The Canaanite woman was going through great suffering because her daughter was possessed by a demon. Her daughter was tormented, and so the mother suffered as well. A mother’s heart is bound up with her child. When the child suffers, the mother suffers too.
The Canaanite woman heard the reports about Jesus. She heard that He cast out demons in the synagogue at Capernaum. She heard that He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and even raised the dead. From these reports, she concluded that Jesus is the Son of David—the promised Messiah. She believed that Jesus came not only to redeem the world from sin and death, but also to rescue people from Satan. She believed that Jesus could help her daughter. And so, she cried out: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” If Jesus could help her daughter, then He would help her as well.
And we are no different from this woman. When a family member suffers, we suffer as well. We too endure the attacks and temptations of the devil, both upon those we love and upon ourselves. We live in a fallen world. We suffer from the consequences of our own sin and from the sin of others. We endure many trials and tribulations. We suffer from sickness and disease, from heart attacks, strokes, chronic illness, depression, anxiety, and the list go on and on.
We know what it is to have days and nights of anxious thought. We know what it is to lie awake at night wondering what will happen next. We know what it is to feel weak, helpless, and afraid.
We just sang a few moments ago: “When in the hour of deepest need; We know not where to look for aid; When days and nights of anxious thought; No help or counsel yet have brought” (LSB 615:1). And what do we do then? The hymn goes on to say, “To You, O faithful God, we cry. For rescue in our misery” (LSB 615:2).
Just like the Canaanite woman, we cry out to God in prayer. He hears you. He cares about you. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray “deliver us from evil.” The Greek is literally, “Deliver us from the evil one”—that is, from the devil.
The Canaanite woman cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But then something happens that is very difficult. The woman cries out, and Jesus answers her not a word. He is silent. It seems as though He is ignoring her.
Have you ever prayed and prayed, and it seems like there is no answer? Have you pleaded with God, and yet the situation does not change? Have you cried out in distress, and it seems as if God is silent? It is one of the hardest things for us to endure. We want God to answer our prayers immediately. It is hard for us to pray “Thy will be done” because we want Him to fix the situation exactly the way we want it fixed. And when He does not, we are tempted to think: “Why is this happening to me? Does God not care? Has He abandoned me? Is He ignoring my prayers?
The disciples wanted Jesus to send this woman away. We, too, think that Jesus is only for some people and not for others. But Jesus has come for all—even this Gentile woman.
Then Jesus says, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” It sounds as though He is excluding her.
But she persists. She comes closer. She falls down on her knees. Her prayer is now shorter than before—just three words: “Lord, help me!”
And then Jesus responds as if He was not interested in helping her. He says, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” He just identified her as a dog.
If you were in her place, what would you do? Would you walk away? Would you conclude that Jesus is not merciful after all? Would you give up on prayer? Would you doubt His promises?
But this woman does something remarkable. She does not walk away. She does not give up. She does not doubt that Jesus is merciful. Instead, she clings to Him in faith all the more. She says, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
In other words, “Yes, Lord. I am like a dog. I am not worthy of the things for which I pray, nor do I deserve them. Like your own people of Israel, I too am lost in sin—a child of Adam and Eve. I am a poor miserable sinner. But I believe that you are the Son of David. You are the promised Messiah. You are the Savior not only of Israel but for the world. I believe that you have the power to heal my demon-possessed daughter. Lord, your own children of Israel have no interest in You. You are their bread of life, but they are rejecting you. They are throwing you away. This is not right. Yet, I am one who needs your help. Lord, if the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table, then give me a crumb of your grace and my daughter can be healed. Lord, please help me.”
Jesus looks at her and says, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. The woman’s faith was great because it looked only to Jesus. Her faith trusted in Jesus alone. She firmly believed that Jesus is the Son of David and that he can help her daughter.
Furthermore, Jesus knew that she had great faith. Jesus knew that in testing her faith that she would pass the test. Her faith endured the trial and was strengthened all the more. I believe that Jesus tested her faith for our sake. She is an example for us on what to do in the midst of trial and temptation.
There are two things especially to notice about this woman. First, she is humble. She accepts the Lord’s diagnosis that she is lowly like a dog. She does not defend herself. She does not claim worthiness. She confesses, in effect, “I am unworthy. I am a sinner. I am in need of mercy.”
And this is exactly what we do when we confess our sins. We say: “I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities…” God’s Law humbles us. It exposes our pride, our arrogance, our gossip, our anger, our lust, our selfishness. It shows us that we are not righteous in ourselves. And that hurts. But it is a good hurt, because it drives us to Christ. It drives us to pray, “Have mercy on me, O Lord.” And that is a prayer God delights to answer.
Second, this woman is persistent. She does not stop praying. Even when Jesus is silent, she prays. Even when the disciples want to send her away, she prays. Even when Jesus’ words seem harsh, she prays. She keeps coming. She keeps asking. She keeps seeking. She keeps knocking.
And so also for us. Pray every morning and every evening. Pray with your family. Pray at meals. Pray when things are going well. Pray when things are going poorly. Pray when you feel strong. Pray when you feel weak. Do not give up. Your Father in heaven hears you.
Now consider this: the Canaanite woman is called a dog, and she is treated as an outsider—a Gentile from Tyre and Sidon. But who is it who ultimately becomes the outcast? Who is it who is cast outside the city? Who is it who is rejected by His own people? Who is it who is treated like a dog?
It is Jesus. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. He was betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter, mocked by the soldiers, rejected by the crowds. He was flogged, beaten, and spit upon. He was cast outside the city and nailed to a cross. He was the stone the builders rejected. While on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But there was silence.
Jesus did not throw in the towel. He did not give up. He endured the crucifixion for our sake and for our salvation.
We don’t have a God who knows nothing about suffering. Jesus suffered more than any of us will ever suffer. He died as the atoning sacrifice for your sin and mine and for the sin of the whole world. And on the third day He rose from the dead.
Dearly beloved, our journey to heaven will not be easy. We will face trials. We will face temptations. We will face suffering. The devil will attack us. Our faith will be tested. But do not be surprised by this. St. Paul says in our Epistle reading that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. In other words, at times suffering is good for us because it strengthens our faith in Christ.
And St Paul also asks: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Rom 8:35). The answer is: nothing. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). When we are weak, God is strong.
Why does God allow suffering? We will never fully know the answer to that question. His thoughts are not our thoughts. But we do know that He loves you. What God is really like is not based upon the suffering around us. What God is really like is seen only when we look at the cross. What do you see there? You see a God who loved you by suffering for you.
So, when you have a bad day… when you go through trials and tribulations… when you are attacked by the devil … when you lie awake at night with anxious thoughts… when it seems like God is silent… Do not give up. Do not throw in the towel. Do not doubt His promises.
Instead, trust that God hears you. Trust that He loves you. Trust that He is present with you always especially this morning by means of Gospel and Sacrament. He is not silent toward you. Rather, He speaks to you clearly in His Word. He even helps you to endure the troubles that come into your lives.
Walk by faith and not by sight. Walk by faith in His promises and not by the circumstances around you. Continue to hear His Word. Continue to receive Christ’s body and blood here at this altar. Here He does not give you crumbs, but He gives you His very body and blood for the forgiveness of all your sins and the strengthening of your faith.
Our journey to heaven will not be easy. But Christ leads us on his path of righteousness, and we gladly follow. There will be a day when God will call us out of this vale of suffering to Himself in heaven. Even when we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. For Jesus died for us. He is risen for us, and He has opened heaven for you and me and for all who believe.
But until that day comes and while we are still here on this earth, love your family—as the Canaanite woman loved her daughter. Help those who are suffering and pray for them. Be faithful in the vocation that God has given you whether as a spouse, a parent, a son or daughter, a student or worker. And let others see Christ in you. To God be all glory now and forevermore. Amen.
