Elder Lee Kong Sing

The Great Faith of the Syrophenician Woman

Matthew 15:21-28

There are two records found in the Gospels where Christ commended the faith of individuals. The record of the Roman Centurion whose servant was sick of the palsy (Matt 8:6-10) and that of the Syrophenician woman whose daughter was grievously afflicted by a devil. Both were Gentiles. The latter account is the focus of our study. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Conversely, great faith finds pleasure and favour in the sight of God. As students of God’s Word and as God’s children, we want to learn more about this great faith and how we too can have this faith and find pleasure in the sight of God.

Christ Departs for Tyre and Sidon (verse 21)

In Matthew 14:34 we read that Christ and the disciples were in the land of Genesaret prior to departing for the coast of Tyre and Sidon. To give a sense of the scale; the journey from Capernaum, which is near Genesaret, to Tyre is some 443 km away or 93 hours by foot. If one travels by foot for eight hours a day, the journey would take up to 12 days to complete. Tyre and Sidon are both coastal cities about 39 km apart. Christ was somewhere along the coasts between these two cities. His exact location is not recorded. What is significant for us to note is that while Genesaret was Jewish territory, Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities. Christ and His disciples had therefore entered Gentile territory. In the parallel passage found in Mark 7:24, we are told that Christ not only did that but He and the disciples also entered the house which very likely belonged to a Gentile. Those familiar with Jewish culture and practices and the ministry of Christ up to that point would stop in their tracks and take special note of this detail. The Jew of that day would never enter Gentile territory if he had a choice. Furthermore, a Jew entering the home of a Gentile was unheard of, let alone a Jewish rabbi. We recall in Matthew 10 when Christ sent the disciples to preach the gospel, He forbade them to enter any city of the Gentiles or the Samaritans. Bearing in mind these details will help us better understand the encounter between Christ and the Syrophenician woman, especially what Christ said to her.

The Plea of the Syrophenician Woman (verse 22)

In verse 22 we learn that this woman was a Canaanite; a generic term used by the Jews of that time to refer to Gentiles in general. Mark 7:26 is more specific in describing her as a Greek of Syrophenician descent, meaning she was from Phoenicia, part of Syria which was under Roman rule. In the eyes of the Jew, not only did she have the misfortune of being a Gentile, she was also a woman. A double disadvantage and degradation.

The content of the woman’s plea unto Christ in verse 22 is very important to note; “have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David”.

The woman appealed to the mercies of Christ. To appeal for mercy is entirely conditioned upon the prerogative of the giver choosing to grant the appeal as he deems fit. The giver has every right to refuse the appeal and having done so would have been faultless. The woman understood the nature of her appeal and her place before Christ. She did not come feeling entitled, expecting that her request had to be answered. Instead, she came with a humble, seeking and beggarly heart, pleading that Christ would be merciful unto her.

She addressed Christ as “Lord” and the “Son of David”. The Greek word for “Lord” can have two applications; it can mean simply Lord or Master, or it can also refer to the OT Hebrew equivalent of “Jehovah”. To determine which meaning the woman intended, we must look at the context created by what she uttered next.

In addition to calling Christ “Lord”, the woman also addressed Jesus as “Son of David”. This is significant because it is the prophetic name given to the promised Messiah found in the OT Scriptures. To call Christ by this name is to recognise Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah of old, God incarnate, the promised Saviour of the world from sin. With this understanding, it is very likely that when the woman called Christ “Lord”, she meant more than just master, she meant God; Jehovah, the covenantal God of the Hebrews. This fact is reinforced by verse 25 where we read that the woman used the same word “Lord” in addition to prostrating herself and worshipping Christ. This woman was a believer. To her, Christ was someone who not only saved her from her sins but also had power over the evil spirit that had overtaken her daughter. She had no doubt that the devil was powerless before Christ, the promised Messiah, the Almighty God of gods could deliver her daughter of her affliction. What she needed to do was to persuade Christ to help her.

There is no doubt that the woman was a believer. The question, however, beckons: How is it that a Gentile woman of heathen and pagan upbringing, who did not have the privilege of the OT Scriptures from birth like the typical Jew and living more than 400 km away from where Christ’s ministry predominately occurred, was able to receive the Word of God unto salvation? A clue lies in Mark 3:7,8 where we read that amongst the great multitude that followed Christ in Capernaum, there were some from Tyre and Sidon. The teachings of Christ must have found its way to the inhabitants of that region through these individuals by word of mouth. Mere crumbs of God’s Word falling off the table, in comparison to the rich teaching the Jews received from birth and from Christ’s ministry in their midst. And yet these morsels were sufficient and powerful unto salvation.

The Plea Ignored (verse 23)

The woman’s plea for mercy was left unanswered. Practically ignored. Puzzling and maybe even troubling. But we should note that it was not because Christ did not hear her nor was it because He was unwilling to help. Christ would do so in due time, but not before a season of delay and testing. Christ employed tools commonly used by God to test and refine the faith of saints.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” 1 Peter 1:6, 7

The disciples came and entreated Christ to “send her away” which in the original means to set loose, to unbind. The disciples were asking Christ to grant her the request so that they could be rid of her. Her persistent cries had gotten on their nerves and irritation and frustration had gotten the better of them.

Christ’s Reply to the Disciples (verse 24)

To the pleas of the disciples, Christ answered them and said that He was sent to the sheep of the house of Israel; referring to the elect among the Jews. This truth is echoed in Romans 15:8.

“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” Romans 15:8

The ministry of Christ on earth was to the Jews first in fulfilment of the covenant that God made with the forefathers of old. The bulk of the ministry to the Gentiles and the eventual establishment of the Church witness would be left to the Apostles. The fact that Christ travelled into Gentile territory and subsequently performed many miracles among the Gentiles is indication that the Jews had rejected what was promised to them and hence God’s precious gift of the kingdom of heaven was given to the Gentiles.

“Lord, help me” (verse 25)

Being together enclosed in the house that they were presently in, it was very likely that what Christ said to the disciples was well within earshot of the woman. What she heard did not discourage her, instead it caused her to double her efforts. The woman prostrated herself and worshipped Christ, uttering three simple words; “Lord, help me”. Three simple words but yet one can sense the depth of meaning and emotion. How does one explain the weight behind these words? Can we read the heart that uttered them? Sometimes, the fewer the words, the greater the depth of meaning. Some of us have on occasion cried a prayer with similar words ourselves. Seasons of great weight of trial and suffering, sapped of strength and even the will, hope nearly run out, at our darkest hour. The only words we can manage are “Lord, help me”. The humble, helpless cry of the servant to the Master. To help in what? To help in everything and in every way. “Lord, help me”.

The Children’s Bread for the Dogs?” (verse 26)

The bread is a metaphor for the grace of God, children represent the Jews while dogs the Gentiles. Jews commonly referred to Gentiles as dogs. In Mark 7:27, there is the added detail of what Christ said; “Let the children first be filled”. It is an important detail. The word “first”; “proton”, refers to first in time, order or sequence. The children, the Jews, must first be filled. Also worthwhile to note is that Christ used the Greek word “kunárion” for dog which means a little dog and thus alluding to the typical household scene where the children sat at the table for a meal while the eager pet awaited by the side for unwanted scraps of food. Although the intensity may have been dulled by this illustration, the somewhat derogatory nature of being referred to as a “dog” would have nonetheless remained and most probably felt. This fact did not, however, deter the woman. She persevered.

“Truth, Lord” (verse 27)

In the original, the word “truth” means “yes”, “certainly”. The woman agreed with Christ. Although what Christ had earlier said could have been construed as offensive and degrading, she did not take offence. She was not put off. Instead she responded in agreement and with the same reverence and respect for Christ, she looked beyond the apparent insult and saw the truth in what Christ said. What Christ said was true. The Jews indeed had first place to the kingdom of God and she understood and accepted this doctrine. Any individual of lesser faith would have been offended by what Christ said and probably given up at this point.

She Agreed to the Reference of Being a Dog

The woman readily agreed to being called a dog. She had no qualms, objection or argument. It mattered little to be called a dog along with whatever derogatory meaning that came with it. She was humble enough to recognise that as a sinner, no amount of indignity, derision or abuse can compare to the depravity of sin that she was already guilty of. To be regarded as a lowly dog was nothing compared to the far greater offence of having sinned against a holy God. The hymn writer echoes;

“Naught have I gotten but what I received;
Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;
Boasting excluded, pride I abase;
I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!”

The woman was not only humble, she was a humble sinner saved by grace, deeply familiar with her own sinfulness and unworthiness.

She Agreed that the Children Were First

The woman immediately understood the truth behind what Christ said. She knew that the Jew had first place to the gift of salvation according to the promise of God which was why she did not dispute this fact but spontaneously agreed with Christ. What is impressive is how a Gentile woman could have such depth of doctrinal understanding when she had so little of the Word of God.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

Did the woman think God was unjust in excluding the Gentiles to first access? Did she cry foul? Did she claim her right as a human being to a same share? No, the woman understood and accepted this doctrine without question or argument. She understood that God had every right to withhold salvation from any man, Jew or Gentile. It is man who has offended God. Man deserves only condemnation. Thus, she accepted her rightful place before God even if it meant taking second, last place or even no place at all. Who was she to question God’s sovereign will and plan? What claim can the clay make upon the potter? The woman knew her lowly place before the Almighty Creator and willingly and humbly accepted it.

Did the Woman Know that Gentiles Were Next in Line?

Did the woman understand the doctrinal significance when she said “yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table”? The word “crumbs” in the original refers to the amount or size as being very small or little. In this context it refers to the little scraps of food left behind uneaten and unwanted or fallen off the table unnoticed and not bothered with. Did she understand that while the Jew had first access to saving grace, the Gentile was nonetheless next to receive the blessing, just like the dog receiving the rejected crumbs? I believe she knew this because what she said was not put forward as a question or query but as a statement of fact. She understood God’s sovereign plan of salvation for mankind. Her plea was therefore made correctly in accordance with the will of God.

“O woman, great is thy faith” (verse 28)

Why did Christ conclude that the woman had great faith? In contrast, Christ condemned the Jews of Chorazin and Bethsaida for their absence of faith in rejecting Him despite His great ministry and revelation among them (Matthew 11:21). Christ said that if He had performed the same mighty works in Tyre and Sidon, a paganistic and godless land, they would have long ago repented in sackcloth and ashes. This indeed became a reality in Matthew 15 where Christ shifted His ministry to Tyre and Sidon after the rejection of the Jews and performed many mighty works among the Gentiles of which many glorified the God of Israel as they became converted (Matt 15:31). The miracles of Christ were done to show that the man, Jesus of Nazareth, is indeed God incarnate. Standing before them is not just the Son of man but also the Son of God. Christ’s deity required faith to believe in, whereas His humanity was by sight. The Syrophenician woman believed in the deity of Christ with the little knowledge that she HEARD, probably without having actually seen any miracles that Christ performed. How could this ordinary looking man be the almighty God! She believed that He was! This truth was the object of her great faith.

One of the reasons why her faith was great was because she had so little knowledge of the truth and yet she progressed so far in faith. Unlike the Jew, the Gentiles did not enjoy the privilege of being the custodians of God’s Word. The Jew was raised with God’s Word from a young age. On the other hand, the Gentile woman would have been raised in paganistic practices and beliefs. A possible avenue of the exposure of God’s Word might have been by way of word of mouth of fellow Gentiles who witnessed Christ’s works and teachings prior. In addition, she might have also known something of the Jew’s religion in her encounters with the Jews. We cannot be certain how the woman received God’s Truth but suffice to say that the extent of revelation she received would have been mere crumbs compared to what the Jews were given. With the little that she was given, she came to salvation and possessed faith that persisted through the obstacles. The contrast puts the Jews to great shame and even condemnation because while they were given far more, they nonetheless rejected Christ.

Another reason why Christ commended her was because of her perseverance in faith in the face of difficulties and hindrances. To begin with, it took much courage for a Gentile woman to approach a Jewish rabbi. The Jews regarded the Gentiles as defiled, no better than dogs and to be a woman placed her at even lower strata than she already was. To do what she did, she had to be prepared for rejection, insult and maybe even a beating. But her belief in Christ as the Son of God and in His ability to deliver her daughter was greater than any hindrance that might have followed. She was prepared to swallow her pride and bear whatever shame or indignity which was a small thing to suffer in order to win the favour of Christ. And when she did approach Christ for help, she was practically ignored. She was not deterred but instead responded with double effort to the point that the disciples became sore vexed by her persistence. Then Christ spoke of her to the disciples in the third person as if she was not even there. She was not insulted or discouraged. Instead of becoming angry or repulsed, she did the opposite, she prostrated herself and worshipped Christ, begging for His help. In place of praise for her piousness, Christ alluded to her as being no more than a Gentile dog not deserving of what is reserved for His own people the Jews. Did she finally turn away and give up? Was that the last straw? No, she did the very opposite; she willingly accepted whatever was presented to her without any sign of hesitation or hint of argument or dissatisfaction. She persevered, her faith in Christ never waned.

Christ described a similar faith in the parable of the Buried Treasure.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” Matthew 13:44.

True faith perceives the great value of the kingdom of heaven. There is no price too high or costs too great and certainly no insult too harsh or too degrading to bear. And when the treasure of salvation is discovered, one will stop at nothing to take it. The Syrophenician woman had such a faith.

How Does Our Faith Compare?

We do not have the same privilege of being in the presence of Christ Himself and to engage in a similar repartee. However, our faith can still be tested in much the same way. How would we fare if that were so?

We are Given Much More

When it comes to the knowledge of God’s Word, we certainly have more than the Syrophenician woman, for that matter, even more than the Jews of that day. We have the complete canon of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. We have a plethora of tools and extra-biblical resources to help us divide God’s Word in ways that saints as recent as the Reformation would never have dreamt possible. Access to God’s Word is so easy. It can be found on every mobile device and it is literally just a few button presses away. What we have been given is unprecedented, yet, it seems that the greater the gift, greater also is the apostasy and depravity of our age. This is the last of the last days and hence it is not unexpected. But it does not excuse us from needing to account for what we have been given. Do we have faith that matches the proportion of the gift? Or do we risk a similar condemnation given to the Jews?

“But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:48

This is a warning for us. Week after week the mysteries of God’s Word are made plain for us from the pulpit. Our knowledge and understanding of God broadened and deepened week after week. CPBPC is indeed very privileged. Brethren, much will be asked of us. Can we give a good answer when that day comes?

Would We Be Able to Overcome Similar Hindrances of Faith?

The Syrophenician woman persevered to the end. She was undeterred. She took on every obstacle to her faith without fuss and very quickly overcame each. How would we have fared in the face of similar hindrances? Our generation has been euphemistically described as the “strawberry” generation. The similarity lies in the fact that strawberries look very pretty but they are however, also very easily bruised. We are a very sensitive generation that does not take to reproof and negativity very well. We are very easily insulted and hurt. The slightest hint of harshness will send us into a downward spiral. Hearts and minds quickly close up regardless of the veracity or value of the truth that is spoken. Any hint of contradiction, anything disagreeable will put many people off. Not only do we expect the truth to be taught, we also expect it to be taught in the way that is acceptable to us. Not only must the truth be sweet, it must also be taught to us sweetly. It is a sad testament of our very weak faith that is unable to endure the slightest agitation or harshness. It is also testament to how little we value the truth. The price of relenting and giving up is so low. Many of us would not have endured past the first round of testing.

Do We Persuade Christ or Must Christ Persuade Us?

The Syrophenician woman pleaded and begged for Christ’s blessing and when it was withheld, she pushed on, not giving up until she finally obtained His favour. For us, it is often the reverse. We are the ones who need to be persuaded and convinced to receive Christ’s favour. All is well if what we hear agrees with us but as soon as we encounter a contradiction, something that does not fit our thinking, or requires us to change our lives, to give up a sinful habit, then come the resistance. God, through His appointed servants, patiently, tirelessly, with much long suffering seek to convince us to turn to God and follow after His ways. It is needful medicine for our souls. Yet the efforts are oftentimes met with unwillingness, negativity, scepticism, endless disputing and sometimes even persecution. The woman knew the preciousness of God’s blessing. No one needed to convince her of the value of this truth. In fact, no one could stop her from obtaining it.

Conclusion

Dear Brethren, we at CPBPC are very privileged. We are given many spiritual blessings especially so in the area of the Word of God. We thank God for His mercies upon us and pray continually that He will not stop blessing us. However, remember that to those whom much is given, much is also expected. Do we have the faith that matches the proportion of the gift? Have we treated God’s truths lightly? The Bible is not the Book of man but the very Word of God Almighty! If so we must repent and change our ways. The lesson of the great faith of the humble Syrophenician woman has been recorded for all eternity for our learning. May we learn this lesson and be encouraged to persevere in our faith till the day when we too may receive Christ’s commendation.