Faith of the Canaanite Woman  

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David ! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."

23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."

24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."

27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:21-28

The story of the faith of the Canaanite woman is really rather remarkable. It was one of the first signs that Christ came for more than just the Israelites. As we follow the conversation between Jesus and the woman we are amazed at the woman's faith. Here is a Canaanite woman who readily puts her faith in Christ when most of the Jews would not.

We first find her approaching the Lord when he was on his way the area of Tyre and Sidon with His disciples. The disciples quickly became annoyed with her continual crying out to Christ on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter, and implored Jesus to send her away. Jesus, the Great Teacher, had another lesson to teach His disciples.

Finally the Lord responded to the woman by telling her that He was only sent to the house of Israel. What faith she had in Christ; she compared herself to the dogs who lick up the crumbs from under the table. Here is the whole house of Israel hearing the amazing teaching of the Lord, and yet so few responded. Then, here is a Canaanite woman, calling upon the Lord in faith after only picking up the "crumbs" of the gospel that reach her.

Sometimes we find ourselves looking upon people and thinking of one as being more "savable" than another based upon what we see and know of that person. Salvation, however, is a miraculous event that God brings upon the heart of man. Many times the people we least expect become true believers while others who we are sure would have responded, remain unbelievers all of their lives.

As believers, God sends us out into the world to be "living Bibles" to all of the unbelievers around us. Remember the faith of the Canaanite Woman and pray for all of those you come in contact with throughout the day. Pray that God would give you the grace to be a living Bible to each of them; don't think of any of them as unsavable. We look on the outward appearance, but God looks upon the heart.