Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.” But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed. Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?” Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.” So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.
Matthew 15:21-39 NLT
What do we do when God is silent? What can we do when He will not answer us, even when we cry out again and again? This is a reality of living in relationship with the Lord, as shown in the Psalms and in this story with Jesus. The Lord cared for this woman and her daughter. He did have a mission first to the Jews, but He also did ministry among the Gentiles. In His silence and hard statements, Christ grew this woman’s faith. Like a loving parent, sometimes the lessons He gives are hard but needed.
We can learn so much from this woman about how to respond in the seasons of silence. First, she never stopped asking, even when Christ was silent. She was persistent and pursued the One who had the power to heal her daughter. Second, she believed in who Jesus was. She would not go away because she knew He was God; there was no substitute. She even worshiped Him! Third, she accepted seemingly harsh treatment from the Lord. Jews typically referred to Gentiles as “dogs.” Jesus was not calling her a dog but testing her understanding of who He was. She accepted the analogy because she understood that Jesus was the Master of all people; to be a dog at His table is a great honor indeed. Her faith was praised, and her prayer was answered.
What lessons from this faithful Gentile woman can you apply to your life? What can you do to remember that God is your Master, King, and Father?
