“Undeterred” (Ready to Worship S12E8)

This season on Ready to Worship, we are examining worship in the Gospel of Matthew. Specifically, we are examining the occasions when Jesus was worshipped. As you likely know, this was central to Matthew’s purpose of proving that the long-awaited King had come. In this study, we are examining the time when the woman of Canaan overcame many obstacles to worship Him. This example was likely meant as a rebuke to Matthew’s Jewish audience that was so easily distracted and deterred from worshipping Christ. Matthew records, “Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Mt. 15:21-28).

 

Her faith was great enough to overcome Suffering. Her daughter was grievously vexed with a devil. No doubt, this produced many questions In her mind. Why had this happened? Why had it happened to her daughter? Where was God? Why was God allowing it? Yet, in spite of these questions and others, she did not let suffering derail or destroy her faith. She came to Jesus acknowledging him as her Lord and her Savior. In spite of suffering, she came and worshipped Him.

 

Her faith was great enough to overcome Silence. When she asked Jesus for mercy, the text reveals that He answered her not a word. Obviously, this was not the reaction that she expected or envisioned. No doubt, some would have departed for home discouraged and disillusioned; but, not this woman. She stayed and worshipped.

 

Her faith was great enough to overcome Shunning. It seems clear from the context that the disciples shunned her. They asked Jesus to send her away because she was crying after them. They couldn’t shake her, though they were trying. Many would have lost heart and hope and headed for home, but not this woman. She stayed and worshipped.

 

Her faith was great enough to overcome Scorn. Being shunned is one thing. Being spurned is another thing entirely. Shunning is passive. It is avoiding someone. Spurning is active. It is rejecting someone with scorn or contempt. When the woman asked Jesus to help her, He responded, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”. Most commentators agree that the children in the statement are the Jews and the dogs in the statement are the Gentiles. Thus, Jesus was saying that it was not proper to take that which was meant for the Jews and give it to the Gentiles. The less than flattering description and illustration that Jesus used would have driven most to depart, but not this woman. Jesus must have known her faith was up to the test. He must have been making a point to the disciples and to us. He must have known that she would counter His statement with one of her own. She countered by latching onto the word that Jesus used for dog. Jesus used a word that referred to a household pet, and not to the vicious scavengers that roamed the streets. She answered, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. “. She would take the crumbs. She would take whatever the Lord would give. Of course, she would get more than crumbs. She would get the whole loaf. Her daughter would be healed. She was determined to worship even if she had to do it from underneath the table. She reminds me of the Ethiopian nobleman who travelled all the way to Jerusalem to stand on the outside and worship.

 

As we get ready to worship this week, let’s dispense with the excuses. Our faith needs to be great enough to worship no matter what obstacles may be in our way.