There is really no accounting for the love of a mother for her child. There is nothing logical about mother love. It is a blind and driving force of pure, unselfish devotion. It rejects cold, calculating reason, and gladly attempts even the obviously impossible for her child’s welfare. So casting aside every logical objection this mother lost no time in going to Jesus. We are told that she “came and fell at his feet.” (Mark 7:25) We also read that, “She cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil!” (Matthew 15:22)

Then Jesus did something that seems so unlike him. Verse 23 says, “But he answered her not a word.” You may be sure that this was not because of a lack of compassion. Jesus was never insensitive to grief or pain. He was the most compassionate man the world has ever known. We read in Matthew 9:36 that, when he saw the suffering multitude, “He was moved with compassion on them.” His heart went out to them in love and sympathy. It is written of him that he healed “every sickness and every disease among the people.” When Lazarus died and Jesus saw the sorrow of Mary and Martha, his heart melted in sympathy and he wept. He certainly knew the situation of this unfortunate woman even before she told him. Why, then, did he turn away in silence? I think it was because he saw in this woman a faith of unusual magnitude, a faith worthy of testing. This seeming indifference on Jesus’ part did not deter the woman in the least. She continued her earnest entreaty, “Have mercy on me, O Lord!” over and over again.

A former American Consul at Jerusalem has written, “To one who has ever held a prominent or official position in the East, the persistency of pleading women is a fact one will never forget! They will not be driven from their purpose in a rough manner. Severe language does not deter them. They are not wearied by delays. They will sit and wait, hour after hour, and come day by day, ignoring all kinds of refusals. They are importunate beyond anything that I ever experienced in our Western life.”

In addition to this natural characteristic of Eastern women, this mother who pleaded with Jesus was driven by a more powerful incentive than most. She was pleading for the life of her daughter.

Finally, they could not stand it any longer and went to Jesus about it. We read, “And his disciples came, and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.” (Matthew 15:23) The disciples were sympathetic to her cause. When they said “Send her away,” they did not mean for Jesus to send her away empty. They meant, “Grant her request, and let her go. It is such a simple thing for you to do. You have healed thousands in Israel. You have cast out legions of demons from others. Cast out this demon also, from her daughter, and send the poor woman away in peace.”

Then Jesus “answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) In other words, “My ministry is confined exclusively to the nation of Israel. This woman is a Gentile, an outsider. Do you not remember when I sent you forth to preach and heal, that I told you, `Go not in the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?’ [Matthew 10:5,6] This woman has no claim upon us.”

At this point it seems that the woman herself came into the presence of Jesus having followed closely upon the heels of the disciples. She probably heard what Jesus just said. Now she prostrated herself before Jesus in an attitude of worship. We read in verses 25 and 26:

“Then came she, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me! But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”

This seems a very harsh thing for Jesus to have said, but it really was not. His answer to her was not one of disdain or contempt, nor did it indicate indifference to her great misfortune. Our Lord had no such feelings toward any. On the contrary he was undoubtedly greatly moved by her predicament. But it was necessary for him to give her a reason for his position in the matter. He was also further testing the great faith he saw in her.

We must remember that at that time the term “dogs” was commonly applied to all Gentiles by the Jews as signifying their inferiority in the sight of God. God’s dealings were exclusively with the house of Israel, and dogs were normally kept outside the house. It was an apt term. Our Lord merely made use of an expression common in his day which the Gentile woman understood perfectly. But even here the Lord mercifully softened the expression, giving the woman a ray of hope. It seems that he here used a word for “dogs” which signifies, not ferocious, outside dogs, but house dogs, dogs which were well-loved and were the pets and companions of the children. In Mark’s account we find that Jesus gave the woman still another tiny ray of hope:

“But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled. For it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.” Mark 7:27

This implied that once the children had enough, some bread might be spared for the dogs. Do you see how loving and merciful Jesus really was? Far from discouraging the poor woman, he was helping her and leading her on to the strong declaration of faith which she then made. She saw and eagerly grasped her opportunity: “And she said, Truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” (Matthew 15:27) Or as Mark records it, “Yes, Lord. Yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” (Mark 7:28) Jesus was delighted and greatly touched with this response. He saw in this Gentile woman many excellent traits of character, a great love, a humble spirit, a persistent seeking after blessing, and above all, a magnificent FAITH which even the most devout Jew might emulate. He took her by the hand and gently raised her from her knees, and we read in verse 28:

“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith! Be it unto thee even as thou wilt!”

At that very moment at the home of the woman a force as of lightning struck the demon and he was violently expelled from the little girl. As the Diaglott says, “And her daughter was cured from that very moment.” The woman hurried home without any doubt in her mind that her request had indeed been granted. “And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.” (Mark 7:30) Her little girl was peacefully sleeping for the first time in many years.

Some Lessons for Us

Let us go back and consider some of the lessons to be derived from this incident. First, we can learn something from the prudence which Jesus exercised by briefly leaving the jurisdiction of Herod. Unless principle is involved we should avoid trouble all we can. Although we may sometimes feel the enmity of the world, we should never incite it. As Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” And 2 Timothy 2:24, “The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men.” In this way our usefulness to the Lord, and our influence for good in the world will be prolonged. Considering the special intensity of violence that is in the world today, we should act prudently, not exposing ourselves recklessly, saying “God will take care of me.” Of course he will. He would have taken care of Jesus too. Jesus himself said, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53) Even so Jesus acted prudently just the same until his time had come. So with us. We will get all the help we need when it is necessary just as Daniel received it when, for the sake of principle, he was cast into the den of lions, and the Hebrew children when they were thrown into the fiery furnace. But let us not make the mistake of jumping into a “den of lions” or into a “fiery furnace.”

The great love the Syrophenician woman had for her child, reminds us of God’s love for us, his children. Mother-love is an apt illustration of God-love, except that God’s love is even more intense. “Can a woman forget her sucking child? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee!” (Isaiah 49:15) The same thought is expressed in a psalm: “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (Psalms 27:10)

No Problem Is Too Great/Small For God

There is a lesson in the fact that this Gentile woman ignored every logical reason why she should not go to Jesus with her problem and went anyhow. Do we sometimes have problems that we hesitate to lay before the Lord? Do we wonder whether they are too great, too small, too intimate, too complicated, too simple, too worldly or too something else? Are we afraid of being ignored or rebuffed? It should not be so if we are God’s children. Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) To which Hebrews 4:16 adds, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We read: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22) There is no stipulation about the kind of burden, or problem, or need. It refers to ANY kind.

The manner in which the Syrophenician woman approached Jesus holds a valuable lesson for us because it was an effective approach that the Lord approved and rewarded. Let us note that she was not brazen or assertive. She did not reproach Jesus for his partiality toward the seed of Abraham and did not claim to be just as good and deserving. She was not demanding. She did not even express a specific wish. She merely told the Lord the nature of her trouble and said, “Lord, have mercy on me! Lord, help me!” She did not tell the Lord what to do. She left it entirely to the Lord’s wisdom as to how or when the help and mercy should be bestowed. We certainly can learn from this how to approach the Lord acceptably. Are we not dealing with the very same Lord who is now our Advocate, at the right hand of God? So, as Philippians 4:6 instructs us, “Let your requests be made known unto God,” and then simply say, “Lord, help me!” You may be sure his way will be the very best way.

God Hears Our Petitions

When the woman had made her earnest plea, we read that Jesus “answered her not a word.” Does it sometimes happen that the Lord answers us “not a word”? Do we ever go to him with problems that seem very important and urgent to us and apparently receive no response? I am sure this has happened to every one of us. It can be a severe test of faith. Questions arise in one’s mind, “Am I a child of God, or am I not? Has my consecration ever been accepted? Am I in covenant relationship with God? Have I, perhaps, lost favor with the Lord? Has he turned his face from me?” With continued delay comes discouragement. “It’s no use to ask any more,” one may say. “The Lord evidently does not hear my prayers. And if he does, he doesn’t intend to answer.”

These are suggestions from the Adversary and should be instantly rejected. We should have no doubt that the Lord does hear our prayer: “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.” (Psalms 34:15) Then reassured, we should next consider Jesus’ own words: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7) This is a positive statement, a firm promise. Then let us ask ourselves, “Am I abiding in Christ? Am I carrying out my consecration as a member of his body?” If so, the next question is, “Does the Lord’s word abide in me? Am I seeking to be always guided by his word of truth?” Then the most important question, “Is the blessing I am seeking in harmony with God’s Word and Plan?” If it is, we should persist in our request just as the Syrophenician woman did. We will obtain the same result she did. Our prayer will be answered in the Lord’s own way and time. Because of our patient persistence, he will say to us also, “Great is thy faith!” The delay will not really be long.

This is the very lesson Jesus taught in his parable of the importunate widow (Luke 18:1-8). He summed it up by saying, according to Weymouth,

“And will not God avenge the wrongs of his own people who cry aloud to him day and night, although he seems slow in taking action on their behalf? Yes, he will soon avenge their wrongs!”

Let us emulate the positive faith of Paul:

“For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.”–2 Timothy 1:12

When the Lord “answered her not a word,” he was testing the woman’s strong faith. Let us learn from this that the Lord tests our strengths not our weaknesses. When the Lord subjects us to a test of faith, let us take it as an indication that he considers our faith strong and worthy of testing. Such trials should encourage and not discourage us.

When the woman pleaded with him, Jesus withheld his blessing and said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” We were all at one time as that woman was. Our former condition is well described as,

“Without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” Ephesians 2:12

Yes, at one time we too were dogs, out of favor with the Lord. As the psalm says, “So foolish was I, and ignorant, I was as a beast before thee.” (Psalms 73:22) Then a great transformation took place:

“But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) And in Galatians:

“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:26-29

The High Calling Offered to Others

Thus the high calling which was first offered exclusively to natural Israel, was now made available to individuals who constitute spiritual Israel. By the grace of God we have heard and accepted the call.

When Jesus told the woman “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs,” she answered, “Truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the Master’s table.” This reminds us of Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16.

“There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores; and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.” Luke 16:19- 21

Here again we find a person who is an associate of “dogs” desiring “crumbs” from the “table.” In this picture the “rich man” represented the Jewish nation, rich in God’s favor. He was clothed in purple, invested with royalty. The Jews were of a Royal Priesthood because of the promises to Abraham and David. The high calling was first offered to them. The rich man was clothed in the fine linen of righteousness, the Jews being typically a holy people. He fared sumptuously, the Jews being the special recipients of God’s favor.

His word was given to them. The prophets were sent to them. As we read in Romans:

“What advantage then hath the Jews? . . . Much every way. Chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” Romans 3:1,2

The beggar Lazarus, the associate of dogs, represented the Gentile outcasts from divine favor. The Syrophenician woman was one of this class. As Lazarus begged, “Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table,” she begged Jesus for a crumb from the table of divine favor. The parable goes on to show how later the positions of the rich man and Lazarus were reversed, the beggar being exalted to favor and the rich man degraded. This shows the temporary casting off of natural Israel and the opening of the high calling to the Gentiles. But that is another lesson.

When the Lord finally acted on behalf of the Syrophenician woman, the result came with lightning speed: her daughter was instantly healed. As the record states, “Her daughter was cured from that very moment.” This is often the experience of the Lord’s people. After much pleading and crying to the Lord, after much delay and vexation trying one’s patience and faith to the utmost, the answer suddenly comes in a time and manner least expected. The difficulty is instantly removed. This has been a part of my own experience and I can testify that it is powerfully strengthening to faith. After having such an experience one always remembers it and never doubts the Lord again.

There is another lesson we can learn from this incident of Jesus healing the daughter of the Syrophenician woman that I think is very encouraging and heart-warming. It gives us an insight into the wonderful character of God. We learn that the Lord lovingly and mercifully makes exceptions to his stated rules. For example, although Jesus told the poor Gentile woman, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” nevertheless, he did heal her daughter. On another occasion, although he commanded his disciples “Go not into the way of the Gentiles,” he himself did heal the Roman Centurion’s servant. (Matthew 8:5-13) Although he told his disciples, “Into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not,” we find that after he talked with the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well, he spent two days in a Samaritan city with his disciples. It is recorded that as a result of this, “many believed because of his own word.” (John 4:41)

Someone may ask, “Is not this making of exceptions to stated rules contrary to God’s character? Does not James 1:17 describe the Heavenly Father as one`with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning?’ And does not God say in Malachi 3:6, `I am the Lord; I change not?’ And is it not written in Psalms 89:34, `My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips?’ And does not Numbers 23:19 tell us, `Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?’“

These scriptures emphasize the absolute justice and dependability of God, that he may be utterly relied upon to carry out his divine plan of the Ages for the blessing of mankind. Such scriptures give us confidence in God. However, we must not forget that in addition to being a just God, he is also a loving God.

Love Tempers Justice

Let us now note how his love tempers his justice, how that even in his law he made provision for the exercise of love. For example, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” (Genesis 9:6) Yet provision was made for exceptions. Cities of refuge were provided in Israel to which unpremeditated killers could flee and thus escape the avenger of blood. (Numbers 35:6) We read: “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:24, 25) These provisions of the law were permissive but they were not compulsory. If someone knocked your tooth out, you had the right to knock out one of his; but you could choose to forgive him if you wanted to. Similarly the loss of a hand or foot might be avenged by the cutting off of the hand or foot of the guilty person, but I am sure few would be disposed to do such a gruesome thing. If someone burned your house down, you had the right to retaliate and burn his house down; but you were not compelled to enforce your right. In all these things you could choose to exercise pity and mercy, and forgive the offender if you wanted to. To do so would be godlike. This is exactly what the Lord does to us. We read:

“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.” Micah 7:18

In dealing with us, the Lord does not exact full retribution for our sins. This is beautifully brought out in a psalm:

“He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Psalms 103:10-14

A merciful abstaining from exacting the full penalty of the law does not violate justice; it goes beyond justice, it exceeds justice. Jesus enjoined this superseding law of love upon his disciples:

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil. But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also; And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” Matthew 5:38-41

These are figurative expressions to illustrate the law of love by which a Christian lives. He is not to exact strict justice but to go beyond and above it.

The law of weights and measures which God gave to Israel provides an apt illustration of this:

“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have.” Leviticus 19:35,36

This was strict justice. It was absolutely right. They must not do less. But Jesus taught his followers that by the law of love, they should do more than that; they should exceed justice. He said: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over.” (Luke 6:38) The law didn’t require them to press down and shake together, to eliminate air spaces and allow more to fit in the container. It did not require them to pour liquid until it ran over the edge of the vessel. So did this teaching of Jesus contradict the law? No, there is no contradiction. It is entirely proper and always permissible to give more than the law demands, but never to give less.

Jesus Gave “Crumbs” to the Gentiles

This is why Jesus, although sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, was free to make exceptions and lovingly to give crumbs of blessing to some Gentiles who had no claim to them, being outside the commonwealth of Israel. In this he exemplified his Heavenly Father who so loved the world that he arranged a way for the justly condemned Adam, who had no claim to life, to be released from death.

Do you often like to surprise those you love with a gift, something precious they do not expect and for which they have not asked? God is like that too, only his gifts are exceedingly greater than we can ever give. This is what the apostle means when he refers to, “Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20) Jesus himself said,

“If ye, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father?” Luke 11:13

We must not be disposed to chide the Lord if he sometimes makes loving exceptions to his rules and grants crumbs of blessing to those outside our fellowship, even to some in the nominal systems. That is the Lord’s business. In the language of Job, “Who can hinder him?

Who will say unto him, What doest thou?” (Job 9:12) Daniel says of him:

“He doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” Daniel 4:35

Knowing what a loving God we have we should expect to receive from him blessings, “Pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.” If faithful to our consecration, we should confidently claim the promise,

“Prove me herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it!” Malachi 3:10

No, we don’t have to beg for crumbs. We are the children seated at the Lord’s table. “If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) All the marvelous bounties of the Lord are ours!

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal

ELIJAH has been called “the grandest and most romantic character that Israel ever produced.” All we know of his parentage and origin is found in 1 Kings 17:1 which refers to him as “Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead.”

The significance of the name Elijah is interesting. It is dramatically brought to our attention by an incident in the New Testament. Jesus is hanging on the cross; his hour has come and in a few minutes he will die as the ransom price for mankind. Now we read:

“And about the ninth hour, Jesus exclaimed with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, Lama Sa-bach-tha-ni? That is, My God! My God! Why has thou forsaken me? And some of those standing there, hearing him, said, He calls for Elijah.”–Matthew 27:46,47, Diaglott

Why do you suppose they thought he was calling for Elijah? The reason is simple. The name Elijah means “Jehovah, my God.” So when Jesus addressed his heavenly Father as “My God,” he pronounced the name of Elijah.

At the time of our lesson, about 900 BC, Ahab was king of Israel. He was very wicked.

“And Ahab . . . did evil in the sight of the Lord, above all that were before him. . . . And he reared up an altar for Baal, in a temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove [for the worship of Ashtoreth]. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of –Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.” 1 Kings 16:30,32,33

He married the wicked woman Jezebel and made her his queen. She was a Phoenician princess, daughter of the king of the idolatrous Zidonians. In her hands Ahab became a mere puppet. By her influence and with Ahab’s consent the most abominable idol worship was established in Israel. At her table in the royal palace were supported no less than 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Ashtoreth. By her orders with Ahab’s weak acquiescence the prophets of Jehovah were persecuted and killed. (1 Kings 18:13) Jezebel was actually trying to eradicate the worship of Jehovah in Israel.