3 September | EVERYONE
“Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And 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.’” Matthew 15: 21,22
A Canaanite woman approached Jesus. We do not know her name, just where she came from. She was from that region despised by the Jewish people. But that does not matter. Perhaps in this way any of us can identify with her. The poor woman approached Jesus, crying out for compassion.
By saying, "Lord!" she was acknowledging Him as her God. She was facing a terrible problem, and people could not help her. A demon possessed her daughter. She was not the master of her actions. The evil spirit led her where she did not want to go and forced her to do what she did not want to. The distraught mother had sought human help, but no one was able to help her. Then she heard about Jesus and went out to find him. Only God could set her daughter free. Therefore, she recognized the sovereignty and power of Jesus and surrendered herself at his feet, calling Him "Lord." Even more, she called him "Son of David." She recognized Him as the Messiah King that God had promised; and from her desperate situation, she appealed to the mercy of the compassionate Teacher of Galilee, the same one who went about those places sowing hope.
It was not a simple miracle she was asking for; it was the power that comes from heaven to break demonic forces. However, the people present, including his own disciples, did not need to see another manifestation of divine power but needed to understand that faith is not limited to a certain group of people. True faith transcends the preconceptions and religious barriers that humans erect. That Canaanite woman exercised her faith in God, and Jesus said that her story would be recorded for posterity.
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"Whoever comes to me I will never drive away," Jesus said (John 6:37, NIV). Do not think that He remains unmoved by your suffering. Never! Count on Him, seek Him, and get to know Him more every day. Your faith will be like that of that Canaanite woman. A faith blessed by God.