Part 24 (1/2)
Her Character: Though a Gentile, she addressed Jesus as ”Lord, Son of David.” Her great faith resulted in her daughter's deliverance.
Her Sorrow: That her child was possessed by an evil spirit.
Her Joy: That Jesus freed her daughter from spiritual bondage.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 15:21 - 28; Mark 7:24 - 30 Monday HER STORY.
Her body jerked and twisted, arms thras.h.i.+ng the air. Wideeyed, the little girl spoke to ghosts her mother could not see, her face changing as rapidly as clouds in a sudden storm. Fear, surprise, and then a crazy kind of laughter, as though someone had stolen her soul. Dark hair stuck in gummy strands against her cheeks.
Her mother wondered what had become of the sweet child who had followed her like a puppy wherever she went. How she missed those soft kisses and the b.u.t.ton nose that had nuzzled her cheek. She had hardly slept these last few nights for fear of what her daughter might do to herself. Neither of them, she thought, could stand much more.
Just that morning she had caught wind of a Jewish healer who, friends said, had come to Tyre hoping for relief from the crowds that mobbed him in Galilee. It didn't matter that Jews seldom mingled with Gentiles. She would go to him, beg his help, throw a fit herself if necessary. She would do whatever it took to get him to listen. It didn't take long to find him.
She approached Jesus, pleading, ”Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” But Jesus ignored the woman, making no reply.
Finally, his disciples said to Jesus, ”Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
But Jesus knew it would not be that easy to get rid of her. The only way, in fact, would be to answer her prayer. He told them, ”I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Hearing him, the woman fell at his feet again, imploring, ”Lord, help me!”
Then Jesus turned and said, ”It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs.”
But the woman would not give up. ”Yes, Lord,” she said, ”but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” ”Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted,” Jesus said.
So the Syrophoenician woman returned to her daughter, who was delivered from the evil spirit the very same hour that Jesus had spoken.
Scripture doesn't describe the little girl of this story in any detail; it says only that she was possessed by a demon. But judging from similar incidents, such as that of the Gerasene demoniac, whose story is told in Luke 8, or the little boy in Matthew 17, who kept throwing himself in the fire, the signs of demonic possession were probably both obvious and frightening.
But why did Jesus seem so rude to the poor woman, ignoring her request and then referring to her and her child as dogs?
His response may sound a little less harsh when you realize that the word he used for ”dogs” was not the derisive one Jews ordinarily reserved for Gentiles. Instead, it was the term used for little dogs kept as pets. Jesus was also making it clear that his primary mission was to the Israelites. Had Jesus performed many healings and miracles in Tyre and Sidon, he would have risked the same kind of mob scenes he had just left behind in Galilee, thus inaugurating a ministry to the Gentiles in advance of his Father's timing.
The woman couldn't have known the reason for his silence, however, and it must have tested her faith. But rather than give up or take offense, she exercised her quick wit, revealing both a deep humility and a tenacious faith. It was a combination Jesus seemed unable to resist-fertile soil in which to grow a miracle. The Syrophoenician woman must have rejoiced that day to see the daughter she loved safe and sane, grateful for the life-giving bread that had fallen from the Master's table.
Tuesday HER LIFE AND TIMES.
DEMON-POSSESSION.
The New Testament teems with stories of people possessed by demons. Demons are fallen angels, emissaries of Satan sent to earth to oppress human beings and lead them astray. Under Satan's control, their only goal is to further his purposes. They have supernatural powers here on earth: supernatural intelligence - they know and try to hide the truth (1 John 4:1- 3), and they recognize Jesus as G.o.d's Son (Mark 5:7); and supernatural strength-a man possessed by demons could break away even when chained (Luke 8:29).
Though supernatural in their strength, demons are not more powerful than G.o.d or his Son. Whenever demons came face-to-face with Christ or his disciples in the New Testament, they trembled and did their bidding.
What the New Testament describes as demon-possessed people we might today depict as having an illness of some sort, physical or mental. How much distinction can be made between the two is uncertain. After Jesus cast a demon out of one man, he was described as ”sitting there, dressed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). The man's demon-possession could easily have been extreme mental illness. At times, demon-possession caused muteness or blindness or convulsions (Matthew 9:32; 12:22; Mark 9:20). We can only speculate whether today we would view these illnesses as purely physical.
It is interesting to note that demons are mentioned only twice in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37), yet over seventy times in the New Testament-all but a few of those in the Gospels. Perhaps Jesus' ministry to the sick exposed demonic activity as never before. Or perhaps Satan focused an extraordinary amount of his strength and power over the land of Israel while Jesus walked and healed there.
When Jesus left this earth, he sent the Holy Spirit to indwell his people. The life of Christ within us, as believers, is our defense against the forces of evil. We may suffer from physical, emotional, or mental illnesses that seem like demons within us, and G.o.d often uses the power of medical treatment to heal us of those illnesses-but let's not discount the power we possess within ourselves as children of G.o.d. That power forms a hedge of protection around and within us as we maintain a close relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d the Father, Christ his Son, and the Holy Spirit, our strength and comfort.
Wednesday HER LEGACY IN SCRIPTURE.
Read Matthew 15:21 - 28.
1. Why do you suppose Jesus ignored this woman at first?
2. Why do you think she didn't give up, despite apparent rejection?
3. Why did Jesus make an exception to his policy of focusing his ministry on Jews?
4. Do you tend to give up easily or persist? What does your current situation call for?
5. When a needy person approaches you, how do you typically respond? What if the person is emotionally needy-continually sticking close to you, interrupting your conversations with others, asking questions you can't answer, and generally wanting more than you wish to give?
Thursday HER PROMISE.
What possible promise can be found in a pagan woman whose little girl was possessed by an evil spirit? The Syrophoenician woman wouldn't have known what to do about her daughter had she not heard about Jesus. Somehow, she was given the faith to believe that he was capable of saving her child.
Evil spirits, unfortunately, are not creatures of a former age. We, too, must fight the evil powers in own lives. The difference now is that Jesus has won the ultimate victory on the cross. As believers, we share in his victory. He has given us authority over the evil forces that threaten us. We may still be fighting the battle, but, strange as it might sound, the victory is already won!
Promises in Scripture Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
-Ephesians 6:io Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from G.o.d, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from G.o.d.
- i John 4:2 - 3 The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
- i John 4:4 Friday HER LEGACY OF PRAYER.
Then Jesus answered, ”Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
-Matthew 15:28 Reflect On: Matthew 15:21 - 28.
Praise G.o.d: For his power to deliver us from every form of evil. Offer Thanks: For the deliverance you have already experienced. Confess: Any hopelessness about your children or others you love.
Ask G.o.d: To give you the same ”terrier-like” faith that the Syro-phoenician woman had, so that you will never give up praying for the salvation of your loved ones.
Lift Your Heart Though most of our children will never suffer from actual -^ demonic possession, all of them are engaged, as we are, in a spiritual battle. As a mother, your prayers and your life play a role in the spiritual protection of your children. This week, pray Psalm 46 or Psalm 91 for the spiritual protection of your family. Or take a few moments to pray these verses from Psalm 125:1-2: Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Imagine that every member of your family is surrounded by G.o.d, just as mountains surround the city of Jerusalem. Offer each one to him, placing them in his care. When you are worried about a particular family member, pray a quick prayer asking G.o.d to surround him or her with his protection.
Lord, surround my children like the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Encircle our family with your power and peace. Deliver us from evil now and forever. Amen.
Martha.
HER NAME, THE FEMININE FORM OF ”LORD, MEANS.