What Great Faith Can Do

By Mary Vee
Mark 7, Matthew 15

Peter

Photo Courtesy: Google Maps plus added notations

I am a disciple of Jesus.

Jesus said it was time to leave the Capernaum area after the issue with the Pharisees. You can read about it in the last post.

We, Jesus' disciples, followed Him northwest to the Mediterranean Shore to the area of Tyre and Sidon.

We went into a house. Jesus had chosen not to tell the people who lived there who He was at that time. But, He must have been noticed. The word spread that he was there, drawing men and women to come see Him.

A woman who lived in the area, a Canaanite, came to visit Jesus. Once she saw him she cried out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Jesus didn't say anything.

She continued to cry out, calling attention to herself. The other disciples and I were unsure what to do, but it seemed we needed to get this woman to leave. We went to Jesus and asked him, "Should we send her away? She keeps crying out and creating such a scene."

Jesus said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The woman pressed closer to Jesus. She knelt before him and cried out, "Lord, help me!"

Jesus said, "It's not right to take the bread that belongs to one's own children and toss it to their dogs."

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

Jesus smiled, "Woman, you have great faith. Your request is granted." 

The woman left and when she went home, she found her daughter had been healed and that it had happened at the same hour Jesus had spoken to her.

As Jesus disciple, I have learned that everything He says and does has importance. This woman was not an Israelite, yet her faith in Jesus as the one who could heal had given her what she asked.

Jesus once said, "Ask and you will receive." But he didn't mean it in a way that we could have whatever we wanted. We need faith like this woman, and our purpose must be to bring praise to God. That is why Jesus healed the woman's daughter.

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.