Summary: This nameless mother will forever be remembered in history as a woman of great faith. What a needed lesson for mothers today!

I. She Crossed Great Barriers (21-22)

A. Barriers

1. A Woman

2. A Gentile

3. A Canaanite

B. How?

1. Desperation - situation

2. Love – for her child

3. Vision – what she saw in Jesus

II. She Demonstrated Great Persistence (23-26)

A. Silence of Jesus

1. Custom for a Jew not to speak to a strange

woman in public

2. Custom for a Jew not to speak with a

Gentile woman

B. Rebuke of the Disciples

1. She ignored them

2. She went over their heads to Jesus

C. Behavior of Jesus

1. He revealed that she had no claim on Him

as Messiah (Son of David)

2. Not a rebuke, but a test of faith

III. She Expressed Great Faith (27-28)

A. No claim on the Messianic Promises

1. Earlier she had called Him ‘Son of David’

2. Now she calls Him ‘Lord’

B. Reliance on the grace of Jesus

1. She said, “”True, Sir. I admit that I have no

claim on You, but there must be some extra

grace—some grace that I don’t deserve, and

I’m appealing to You for that.”

2. Her tenacious faith brought about an answer