Pagan Faith

When Jesus left there, He withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from the region came and kept crying out, "Have mercy on me Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly tormented by a demon."

Yet He did not say a word to her. So His disciples approached Him and urged Him, "Send her away because she cries out after us."

He replied, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But she came, knelt before Him, and said, "Lord, help me!"

He answered, "It isn't right to take the children's bread and throw it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "Yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table!"

Then Jesus replied to her, "Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done to you as you want. And from that moment her daughter was cured. Matthew 15:21-28

The Canaanite nation was the most notorious pagan enemy of Israel. Imagine the most notorious  enemy of the church, say IS, and a woman came asking for help for her daughter.

We would encounter fear first, but if we waited on the Holy Spirit and followed His lead, what would He be urging us to do?

Jesus' general mandate was to preach to those beaten and trodden down in Israel but occasionally along came a Gentile who had great faith.

This woman addresses Him as the Messiah. She recognises what many Israelites fail to recognise, His lordship.

Great faith draws out a miracle, it never fails and climbs over all obstacles. What were the obstacles in this woman's life? Firstly she was a woman and secondly she was from a pagan nation who was an enemy of the Messiah's country.

Great faith is born out of love. The woman loved her child, she loved the truth that would set her child free. She must have heard Jesus or about Jesus and her heart was fertile soil for a miracle.

No matter who we are or what our position is in relation to the gospel of Christ or its people miracles are available to all who believe. Dare to believe! Amen!