Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:24-26 NIV
Jesus traveled away from the predominately Jewish areas and entered the vicinity of Tyre. Large crowds had been following him everywhere, in fact, in the preceding chapter we read that Jesus took his disciples in a boat so they could head to a solitary place and get some rest. However, people surmised where they were heading and ran on foot from all the towns to get there ahead of them! In this text we learn that Jesus was attempting to stay in a house without anyone knowing it, but he couldn’t keep his presence a secret. This woman, whose name we aren’t given, was not a Jew, but she had clearly heard about Jesus and believed with all her heart that he could help her daughter. So she searched till she found him and she fell at his feet, begging him for help.
Matthew’s account adds the following details.
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 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.” Matthew 15:22-23 NIV
I love the persistence of this woman! She calls him “Lord,” and refers to him as “Son of David,” as she begs him for mercy. Though she is not a Jew, she has done her homework! She gave him respect and accurately acknowledged who he was. She most certainly knew that she had no right to ask Jesus for help, or to even approach a Jewish rabbi for that matter. She was a Gentile, a woman, a pagan, and had a daughter who was demon possessed. She was clearly stepping out on a limb, but she didn’t care; she was desperate!
This story reminds me of a parable Jesus told that’s recorded by Luke.
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:5-8 NIV
This Phoenician woman had the same shameless audacity that Jesus encourages all of us to have with this parable! When you bring your needs and your desires to the Lord, do you come with the same persistence as this desperate mom? Notice that when Jesus does not answer a word, she keeps crying out. She will not be denied an answer. And finally she gets one.
“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Mark 7:27 NIV
The first time I read this verse, I was taken back, I mean, that doesn’t sound like a very compassionate answer, right? But that’s not how this woman reacted.
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Mark 7:28 NIV
The disciples had been struggling to understand the parables, but this woman completely understood what Jesus was saying. She heard the parable, understood it’s meaning, and demonstrated her insight by answering him from within it’s context. She did not approach him with an attitude of entitlement but rather humility. She knew who she was, and, more importantly, she understood who he was! She did not cry out to him for help because she was entitled to it, or because of any goodness in herself, she persistently cried out to Jesus for help because she believed in his goodness! Wow, I have to believe that was refreshing to Jesus!
Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Mark 7:29-30 NIV
When it comes to the actions of Jesus, I don’t believe much happens by chance. We can rationalize that Jesus went to Tyre, a predominately Gentile community, simply to get some much needed rest, but I believe he had a far greater purpose than that. I believe Jesus’ compassion for this woman and her daughter brought him there. I also believe this was a great lesson for his disciples, and for us.
Whatever you are praying about today, let’s learn from this woman. Let’s approach God’s throne with shameless audacity, not because we are righteous or deserving, but let’s pray with confidence and persistence simply because we believe in the goodness and compassion of God.