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1994 my wife and I moved into our current home after leaving California.
Unlike our previous home, we now see a wide variety of wild animals:
birds, rabbits, ground squirrels, javelina, coyotes, owls, and roadrunners.
On one occasion, I was standing near a window and saw a shower of feathers
descending to the ground just like snow. I quickly stepped outside to
see what was creating this flurry. When I looked up to the top of the
roof, I discovered that an eagle was rapidly plucking the feathers off
a little bird. The little bird was squawking, squealing, and crying out
as each feather was pulled, but the eagle continued rapidly removing
its feathers. As soon as the eagle saw me, he lifted his great wings
and flew away with the little bird in its clutches. The little bird was
helpless and so was I. I could not do anything for that little bird.
Sometimes we are in situations like that little bird. Have you ever felt
like that little bird? Your feathers are being removed one-by-one. You
are squawking and squealing and all of your crying doesn’t do any
good. Well, then this study is for you. Background. The events of our study are recorded in two different gospels: Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30. In the opening verse in Matthew,
we are told that Jesus had left the region of Capernaum and had withdrawn to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. Matt 15:21 (NAS95S)
Mark 7:24 adds,
And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. Mark 7:24b (NAS95S) Jesus left Galilee in order to get some badly needed rest. This was His attempt to get a short vacation from the crowds of people. Jesus was tired and needed the escape. We
all need rest on occasions. We are told that Jesus entered a house. The most likely reason that He did was to escape visual notice. If anyone saw Him, they would tell others;
the word would spread, and crowds would come after Him. His attempt to have a vacation would be destroyed. But He was not successful. Someone saw Him. The news about His location
spread from house to house, city to city, and throughout the region. The people came. The news about Jesus had spread outside of Galilee.
The Interruption. Matthew 15:22 says that a Canaanite woman had heard about Jesus and came seeking Him.
And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” Matt 15:22 (NAS95S) Mark 7:26 adds that the woman was of the Syrophenician race. That means she was a Gentile, someone a “good” Jew would have despised, rejected, and
wanted to ignore. What is worse from ancient Jewish perspective is that she was a woman. She would have known that the Jews would not want to have anything to do with her. Yet,
she came to Jesus anyway. What a bold woman!
Mark 7:25 reveals that when she found Jesus, she fell at His feet. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Mark 7:25 (NAS95S) I would have fallen at His feet too, if I knew that Jesus was a Jew. I would have been afraid that He might not want to help me. Maybe, just maybe my action might invoke His
sympathy. Why did she come? Matthew 15:22 says that the woman was in desperate trouble. Her daughter was “cruelly” or “badly” or “severely” possessed
by a demon. That means her daughter was in extremely unusual trouble.
Matthew 15:22 also tells us that after she found Jesus and fell at His
feet, she started “crying out.” The Greek word that is
translated as “crying out” is “KRAZO.” It
is in the imperfect tense, and it means that she was crying out again
and again. She must have been a great irritation and an annoyance
to everyone around her. She was a despised Gentile, a despised woman,
and she was repeatedly yelling as loudly as she could, “Have
mercy on me, Lord, Son of David” or “Help me!”
The Unexpected. One would have thought that Jesus would have welcomed this poor anxious, distraught mother and lovingly helped her daughter. But Jesus did not do that.
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” Matt 15:23 (NAS95S) Jesus said nothing. Jesus did nothing. Jesus just ignored her! He was as silent as a stone. Martin Luther stated,
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