy
The journey comes with God’s protection
The journey comes with God’s provisions
The journey ends with God\’s desired result, your faith in Jesus.
The journey ends in victory
The journey ends with Jesus as your Lord and Savior
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE JOURNEY WITH JESUS?
