Mark 7:24-30 "Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house He was staying in, but He couldn't keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about Him came and fell at His feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged Him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, 'First I should fee the children-My own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.' She replied, 'That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates.' 'Good answer', He said. 'Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.' And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone."We can find this story in Matthew 15:21-28 also.
This woman is not a follower of Jesus. She in fact is an idolater. She has worshipped her own gods, but now her daughter is very sick. A demon has her in his grips. Can you see this mother? Here her daughter is very ill and she has tried everything. Maybe she has prayed to her gods. Nothing has brought healing. She hears of Jesus. She knows He is near and she goes to Him. She falls at His feet. I can see her tears as she is asking for His healing power over her daughter. I can see her stepping in where Jesus is now staying. He was trying to find a place of rest, but this woman sought Him out. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't you do anything for your child? I know I would. This woman has apparently tried everything she knows, now she is going to try something new. She hurries to Jesus and falls at His feet, begging Him.
Jesus knows she is not a believer. Jesus knows why she is there before Him. He shares with her that His greatest hope is to help His own people, those who walk with Him, those who believe in Him. She doesn't walk away. She stays. She understands. She is persistent. In her persistence she shows the Lord she believes in Him. In her persistence she is wrapped in hope. She is showing humility as she falls to His feet. She also shows Jesus she knows the importance of His people, but she too knows He has enough love to reach others. She is confident in Him. She is reaching out with everything she has.
I can relate to this woman on so many levels. When it comes to our children we are willing to go the extra mile we wouldn't do for ourselves. She knows her daughter needs help. She comes to understand there is only One who can reach her. One who can heal her.
Jesus extends His grace to those who are willing to come to Him. He extends His mercy to those who are willing to accept Him as Savior. Jesus knew the need before the woman came to Him. Jesus works to bring us to Him in many ways. Jesus knew healing would come to this young girl when her mother realized He was her hope. She believes in Him. She is trusting Him with her daughter's life.
Through this one women I wonder how many others came to know Jesus. I wonder how her life and her daughter's life were changed. Through every circumstance Jesus guides us straight to Him. We often don't even realize how much we need Him until He is all we have left. In those drastic moments of the unknown we turn to Jesus. The amazing thing is that He is always there. It didn't matter that this woman had worshipped others before Him. It didn't matter of her past. It mattered where she was at the moment and that was at His feet with a belief that showed Him she was willing to humble herself before Him.
In Matthew 15:28 it says, "Dear woman, Jesus said to her, your faith is great. Your request is granted. And her daughter was instantly healed." At first He did not answer her. He was seeing how great her faith was. In our prayer and persistence Jesus sees a faith that is mighty. I see a woman who loves her daughter and knows there is one answer, and that answer is Christ Jesus. Maybe she had witnessed His healing power before. Maybe she had heard of others speak of Him. Now she too would share with others the healing of her daughter. She now would share the love of Christ with others.
The way we react to circumstances that touch us shows others just where we are in our faith. Our reaction speaks volumes of whether or not we really believe what we say we do. Our life is a testimony to our belief. When we turn to Christ to carry us through, others too will see a strength and a peace that they too will want. Life is just hard sometimes. We don't understand everything that touches our life, but we don't have to. We just need to have a faith that brings us to humility that brings us to the feet of Jesus.
