Matthew 15:21-28 Yet, Faith Expects Miracles

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman
<sup>We have already looked at this passage once with a special focus on what Jesus called "the children's bread." God doing what he always does and sometimes doing something a little differently in answer to his children's prayers - that's what miracles are, that is the children's bread. This time we are going to focus on the same passage from the perspective of asking the question - what is this faith that enables us to see miracles happen? We will focus on some of the characteristics of faith demonstrated in the behaviors of this Canaanite women.

21</sup> Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ^22 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.”

^23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

^24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

^25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

^26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

^27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

^28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Mt 15:21). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Even though God works miracles all around us, Faith anticipates God's focused attention for the sake of his children. Miracles are, after all, "the children's bread." That attention was obviously first focused on Israel, but in Christ, it came to be focused also on the Gentiles. This woman's faith insisted.

Does your faith expect miracles today?

Kickoff Service - Mark 4:35-41 Arrested by a Miracle

Jesus Calms the Storm

^35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ^36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ^37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ^38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

^39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

^40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

^41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Mk 4:35). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

There are different ways of interpreting this dramatic short story - most of them hinge on what the disciples lack of faith was in. The simple scriptural truth is that the wind and the waves always obey God. And Jesus asleep on a cushion describes his deep confidence in God's miraculous control of the wind and waves. The disciples do not share that confidence (like we often do not share that confidence).

The call of this passage is to see God in control, all around us, all the time, evidence to the contrary taken into consideration. To be full of faith is to be resting on the cushion in a storm tossed sea. This sermon will focus on that confidence, knowing the miracle of God's sovereign control is all around us all the time, a theme fitting for the beginning of another church year.

Some questions for reflection....
What parallels do you see in this passage to the story of Jonah?
Why does Mark use "exorcism" language in this passage?
If you were in the boat - who would you be
- a person who gets frustrated with God over his lack of attention
- or like Jesus, snoozing out the storm

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