Most of us have experienced the following:
You want to get down the road, but the road is curvy, and you’re behind a slow driver. You have to slow down and wait. How about making an important phone call, and all you get is a machine.
The machine says, “If you live within the U.S. press 1; If you want English press 2; If you have a complaint press 3; If you have bad breath...you can
hang up.” Then, you finally, press all those numbers and you get another recording which says....”your wait time will be approximately 10 minutes.”
Finally, after you get to your final destination by phone, you get another recording which says, “I’m not able to take your call now, if you will leave
your name, number, and a short message, I will return your call.” Wait, Wait, Wait, you’ve got to wait. Do you like to wait?
Does this bother you? You take the whole family, and let’s say you drive to some place like Big Mac, you go through the drive-thru....you order that
hamburger....you got several people in the car...you make all the orders...pay for all the orders...then, you get to the window for pick-up.
Everything is there....all except your order..You are then told to pull-up and park and they will bring it out to you. Wait, Wait, Wait....Do you like to
wait?
How about when you are in line at Wally-World...you’ve waited for what seemed to be forever....and someone ahead of you...there is a price check,
which takes 15 minutes, and then you wait for them to pay and they take out a hammer and bust open a piggy bank full of pennies.....I know I’m
exaggerating a little, maybe not...but you get the message...
We are constantly waiting whether we are at a traffic light, or stuck in traffic, or waiting at the dentist, or doctor’s office....Wait! Wait! Wait!
With the use of Fax machines, email, microwaves we have become spoiled on immediate service. 10 minutes without electricity sends us up the wall.
Whenever an operator puts us on hold, we feel as if we’ve been deprived.
What about when God is slow in responding to a prayer we’ve prayed?
What do you do when you have to wait on God?
Certainly, the Bible says ‘wait on the Lord’ Psalm 27:14 that’s easy to say. It’s easy to preach, especially, if you are not the one waiting.
Tell that to the person who has just lost a loved one. Tell that to a person who has been told by a lifelong spouse, that they are leaving, and do not
plan to come back. It’s easy to wait, if you are not the one having to wait.
Tell that to the child who has to live in the midst of abuse. Tell that to the person getting bad news from the doctor.
What do you do when you have to wait? I mean, waiting on God?
When God puts you on hold? What do you do when God puts you on hold?
Do we mean God will put you on hold? In Matthew 15:21-28 we can read about a lady who did not immediately get her prayer answered. Jesus was
silent and did not immediately respond to her prayer request.
Let’s read the verses from Matthew 15:21-28:
21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
23But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she
cries out after us." 24But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel."
25Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs." 27And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table." 28Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let
it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very
hour.
Jesus along with his disciples travel northwest about 50 miles to a town known as Tyre and another town called Sidon. It was in this area that they
stop at a home probably a relative or friend of one of the disciples. In Mark’s gospel, chapter 7 it says they were in a house. They were not in Jewish country. They were in Gentile country. The Jews and Gentiles did
not have much to do with each other. Jesus took time to show His love and concern for the Gentiles. For many, many years the only distinction made in the Bible was you were either a Jew, or a Gentile. But after Jesus formed the church...He made it clear that salvation is for all people.
Regardless if they were black, white, Jew, Gentile, man, woman..Salvation is to all people.
This home probably was Jewish...with Jewish traditions and customs. They were probably having a meal together. There may have been some young
children playing with a small puppy. As they were eating some crumbs fell from the table, and I can imagine seeing the little pup’s eating the
crumbs.
While in this home, a lady from the area, which Matthew calls a woman of Canaan comes begging Jesus to deliver her daughter from a demon. The word “Canaan” does not say much to you and me, but to Matthew’s
audience...the Jews, it meant one thing...enemies. The Canaanites were long-standing enemies with the Jews. Here Jesus was with his disciples
spending some time in enemy territory. But this woman comes into the very house, and begs for Jesus’ help. She addresses Jesus with a title,
that only the Jews would understand. She says, “O Lord, Son of David” That was a title for the Messiah. Gentile people did not have that kind of
belief. This woman grew up in a country where they had beliefs in many gods.The had a god of the sun, the god of the rain, the god of wind...a god
for this, and a god for that. This woman grew up believing that. All of those multiple gods could not help her. She had a daughter severely tormented by a demon. She needed real help. Somewhere along the
way, the name Jesus was brought up. She had to have heard about Jesus from somewhere. She heard the title “Son of David” the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior, and she took advantaged of this moment.
She said, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
But Jesus, answered her not a word. Jesus put this lady, for the moment, ON HOLD! Can you just imagine the length of the silence? I believe the woman repeatedly makes this request, and repeatedly begs for the help of Jesus. The next verse says one of the
disciples urges Jesus to”send the woman away, for she cries after us.”
THERE IS SILENCE FROM JESUS....NOT A WORD IS SPOKEN....
What do you do When God puts you on hold? Everyone seemingly has received an answer, but now YOU’VE BEEN PLACED ON HOLD.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
#1 Keep on trusting in Jesus.
You’ve got to keep on trusting in the God Who has always been faithful in the past. I don’t know about this present moment, but I know God has been faithful to me in all my yesterday’s. I must keep on trusting in Jesus. He’s been there for me all last week. He’s been there for me all last month. He’s been there for me all last year. I’ve never known of a time when God was not faithful. I’ve never known of a case that was too difficult for Jesus. With God nothing is Impossible!
This woman only gets the silent treatment. Does that mean Jesus is uncaring, and unconcerned? Absolutely, not! The woman of Canaan did not walk away. She kept on trusting in Jesus. She believed Jesus will
eventually speak. That’s what we have got to do. We must keep on trusting in Jesus because He’s been faithful in the past, and because He
will eventually speak to our need. When God puts You on Hold....just remember...He has a word for you.
Hang on...stay on the line...You may not get that word immediately, but eventually, He will speak to your very need. Keep on praying. God will speak to you. Keep on reading the Bible, Jesus has a message just for you.
Don’t think you’re the only one. Many Bible characters wondered when God would speak. Job lost his family, He lost his health, he lost the
confidence of his wife, He lost all of his wealth. God allowed Satan to touched his life and all those bad things came upon Job. God never told Job the reason why. Job wondered why. Why doesn’t God speak to me?
There was Abraham. He was 100 years old before his first son was born.
For many years Abraham wondered not why, but when? When will my son come? When will my wife Sarah give birth? For many years Abraham kept on believing God, even when God placed Abraham on hold. Even the
prophets wondered “how long?” When will the Messiah come? After the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, there is a period of time that’s
been called the “silent years.” For 400 years nothing new was brought up.
No new revelation. From the last book of the Old Testament to the first book of the New Testament, Matthew, a 400 year-span of silence. It is as
if God put the entire world on hold.
We’ve been studying Hebrews on Sunday nights. In that book it says, God has spoken in these last days to us by His Son, Jesus.
So, you keep on trusting Jesus, because He will eventually speak. GOD WILL EVENTUALLY SPEAK. there WAS ONE TIME WHEN GOD DID NOT SPEAK. When Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus cried out “My God, My God,
why hast thou forsaken me.” Jesus did not get a response at that present moment. But Jesus was committed to the Heavenly Father. Jesus said
after that, “Father into thy hands I commit my spirit...”
So far, we’ve heard two voices.....
The voice of the mother, “Lord have mercy on me...” And then that of the disciple, “Send her away...”
But Jesus will not send her away. Jesus has said, “all that come to me, I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus now speaks...
“I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel.” Jesus was not saying the blessings of God are only for Israel. Jesus was not saying that salvation was only for the Jews. He was saying that God had sent Him first to offer salvation to the Jewish people first.
Look at Matthew 10:1-6. Jesus called his disciples and sent them out to preach to the Jews only. See Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” We are not talking about superiority, but only priority. Does it not make sense to reach your own folks first? The early church were told by Jesus to begin in Jerusalem first before going into the uttermost parts of the earth.
Some folks are ready to go to Africa to be missionaries, but will not share the gospel with their own families. Jesus statement is clear. Israel are lost sheep. He was not saying some are lost and some are saved. But the entire nation of Israel is lost.
This comes to a second point in the message:
First, when God puts you on hold, keep on trusting Jesus.
Second, when God puts you on hold, take inventory of where you stand with God. Where do you stand with God? Where did Israel stand with God? Jesus said they were lost. Someone might argue, “Yeah, but wait,
I’m a Jew.” So, what difference does that make. Someone might say,
“Wait a minute, I’m a church member,” So, what difference does that make with God. Without Jesus, we are all lost in our sins.
This woman’s approach to Jesus was like this....
Don’t miss this...it’s very easy to miss this. Please listen. Look at verse 22 she says, “O Lord, thou Son of David:..” She came with a Jewish approach. His disciples besought him, Send her away...” The disciples were saying....”Lord, she’s not one of us....she’s trying to be, but she’s not
Jewish.....Jesus said, “I’ve come only to the lost sheep of Israel.” verse 24.
The next thing the woman says....”Lord, help me” She got down on her knees and worshipped him. She dropped the title, “Son of David” She dropped her Jewish approach.......She got on her knees in a helpless and
humble way, she said, Lord, help me.
When God puts you on hold, take inventory of where you stand before God. What are you holding up to the Lord for his approval? Jesus did not meet her need based on her nice, kind words, and her gracious way of greeting the Lord with that title, “Son of David” Neither
did Jesus meet the need of Nicodemis, if you recall, Nicodemis approached Jesus with the title “no man can do these things except God be with him...” That’s nice, yet you need to be born again. Your
outstanding theological evaluations will get you no where.
Jerry Vines comments on this passage goes like this, “We do not come to Jesus through a Jewish door. We do not come to Jesus through a Baptist door. We do not come to Jesus through a Methodist door. We don’t come to Jesus through a Pentecostal door. We come to Jesus through the sinner’s door. That’s the only way we get to Jesus.”
(p.143 Jerry Vines, EXPLORING THE GOSPELS: MARK)
So, when God puts you on hold
1) Keep on trusting God
2) Take personal inventory of where you stand with God
3) Surrender to God your whole life.
Jesus was not being disrespectful when he said, “it is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” It is true that Gentiles were often refered to as dogs by the Jews. Jesus was not calling her a dog, but using a word that was often given to Gentiles. The woman said, “I know I’m called a dog, but even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” I know we got a nickname, but that should not stop me from getting a blessing from the Lord. This woman, she did not care what
others may call her. She was willing to even have the Lord to use that name, that embarrassing name, that degrading name of a dog. Even if that is the position, the Lord wants her to be, that’s okay with her, because she has a desperate need. She has a daughter that is desperately hurting. She is praying for her daughter to be delivered from those tormenting
demons in her life. This woman was confessing her total dependence upon God. With this lady, There were no strings attached.
Have there been times when you have placed certain conditions upon how God will meet your needs? Have you said, ‘God I need your help, but I will not
stoop down and allow others to call me names. I will not be caught catching crumbs off the table. that’s not my style. I will be called by popular name, I will
sit in prominent places, and be recognized as a somebody.”
That’s the reason many folks miss out on God’s blessings. They don’t want to be humble. They want to set limitations on where God places them.
Not this woman, Lord, you can call me what you want. You can place me anywhere at the table you please. You can put me on the table, or under the table with the dogs. I’m hanging on for a blessing. I’ll take the
crumbs if necessary. I’m depending on you.
Whenever you believe God has put you on hold,
Keep on trusting Jesus. You may not have all the answers now, but Jesus will never forsake you. Take a close look at where you stand with the Lord.
What is the Lord saying to you about your life? Are you trusting Jesus for your personal salvation? Are you holding on to someone, or something else other than Jesus? Commit all you are to Jesus. Let Him have His way with your entire life. Surrender all to Jesus, and He will make you One of His. Allow Jesus to be the Lord of your life.
Based on the Word of God, the Holy Bible, whenever you are on hold, if you will commit your all to Jesus, He will speak to your personal need. He will speak peace to your Heart. He will give you strength for your trying days. He will give you wisdom in what to do in a given situation. He will give you His presence in the time of loneliness. He will give you courage
when you are forsaken by family, or friends. Whatever, the need is, Jesus is all you need.
If it is salvation, Jesus is your Savior.
If it is comfort, Jesus is your Comforter.
If it is advice, Jesus is your Counselor.
If it is Healing, Jesus is your Healer.
If it is wisdom, Jesus is your Teacher.
Jesus is right for whatever is wrong in your life. Will you place your faith in Jesus? Jesus said, “...great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt.”
When you have to wait for the answer, keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your faith in God.
Pastor Chris Gowen
Swan Creek Baptist Church
Hampshire, Tennessee
http://swancreek.faithsite.com
References:
"Exploring the Gospels: Mark" by Jerry Vines
"The New American Commentary: Matthew" by Craig Blomberg
"When God Puts You On Hold" by Bryan Aalborg in
Proclaim, Fall 1999
