What is the Size of Your Faith?
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 15:22a, 25-28 (NKJV) 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… ” ….Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
In this passage, the woman’s faith wasn’t blind faith. Instead, she had a genuine conviction of the heart regarding who Jesus is; she worshipped Jesus and called Him Lord! She also had an excellent attitude because she wasn’t offended when Jesus addressed her as a “little dog”, which is more of an affectionate address than a rude or racist remark. She knew what she came for, which was the deliverance of her demon-possessed daughter.
The Bible records several Gentiles who had enormous faith in Jesus, such as the Centurion in Matthew 8:5-10, who asked Jesus to just say the word because he had faith in Jesus’s Word. Jesus commended the Centurion for having great faith. Likewise, this Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, was bold enough to ask Jesus to help cast out the demon in her daughter even though she was a Gentile. There is a hierarchy in the demonic realm, and she believed that Jesus was above all of them. This is what gave her the boldness to worship Jesus and ask for His help. She had heard about Jesus and believed Him to be the Son of the highest God. Both the Centurion and this woman had great faith in Jesus’ impartiality to minister to all, even though Jesus was called to the Jews, the people of God, before He fulfilled the Abrahamic Covenant so that the blessings of Abraham would come upon the Gentiles, and all the families of the earth would be included in the family of God. Jesus also sought to minister to and save the lost. He is a God full of compassion, love, mercy, and empathy.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
This woman diligently sought Jesus for help and received what she wanted for her daughter. Scripture says that we can only please God with our faith in Him. We need to know that Jesus is impartial to us by connecting our faith in Him when we diligently approach Him. If the Lord could minister to the people of Israel in the Old and New Testament, He can meet your prayer needs today! It depends on how big God is in your hearts and your minds.
Sermon Series : We are entitled to our Bread
