When Everything About You Is Wrong

When Everything About You Is Wrong

Last week we talked about the Jesus being the Son of David. Today I want to narrow that entire big doctrine to a single story that illustrates Jesus restoring the fallen tent of David.

Text: Matthew 15:21-28 (ESV)

• Matthew 15:25, I was “sent.” (John 3:16, God so loved the world, he sent. 1 John 4:10, John 5:24, John 5:30.) Jesus makes clear that his mission involves being “sent.” He is on mission. At that moment, his mission was to the house of Israel. He points out that she is outside his immediate mission.
• Matthew 15:26, What he means is, you are outside the tent. The house. Family. Away from the table. He is testing her faith. Pressing her.

1. Everything about her (Matthew 15:21-28)

• (Matthew 15:22) She was a Canaanite woman from Jezebel’s home town. She is descended from people the Hebrews were supposed to remove from the promised land by force.

–“Have mercy on me.” Recognized her unworthiness.

–“O Lord” Recognized his place in her life.

–“Son of David” Here’s the problem: David was the king of Israel.

Question: Is the Son of David the King of Israel, or is he for us?

• (Matthew 15:22) Her Daughter is demon possessed. Is the daughter “oppressed” or “possessed?” — When you’re in a classroom, very interesting discussion. When you live same house with a demon, you don’t care. Somehow you got the devil in the room with your daughter. Possessed, oppressed – her life was hell on earth. With a child suffering from a demon, every aspect of her life would have been affected; her marriage, other children. I don’t even know how you get childcare when your child is demon possessed.
• (Matthew 15:22-23) Jesus treats her like a ghost. He just ignores her! Reminds me of book by Thomas French, “Unanswered Cries.” A woman screaming, many people heard her cries, but no one paid attention. Turns out a murder was happening! Here, it’s not a murder, but a woman who has lost all hope. She is crying out, but Jesus just ghosts her.
• (Matthew 15:23) The disciples were getting annoyed. They begged Jesus to send her away.
• (Matthew 15:24-26) Jesus seems to say: Hey, you are not my mission. This is not your Christmas. Ever have a birthday party, and extra kids show up?

* There’s an interesting slight or slam here that shouldn’t be missed. She’s a Canaanite from Jezebel’s hometown. Jezebel was a wicked queen. To show judgment, Jezebel was eaten by dogs. So dogs are a sensitive subject in that region! I think Jesus is making an offhanded reference to Jezebel. This woman is from the people who opposed God’s prophets, and God brought gruesome judgment.

2. Jesus was

Jesus is about to give her a massive compliment. We pay compliments all the time. Jesus is only recorded paying about four compliments. He didn’t flatter people. (The woman who gave to minas, the woman who anointed him with oil, the Centurion and this woman.)

Things are about to take a surprise turn.

Matthew 15:24-18

• Matthew 15:24, knelt Proskuneo. Means to prostrate oneself.
• Matthew 15:27, She grabs on to his analogy, suggesting that just because she’s counted among “dogs” that does not necessarily mean she’s out of the house. Kids eat, get bread crumbs everywhere. Have to sweep a lot. Unless you have – a dog. Dogs eat from the table.
• Matthew 15:28, “O woman, great (Gk: MEGAS = Big/Wide/Large/Mighty) is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” Impressed him: She didn’t give up. She is, Unyielding. Tenacious. Dogged. Jesus called her a dog, and like a tenacious dog ready to break down the door – she’s not giving up.
• Jesus rewards her faith by healing her daughter.

3. She was:

•  She walked away from her culture to find Jesus.

Mark 7:26: She a “Syrophoenician” probably a worshiper of: Astarte and other pagan deities popular in that religion. Disillusioned with the idolatry, she walks away to find someone who can really help her. Jesus does put a requirement on her: I was sent to the Sheep of Israel. Covenant talk. You cannot align yourself with Pagan gods, and just throw me in for good luck. Notice, ONLY. I was sent ONLY… I’m not one of many. If you want my Kingship, you must change your allegiance and walk into the Kingdom of Israel. You can have it only by walking away from every other kingdom.

Jesus let the tension build, he’s raising his disciples excitement. YES! She’s not our type. Pagan. Sinner. Gentile. Dead to us. Dead to God. Send the sinner away. And then Jesus declares she has great faith! Never said that about Peter. Andrew. John. Being a sinner doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus – it’s a prerequisite. Every person Jesus invited to follow him was a sinner. The people who resisted Jesus were people who thought they weren’t sinners.

John Macarthur: “This woman loved her young daughter more than her own life, and she came to the only source of help she knew of. Her faith was great because she turned from faith in false gods, dumb idols, and pagan deities to faith in Jesus. Her trust in Astarte may have seemed satisfactory while things were going well but when he daughter became cruelly demon possessed, the mother discovered she could get no help from a goddess of stone. She therefore left her religious system, left her pagan family and friends, left her also belief that had no answers or power, and came to the only One who could help her. By her appeal to Christ, she publicly affirmed his power over her former gods of wood and stone and metal.

•  She trusted God was bigger than her problems.

She recognized she only needed a small portion of God’s power. God with just his little finger could take care this. She asked for “crumbs.” It’s like she’s saying, “I don’t need all your power, I just need a crumb.”

Matthew 17:14-20. When the disciples asked why they couldn’t drive out a demon, Jesus didn’t say, “Because I’m Jesus and you’re not.” He said it was because of their lack of faith. And they don’t need a lot of faith. Just a breadcrumb! Or in this case, just a mustard seed.

• Matthew 15:24, after what seemed to be a rebuke, she came and knelt before him.

Kneeling says something: Son of David: You’re my King too. You’re my Christmas too. Hope. Messiah.

He was sent ONLY to Lost House of Israel. Actually that does not exclude her. But she has to see herself as a child of the promise. I’m your king, if you step into the tent.

She worshipped FIRST. Based on who he was.

When everything about you is wrong: That’s the right place to be to find Jesus.