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Series 6:
Lesson 96: |
MIRACLES
THE SYROPHENICIAN WOMAN'S DAUGHTER |
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Passage to Study
Matthew 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30.
Read with the class:
Matthew 15:21-28.
Memory Text:
Younger children --- Matthew 15:28 "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto
thee even as thou wilt”
Youth --- Matthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great
is thy faith: be it unto
thee even as thou wilt.” And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Or, John 5:24 “Verily, verily I say unto you., He that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation: but is passed from death unto life.”
OBJECTIVES: To teach that:
1. No one deserves God’s blessings, but He answers those who seek Him in
humility.
2. The Lord’s silence should not be taken as refusal of a request made in
accordance with His will.
3. We honour the Lord when we count on His great power.
4. The Lord granted the woman’s request, because of her great faith.
5. The sinner who hears the Word and exercises faith (believes), receives
eternal life.
SCENE No. 1. In a city located in the region of Tyre and Sidon, figures of a
woman behind Jesus and the words in writing, "Have mercy on me, Oh Lord,
thou son of David", and the figure of other individuals.
DEVELOPMENT:
- After teaching in the northern part of Galilee and feeding the 5,000, Jesus
returned to the plain of Gennesaret where the people received Him willingly.
- Between the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 and his arrival in Gennesaret,
the Lord had commanded His disciples to go across the lake in a boat.
- It was on that occasion when Jesus walked on the water and rescued Peter.
Soon they arrived in Gennesaret, a stretch of land on the western side of the
Galilee between Capernaum and Tiberias.
- It appears that Jesus was not as well known in this place and had more
quietness in which to teach His disciples.
- The Lord Jesus taught the great lesson of what contaminates a person. (Matthew
15:1-20.)
- The inhabitants of Gennesaret spread the news of the Jesus being present and
people came to be healed.
- From here, Jesus travelled north to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
- The city of Tyre was some 40 kms. from Capernaum. Jesus’ fame had
reached there also.
- Jesus had been sent to the Israelites (Matt. 15:24), but this time He met the
needs of a Gentile woman.
- A woman of the area uses the opportunity to ask a favour of Him for her
daughter.
- She addresses Jesus as "Lord, thou son of David".
- The Jews were the ones who could hope for something from the "Son of
David".
- The woman requests mercy, having neither the right nor any personal merit as a
basis for her request.
- Jesus did not reply. He did not however, refuse her petition, and so she
repeated her request.
Apl. The Lord’s silence must not be taken as refusal, when requests are made
according to His will. Jesus responded to her when the time was the right.
Cns. The delay in heeding the woman’s request may have been intended to show
His disciples that there is divine blessing available for non-Jews also.
SCENE No. 2. A city scene, with figures of the woman worshipping Jesus and
the words, written, "Lord, have mercy on me” as well as "Oh woman,
great is thy faith”.
DEVELOPMENT:
- The disciples felt uncomfortable on account of the woman’s persistence.
- They asked the Lord to send her away.
- He explained that the reason for His silence was that His main mission was to
the Israelites, and not to Gentiles. This however, did not mean that He
could not do anything for the Gentiles.
- When the woman knelt before Him to request help, the Lord’s reply seemed to
put her on the level of dogs.
- The woman did not take offence at the hint of the low regard in which the Jews
held the Gentiles, calling them “dogs”. His words rather gave her reason to
hope.
Apl. Each of us should be humble in the presence of the Lord, recognizing that
whatever blessing received is on the basis of mercy.
- The woman knew that children gave food to their dogs and she accepted the
place of one of these.
- She asked for one of the crumbs left over by the more favoured children.
- She believed that a crumb would be sufficient for her need. This showed
what she thought of the abundance and power of God.
- Jesus appreciated her faith, for faith honours Him.
Apl. . We honour the Lord when we count on His great power, as this woman did.
- Her faith made it possible to receive the blessing she sought. “Be it
unto thee even as thou wilt”.
Cmt. Crumbs are the residuals from a meal, not the full provision. The
Lord’s response indicated her daughter would have a full recovery, and not
something partial.
Cmt. God’s way of dealing with the person who draws near to Him in faith
always results in their abundant blessing. Titus 3:4-6.
SCENE No. 3. The Syrophenician woman’s house with figures of the woman
arriving home and finding her daughter in bed and healed.
DEVELOPMENT:
- The woman may have been obliged to leave her oppressed daughter at home, while
she sought Jesus’ help. Who would have wanted to take care of a girl,
grievously vexed with the devil?
- When she saw her daughter again, she was changed, quietly lying in bed (Mark
5:30).
- Jesus had said to the woman, "the devil has gone out of your
daughter", and that is how she found her.
- She had been able to count on Jesus’ word.
Apl. The woman heard Jesus’ word, believed it and received the blessing she
sought. In the same way, the sinner that hears God’s word and believes
it, receives eternal life. (John 5:24.)
- Christ was able to conquer Satan from a distance.
Apl. No one deserves God’s blessings, but the person who humbles him or
herself and seeks God finds that He gives pardon.
Apl. Two outstanding points are: (1) the change in the girl and, (2) the joy of
the woman. In our day, we can see this when a person is set free
from the power of Satan.
Cmt. When Jesus was presented in the temple 40 days after His birth, the elderly
Simeon gave some prophesies concerning Christ. See Luke 2:32. “A
light to lighten the Gentiles.” A ray of that light reached this woman. |
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