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Great Faith… vs. 24-30

  • The Syro-Phoenician woman… vs. 24-25
    • Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon…
      • Tyre and Sidon were to the north of the region of Galilee (modern day Lebanon)
      • Jesus challenge of traditions really upset the Scribes and Pharisees – cool down time
      • So He went up into the Region of Phoenicia where the Pharisees had no influence
      • He did not want anyone to know He was there – but He could not remain hidden…
    • A Syro-Phonecian woman came to Jesus asking for help…
      • Syria (the same as Syria today) and Phoenicia (modern Lebanon)
      • All that just to make sure we understand – she was not in any way a Jew 
      • Which makes her greeting to Jesus all the more interesting – Matthew 15:22
    • Lord – Son of David – have Mercy…
      • She first submits to Jesus’ authority – she calls him Lord / fell at His feet
      • She then gives Him a Messianic Title – the Son of David
      • She was not a Jew – yet somehow she knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah
      • She recognizes Him as the Savior – and asks for His help…
    • Her daughter was demon possessed…
      • The problem she had – was actually a problem with her daughter – demon possessed…
      • We are not told how this came to be – only that she knew Jesus was the solution!
      • Often we make the mistake of focusing our problems (how did we get where we are)
      • But when we focus on the problem – we are not looking at the solution!
      • The solution to a dark room is not to focus on how dark the room is…
      • Turn on the light – that is the only solution to darkness
      • The moment we turn on the light – the darkness is no longer a problem
      • In the same way if we focus on our problems – we find we are still in darkness
      • The moment we look to Jesus – the light comes on – He is the only solution!
      • It does not matter what the problem is – He is the solution to every problem!
  • Jesus’ gives 3 responces the woman – (2 recorded in Matthew / 1 one in Mark)… vs. 26-28
    • 1st – Jesus did not answer her at all – Matthew 15:23
      • It would appear at first that perhaps Jesus did not hear her…
      • Or worse yet that He just was not listening – but as is it turns out – neither is the case…
      • Jesus is about to show something remarkable to His disciples… GREAT FAITH
      • The disciples (Imperfect) asked Him to send her away (Imperative)
        • The woman made such a scene that the Disciples were getting embarrassed
        • They were not asking that Jesus do what she was asking…
        • Just that He would send her away (they did not get the lesson yet)
      • But the woman kept asking – not afraid of what others said – Jesus was her only hope!
        • Do we have a tendency to follow Jesus – only when no one is looking…
          • Do we tend to blend into the crowd when others are around…
          • We are not called to look like the world – we are called to be a light in it
        • That means that others may not like us around…
          • If you are in darkness – and someone turns on a light – it hurts your eyes
          • If you are doing bad things in darkness – how much more you hate the light
          • We are a light – and those who are in darkness don’t like the light of Jesus
          • They want us (and Jesus in us) to go away so the darkness can return
      • The woman knew there was nowhere else to go – Jesus was the only answer…
        • Why is it that we try everything else first – then as a last resort – Jesus
        • Going to the Word – prayer – those seem like the very last option
        • Only once everything else has been tried…
        • Then we go to the only answer that is guaranteed to work!
    • 2nd – I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel – Matthew 15:24
      • The lost sheep – Israel as a nation had lost its way – they had wandered far from God…
        • Luke 15:4 – “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety–nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?”
        • Jesus had come to find those lost sheep – those whom were scattered
        • It’s easy for us to get distracted – to loose our focus on Jesus
        • We see something pretty in the world and wander off after it…
        • Getting carried away by the things in this world – we get lost
        • What comfort to think that our Lord never lets us go far
        • If we wander off – He is always right behind us looking to bring us back
        • Jesus is never farther away than simply turning around (repentance)
      • No just any lost sheep – the House of Israel…
        • Jesus came to give the message of Salvation to the Jews… first
        • The Bible is a Jewish book – written by all Jewish authors…
        • Every prophet in the Bible was Jewish – as were all the Disciples
        • So it was to the Jews that the Gospel was given first….
        • Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.”
        • But the Gospel was not meant for ONLY the Jews… (John 3:16)
      • The woman’s response – she worships Jesus (Imperfect) saying, Lord help me…
        • None of this dissuaded the woman – she continued to worship Jesus
        • She was persistent – she did not give up easily…
        • Luke 11:9 – “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
        • I fear far too often we give up to easily…
        • God says that we are to ask, seek, and knock – and so we do – once
        • But it really says that we are to be asking, seeking, knocking – constantly
        • We are not to just go to Jesus once – we are to be constantly seeking Him
    • 3rd – It is not good to take the children’s bread – toss it to the little dogs “puppies”
      • In Jewish culture is was common to refer to unbelieving gentles as dogs
        • It was not a compliment – the reference was to wild, untamed savages
        • But this was not the word Jesus was using…
        • He used the word for puppies – it was a gentler comment
        • But it still carried the idea that what was meant for the Jews (children)
        • Should not be given first to the puppies (gentiles)
      • Even the little dogs…
        • The woman was not insulted by the comment… showing humility
        • Instead she took the comment and used it to her advantage…
        • Even the puppies eat from the scraps of the master’s (Jews) table
        • In other words she was not asking for much – she only needed the leftovers
        • It takes a lot of humility to come to Jesus for help
        • It means admitting that we are not the answer – and we need His help
        • It means being honest with ourselves– our inability to handle our problems
        • True humility is coming to the place where we realize that we can not
        • When we have humility we access the limitless riches of God’s grace!
        • James 4:6 – “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
    • Great is your faith…
      • Jesus answered her – for this saying go your way – and her daughter was healed
      • From the first – I don’t think that Jesus was un-willing to help this woman…
      • He was using this to teach his disciples about GREAT (megas) FATIH…
      • So what does GREAT FAITH look like – like the Syro-Phoenician/Gentile woman
      • GREAT FAITH – understand that there is no other answer – only Jesus
      • GREAT FAITH – does not give up – but consistently – persistently – seeks Jesus
      • GREAT FAITH – has humility – knows that we are not the answer
      • Do we desire to men and women who of GREAT FAITH
      • Hebrews 11:6 – “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith…” 
      • Let us be those who please God – who like this woman – have GREAT FAITH

Healing the blind and deaf man… vs. 31-37

  • Jesus left there and returned to the Sea of Galilee (to the south) – to the Decapolis…
    • The same place where Jesus healed the man with ‘legion’
    • A Greek area – likely Jesus was seeking to continue avoiding the religious leaders
  • The crowds brought Jesus a man – deaf and mute – begged Jesus to heal him (5 things)…
  • 1st – Jesus took the man aside from the multitude…
    • The people had seen Jesus heal before – Mark 6:56 – but this was a tough case
    • The crowds might have been ‘testing’ Jesus – or thought of it as entertainment
    • So Jesus took the man aside – to remove all the distractions – get his full attention
    • Many times in life – the reason why we don’t ‘hear’ Jesus – is we are too distracted
    • We are so caught up in family / friends / business of life – we miss what’s important
    • Sometimes Jesus has to get us alone – away from everything else – so we can listen
  • 2nd – Jesus put His finger in His ear – and spat and touched his tongue…
    • This seems a rather ‘odd’ – and unsanitary – method in which to heal the man…
    • Jesus could have just said the word – and the man would have been made whole
    • It leaves you to ask why would Jesus touch and spit on the man – 2 reasons…
    • 1st – The man was deaf & mute – Jesus touched his ear and tongue to show him…
      • Jesus could not tell them man He was there to heal him – he was deaf
      • So He touched the man’s ears to show him that He wanted to heal him!
    • 2nd – Jesus does not always do things the same way – He is not bound to ritual…
      • If Jesus always did something the same way – we would think it was the only way
      • We would go around poking our fingers in deaf men’s ears – spitting on mouths
      • Rather than seeing it was not about how – but that Jesus can heal
      • It is easy for us to get caught up in methods – and forget it is all about knowing Jesus
      • If I go to church on Sunday God will bless me – rather than going to learn about God
      • If I give to those in need God will give to me – rather than giving out of love
      • It is not about how we read / pray / worship / give – it is about knowing our Lord
  • 3rd – Jesus looked up to heaven – sighed…
    • Certainly it was not harder to heal this man than any other – so why look up / sigh…
    • Perhaps it was not the lame man – but the multitudes – that cause the look/sigh
      • The people had brought this man to Jesus – but they also were deaf and mute
      • They couldn’t hear the Words of Jesus – they missed why He had come – the cross
      • They did not open their mouths – share the Gospel – with others who needed to hear
    • We might point others to Jesus – but do we listen to our own advice…
      • It is easy to say to others – go to Jesus – He is the answer to all your problems
      • But when we have problems ourselves – where do we go – who do we look to
  • 4th – Jesus said – ‘be opened’…
    • He spoke the words in Aramaic – Ephphatha – the common language of the day…
    • No one else was around – and the man could not hear – so why speak / why Aramaic
    • Because he would hear – Jesus knew it – and the first words he heard would be Jesus
    • We may have never ‘heard’ Jesus before – maybe our prayers seem unanswered 
    • When we take the time to get alone with Jesus – listen to Jesus – we will hear Jesus!
  • 5th – The people were astonished – ‘He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak’…
    • Jesus commanded the people not to tell anyone – but the more they proclaimed it!
    • Because this deaf & mute man was healed – the multitude ‘heard’ and ‘spoke’ too
    • As we take the time to hear the Lord – others will take notice…
    • They will also begin to listen to Jesus – and to boldly share about Him with others!

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