The Power of Faith - Pr. Antonio Nasser - June 7th,09

Texts: Matthew 15:21-28 & Mark 7:24-30 (NKJV)

Revisiting both texts - Characters: Woman, Disciples, Jesus, Daughter
THE WOMAN
Mark 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
Matthew 15:22 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."
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

1.She was Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth. From Canaan
2.Although she was not a Jew, she knew about King David and recognized Jesus as the “Son of David”
3.She believed that Jesus was LORD (Kyrios); someone divine, and worshiped HIM.
4. She had an understanding about the spiritual world: “My daughter is severely demon-possessed."

THE DISCIPLES
Matthew 15:23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
1.They were bothered with the noise of the woman’s cry;
2.They showed no mercy for her;
3.They represented the Jewish people and their understanding about the Messiah’s mission:
"I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

JESUS
Mark 7:24 And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.
Mark 7:27 "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.“
Matthew 15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
1.“…and wanted no one to know it,…”. Although He had a mission beyond the ethnocentric vision of his disciples, he was going to teach them a terrific lesson.
2.“… but He could not be hidden”. He was famous for his deeds -blessing the poor and hurt people.
3.He brought into the conversation the way the Jews called the gentiles: “dogs”.
4. He was between two realities: his ethnocentric disciples and the foreign woman!

THE CHARADES
1. "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Who am I?
2. "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Are you lost?
3. "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." What bread is this?
4. "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Who has the power to give the bread?

THE WOMAN'S FAITH
1. If the issue is “to eat the bread”… Little dogs eat as well.
2. If the issue is “the order that the bread is given”… little dogs can wait for the crumbs.
3. If the issue is “the difference between children and little dogs”… Little dogs are not children, but they are at the same place of the children.

THE RESULTS
Woman’s right answer --> Faith In Action
The “foreign-little dog” woman --> Welcomed Daughter (you can eat the bread)
The “demon possessed daughter” --> Completely free daughter!
The pagan people --> God’s people