Text: Matthew 15:21-28

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
Jesus did not answer her a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away for she keeps crying out after us."
He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from the master's table."
Then Jesus answered, "Woman you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus has left Jewish territory and heads to the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. Why he did this, we aren't told. My guess is he's looking for a little rest from the milling throngs of people who seem to follow wherever he goes. They're always seeking his attention, his listening ear, his comforting words, and his healing hands.

But even here Jesus does not escape. A woman cries, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." She uses all the correct names, "kyrious" the O.T. title for God, "Son of David" the messianic title of the promised new king and deliverer. She doesn't understand the full meaning of these words, before the resurrection, who could? But it's clear she does understand she deserves nothing from this good teacher, or the God of the Jews. Her cry is also our cry each Sunday, kyrie eleison, "Lord, have mercy". That's the most primitive and beautiful cry of faith. Lord, I am able to cling to and depend on only one thing, your universal love and mercy.

Pastor Keith, excuse me please, may I ask something? (A GLARE, THEN SILENCE).

She pleads to be noticed. But then comes that startling sentence. "Jesus did not answer her a word." Its startling brevity heightens the horror that this woman must have experienced. Her daughter needs immediate help. This fellow's her last hope. She lavishes on him all the Jewish titles she knows, she admits the weakness of her claim. And he ignores her. "Jesus did not answer her a word." Not even a NO!

But sometimes when we ask God for things, the problem is that we don't see his answers. They are there, but very different to what we want, so we can't see them. But this woman hasn't told God what to do. All she really seeks is knowledge that her request has been heard. Is that too much to ask?

It is for the disciples. They seem to have more feeling for her than Jesus, "Send her away for she keeps crying out after us." They're embarrassed by her persistent pleading. They're agreed that Jesus owes this heathen woman nothing. Except perhaps to put her out of her misery and send her away.

I'm sorry to interrupt again, but I need an answer. I don't understand.

Well, I'm sorry dear friends, it seems I must explain for some slow people, my task here is to bring God's word into the lives of all God's people. It's impossible for me to answer individual questions. It's just not what the sermon time is all about. I must address the people of God.

Well, I may be ignorant and slow but I am a person! A person interested in God. Surely there's nothing wrong with me asking a question.

Well you see this is sermon time, a time when Pastors speak. That means people, especially women can't talk. Your job is to sit there and just listen.

Exactly, all I want to do is listen. But if I sit here not understanding, then it's impossible for me to listen.

Well all right then. What do you want to know?

This woman wasn't important in the eyes of her community! This gentile woman wasn't important in the eyes of Jews, and she definitely wasn't important in the eyes of Jewish males! So where did she get the strength and courage to confront this important new teacher? What made it possible for her to have enough strength to stand up in front of a crowd and demand attention?

Well Jesus does draw attention to her great faith.

This worthless Gentile woman has great faith? That's amazing. Remember the reading last week, just a few verses earlier in Matthew - the story of confident, bold, important, accepted, Peter, one of the inner circle of disciples, some would say the chief disciple. When he steps out of a boat and sinks into the water, Jesus draws our attention to his weak faith.

What is Jesus trying to tell us when he describes the chief disciple as weak in faith and an unknown insignificant woman as having great faith?

Do you mean Jesus wants to challenge our prejudices.

I'm sure he does. The greatness or weakness of our faith hasn't got much to do with who we are, or what we know, or what box people put us in.

Hmmm. Good point. Well what do you think it is that makes this woman's faith great? What does she have that Peter doesn't?

Well I don't think we're meant to understand that this woman is the hero of this story. The faith she displays isn't the result her strength or ability. The central figure in this story and in Peter's story, remains the one who is able to evoke such faith.

You mean Jesus.

Peter and the disciples (whose faith is so weak they don't even step out of the boat) worship Jesus after they experience the great mercy of God, which accepts them despite their clear display of miserably weak faith. And the faith this woman displays is nothing more than a stubborn clinging to God's all embracing mercy. In fact, it's more like God's the stubborn one who refuses to give up on them and us.

Well, I've always said faith is God's gift to us.

What's more, because of Jesus we need never again experience the silence of God. His love and acceptance for each and every one of us, and his stubborn refusal to let us go, is displayed clearly as he hangs on that cross for us.

Our own faith may begin like the yelping and whining of a puppy begging for a few crumbs, but because of Christ we are able to finish seated and feasting at our Father's table.

Hey thanks for interrupting, perhaps in future you could share more with us, from up here.

No way, I could never do that.

Why not? Don't you feel you have enough faith?

Our church says people like me can't be ordained.

O yeah. AMEN.