05-10-2026 The Woman of Great Faith
Text: Matthew 15:21-28
Today is Mother’s Day. There are many women in the Bible that can provide an excellent example for a sermon on this occasion. There was the mother of Moses who gave up her son to save his life, the mother of Samuel who gave up her son to serve God, and of course, Mary the mother of Jesus.
But this morning, we’re going to look at a mother that is unknown to most. We don’t know her name but are told she was a woman of great faith who received an answer to her prayer.
Our text is from Matthew 15:21-28 that says: “ (21) Then Jesus went thence [departed Capernaum] and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (22) And, behold, a woman of Canaan, and came unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil [demon]. (23) But He answered her not a word. And His Disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us [in other words, do something for her so she will be gone]. (24) But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel [His mission at this point in His ministry was to the Jews exclusively]. (25) Then came she and worshipped Him, saying Lord, help me [her position is now beginning to change!] (26) But He answered and said, It is not meet [meaning appropriate] to take children’s bread [referring to that which belonged to the Jews] and cast it to dogs [Gentiles were looked at as ‘dogs’ so in effect He was testing her faith]. (27) And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table [because she took the place of a dog and admitted that she had no claim, throwing herself on His grace as Lord, Jesus now responded] (28) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”
There are many mothers in the world who worry about their children will and do anything to save them. This mother was a Canaanite, and by culture and language, a Greek. Her religion up until this point she was pagan. But her encounter with Jesus was a day of change for her. No doubt she likely had other problems in her life but at this point they seemed small. To the normal parent, all problems seem small when their children’s wellbeing is at stake. Think how much you worry when a child has a high fever.
On this day so long ago, this mother was concerned about her daughter because she was possessed with a demon. The most distressing of all parental problems – past, present, and future - is the devil’s attack on their children. This underscores the importance of praying for protection from Satan’s attacks on our children and all members.
Jesus initial response to this woman was to remain silent because His mission at this point was only to the Jews. And in verse 23 we see that the disciples were confused by His silence because they wanted Him to send her away so they wouldn’t be bothered by her persistent begging. They showed no compassion or sensitivity to her needs.
But Jesus wasn’t bothered by her at all. He had a purpose in being quiet. It’s possible to become so occupied with ministry activities that we become oblivious to the real needs those around us. This may be true, especially if we look down on people who are in need, who are different from us, or if helping those around us would cause us inconvenience. Instead of being annoyed, we’re to be aware of the opportunities that surround us and make an effort to look for ways to minister to those who are in need.
Women who know exactly where to go with their problems are blessed by God. This mother came to Jesus with her problem. She believed everything about Jesus. She believed He was the promised son of David. She believed in His deity and that He had the power to answer her request. And she believed He was interested and would answer her request.
Yet, Jesus didn’t answer her at first. The Disciples wanted her to be sent away. Yet she remained persistent despite the discouragement around her. And through her worship, her simple prayer, and His own strange statement comparing her to a dog at the table, Jesus was testing her faith. Jesus’ words to this woman don’t contradict the truth that God’s message is for all people. After all, when Jesus said these words, He was in Gentile territory on a mission to Gentile people. He also ministered to Gentiles on many other occasions. But Jesus was simply telling the woman that Jews were to have the first opportunity to accept Him as the Messiah because God wanted them to present the message of salvation to people of all nations and backgrounds. Jesus wasn’t rejecting the Canaanite woman. He may have wanted to test her faith, or He may have wanted to use the situation as another opportunity to teach His disciples that faith is available to all people.
On the surface, Jesus’ words may seem harsh and unsympathetic. But the woman recognized them as a wide-open door to God’s throne. Jesus didn’t use the negative term for dogs that referred to scavengers (the word sometimes used by Jews to refer to Gentiles); instead, he used the term for a household pet. The woman didn’t argue with the illustration Jesus used. Instead, using Jesus’ same choice of words, she agreed to be considered a dog if she could receive God’s blessing for her daughter. And in response to her faith, Jesus affirmed her and granted her request.
Ironically, many Jews would lose God’s blessing and salvation because they rejected Jesus, and many Gentiles would find salvation because they recognized and accepted Him as Lord and Savior. The truth is, the Lord always responds to faith. And there are only two people described in the Bible as having great faith. The first, found in Matthew8:5-10, was the Gentile Centurian who asked Jesus to heal his servant who was suffering from paralysis that was also threatening his life. The second, is the woman of our lesson this morning.
Jesus recognized this woman as a woman of great faith. To be recognized by our Lord as someone with great faith is better that physical beauty, professional success, or any great influence we could exert on others. Because of her faith Jesus immediately granted her request and made her daughter whole again.
If you ever wonder why your petitions to the Lord aren’t answered, perhaps you need to examine the strength of your faith. Look to see if you’re just going through the motions using words you think might be appropriate. When you ask for something, you must believe with all your heart that it will be answered. Ask yourself if your faith like the two spoken of in the Bible as having “great faith.”
Jesus wants us to come to Him with our problems, particularly when it involves our children. When we keep our faith strong and let it be seen by the world, we can help change the world. Others will notice how we deal with life’s problems, difficulties, and tragedies. It’s an opportunity to show others that when we leave our problems with Jesus, we can get through anything.
I was blessed to have a mother who taught this lesson to me in how she lived her life and through reminding me often when I came to her with a problem that I needed to take to Jesus and trust Him to work it out for me in a way that was best for me. My prayer for all of you this morning is that you had the same kind of influence in your life and lean on it every day. If you didn’t, it’s not too late to take on the faith of the mother in our lesson this morning and allow Jesus to take fill your heart with love and faith that only He can offer to you. When you pray to God for help in difficult situation, ask in the name of Jesus and I guarantee to you that the answer you receive will positively affect your life in ways you never thought would be possible.
So, on this Mother’s Day, always be thankful for the love your mothers have shown to you and use that as an example in your own life to love others – even if they may be difficult to deal with or be around.
Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.