Summary: We sometimes wonder why our petitions to God do not received answer. We called,we cried,we cling on His Name whom we believed, but there is no answer to our faith. If God hear us why doesnt he respond or reply to us.Does our action affects the answer?

Faith of the Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

James 2:20 said “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?E

We sometimes wonder why our petitions to God do not received answer. After we called on God ,and on the name of His son whom we believed, the answer is still not given to us. So we cried ,but still dont get answer to our faith. If God hear us why doesnt he respond or reply to us..

The word of James about actions in our faith speaks not only of work ,but different actions as shown by the Canaanite woman in Mathew 15.

Her daughter was demon possessed. We can assume that she experienced a lot of hardship for her daughter. Because she was a canaanite we can assume she consulted any kind of healer for her daughter. But no one can heal her.

I experienced to witness one.A demon possesed person is strong ,violent ,and strange because the demon completely take control. The person is miserable, tormented,.

This womans daughter,the bible said was miserable, distressed,and afflicted.

She had been looking for healing, an answer she might have heard from many people who experienced. The son of David,called Jesus ,drive out demons. And she heard that Jesus had come. She did not Hesitate,she may even said "I will go to that area where the son of David was, I may not be a Jew but God will heal my daughter because God is merciful"

So when Jesus pass by, She did not wait for Jesus to call her.but she called on Him.

Many times since we believe in God and in His Son , and we know that since God is omniscient and merciful,we assume He will just heal us believers in Him.But many times we ended up frustrated because it doesnt work out that way many times.

But this woman did not take it for granted.Her faith must be accompanied by action, she will make sure she will be heard.

1.SHE CALLED ON JESUS NAME.

V.22 And behold, a Canaanite woman coming forth from that region cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."

Joh 14:13-14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, that will I do.

This promised was so true to me as I remember t when I was so new in Christ that almost all my prayer request to Jesus and our heavenly Father were all answered and almost immediately. My faith was so revolutionized that I taught I will be answered in everything since God was answering me.

But later in my Christian walk ,it seems that asking simply in Jesus Name does not guarantee a quick answer.

Like a child who is so young who ask his daddy for a chocolate or a toy, It was automatically granted , I realized it was so with our God in deling with us.

The psalm strikes this same parallel.

Psa 103:13 Just as parents are kind to their children, the LORD is kind to all who worship him.

When we grow old in the Lord we could observe that calling on His name is not the action God want from us.

This woman when she realized that calling son od David to have mercy doenst get a response. She took another action.

2.SHE CRIED ON TO JESUS.

Mat 15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

In some translation,”Send her away. She keeps shouting behind usE

In other translation "Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise!"

Her cry was one of desperation.The disciples were already irritated, They even commanded Jesus( if my interpretation is right) to dismiss her. But she wont stop till she get His attention.

Does God do not hear our cry of desperation to Him ?

David said in Psa 6:8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil, for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.

Psalm 34:18 expressed it well. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Illustration 2Ki 20:5 Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of Jehovah.

Since God hear our cry why this woman did not get a respond.

This woman is a Canaanite. God heard her, but God cant heal her now, God must heal other first especially the reason for His coming , the Jews.

Although she accepted she was an outsider , she cant let her daughter to suffer because of that, there must be some other way. So she just keep on crying and following them.

Jesus heard that cry and responded. Mat 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Many of our petition ended with our cries to Him. After our hearts are healed our problem still not solved, since God heal our hearts we assume that was all

This woman at least made the Lord to respond to her cry. Jesus was merciful but when she told her the reason ,it was a rejection.

I can say that this really hurts.You believe in Him,crying to Him about your situation because you believe He is merciful and you heard rejection what will you fee and will you still continue. Many who do not receive an answer turn away, discouraged, disappointed with God as a writer put it in His book.

but she desperately want Jesus to heal her Daughter. She was hurt but she wanted healing, so.

3.SHE CLUNG TO JESUS..

Mat 15:25

But she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. In other translation

But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me.

Maybe in her mind these words was playing. I already called on Him and I cried but He never send me away like His disciples wanted,He answered me no because He has a reason but He is merciful.

He cant reject His character. I will worship Him instead.

Illustration. Jehoshapat knew the power of worshipping God 2Ch 20:18-22

After worshipping the Lord He told her.

(GW) Jesus replied, "It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs." Mat 15:25

This is a rejection and humiliation combined. The Lord was harsh,this is not God you may say.Calling a woman who called,cried and continue to cling to Him in worship as dog and saying bread was enough for His children ,you may say to this woman, That’s not God who is merciful.

But trying to get into the mind of this woman, she might be thinking,

If He wont heal my daughter, I find no more answer,its up to Him.

4.SHE CAPITULATED TO JESUS.

With humility and faith in Gods character of mercy she declared.

Mat 15:27 But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their mastersEtable.

I will try to paraphrase in my own version this womans word.

“Im an outsider, and you are rich. The food of your children in your house must be for them but you know, those leftovers will be enough for me to live.E

Jesus could no longer hold the faith of this woman, He even exclaimedE "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.EMat 15:28

And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

CONCLUSION.

Many of us thought that our faith in Him is enough to get a respond, I say yes for salvation because we are saved by faith Eph2:8-9. But if we want God to moved in our faith like healing, problem to be answered, trial to overcome.There is a needed action from us to received an answer , and sometimes there are DIFFERENT ACTIONS needed to received an answer to our faith.