Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2253
“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” Matthew 15:28.
I have frequently spoken to you concerning the faith of this Canaanite woman—of the way in which Christ tried it and of the manner in which, at length, He honored it—and granted all that the suppliant sought. The story is so full of meaning that one might turn it this way, that way and the other way, but always see jewels in it. But I am going to use it with only one aim, namely, to encourage those who have faith enough to seek Jesus, but have not yet, to their joy and peace, been quite able to find Him.
This woman had come to her last word. I do not see what more she could have said. When Christ had likened her to a dog, she had consented to it and said, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” She had come to her last word and now Christ gives her His best word. It is His way, sometimes, to make us wait till we are completely exhausted and can say and do no more—then He comes in with the fullness of His Divine Power and gives to us what we have importunately sought at His hands. Our extremity is His opportunity.
I. The first remark which I shall make and enlarge upon is that FAITH ALONE CAN KEEP A SOUL UNDER DISCOURAGEMENT SEEKING AFTER CHRIST. Other causes may send us a certain distance along the road, but only faith will bring us to the goal of assured rest.
That which made this woman seek the Savior was, first of all, parental love. She loved her daughter. She longed to have the devil cast out of her, that her daughter might not be so grievously vexed. That started her going and carried her some way towards the blessing—but she would have stopped short of the blessing she desired if she had relied only upon natural love.
Her earnestness, also, to a large extent, urged her forward. When she desired healing for her daughter, she meant what she said. When she cried, “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, You Son of David!” it was with a shrill and piteous voice. She could not bear to be refused. Nobody ever came to Christ who pleaded more from the heart than did this poor Canaanite. She was not an idle repeater offorms of prayer. Her prayer leaped, red-hot, from her soul—“Have mercy on me, O Lord, You Son of David!” But her earnestness, alone, would not have upheld her under the ordeal through which she was called to pass. It would have given way if she had not had the believing conviction that Christ could heal her daughter and that He would do so!
Her humility, also, helped her greatly. Had she been a proud woman, she would have stood upon her dignity when she was called a dog—but humility came to her help and she did not even resent the harsh words the Lord used—but still pleaded for her poor child. Now, parental love and earnestness and humility are good things, but they are not enough to enable a soul to cling to Christ and never let Him go. Something more is needed.
This Canaanite woman was a very sensible woman, wise and prudent. She knew how to turn the hard words of Christ into arguments in her own favor. She would not be put back. If He had not answered her, she would have pleaded with Him again. When He did answer her and say that it was not meet to give the children’s bread to dogs, she found, even in that dry bone, some little marrow on which to feed her heart. But wise as she was, and prudent as she was, she would not have held out to the end and obtained the blessing she desired for her daughter, if it had not been for her faith.
We may be quite sure that the one thing especially noteworthy in this woman’s case was her faith, first, because we have Christ’s word for it. He said unto her, “O woman, great is your faith!” He did not say, “Great is your love to your child.” Nor did He say, “Great is your earnestness.” Nor, “Great is your importunity.” But He put His finger on the power that had urged her forward and He said, “O woman, great is your faith!” And not in this case, alone, did Christ trace the blessing to faith, but in nearly every instance where a suppliant obtained favor from Him, faith was the medium of securing the mercy. Faith is mightier than all other available forces!
Besides this, we know that faith supports the other Graces. If other Graces can help a soul to plead with Christ, they all owe their power to faith. If it had not been for the faith which she had to support it, parental love would not have helped this woman much. If it had not been for faith, she would not have been earnest and importunate. Faith hangs on to Christ in the dark. It holds to a silent Christ. It holds to a refusing Christ. It holds to a rebuking Christ and it will not let Him go. Faith is the great holdfast that hooks a soul on to the Savior.