Great Is Your Faith!

Great Is Your Faith!

Matthew 15:28 “Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.”

I have heard this story in the Bible many times and I am sure you have too.  Right before this verse is the story of the woman who was asking Jesus to heal her daughter. Here is the story found in Matthew 15:21-28 “Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”  But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”  He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

I have heard several sermons on this story.  The focus always seems to be on why Jesus spoke to her the way that He did and why He said the things that He said.  I think those are important things to discuss because it sounds like He is being very rude.  If you have not heard any sermons or any explanations of why Jesus said the things He said, I recommend you look them up as it is very interesting.  However, what the Holy Spirit highlighted for me today is the very last line in this story.  Jesus said, “‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”

This came right after the woman said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” What the Holy Spirit told me is that we don’t have to be perfect to receive healing. This woman was not one of the chosen people and yet she believed that even the crumbs left over after the chosen people had been healed would have enough power to heal her daughter.  She knew she wasn’t one of the chosen people.  She knew she didn’t have a right, so to speak, to be asking Jesus for anything, let alone a miracle, and yet she was brave enough to ask anyway.  

It’s interesting, when I read the words, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table,” I heard the Holy Spirit say, you are like the crumbs.  I had no idea what he meant by this.  Then I felt like he was saying, we think we need to be perfect to either ask for healing or pray for others for healing.  The Holy Spirit was telling me we don’t have to be perfect.  This woman was not perfect and yet she knew she needed a miracle and although she didn’t really know Jesus, she believed in His power and knew He could heal her daughter.  She knew, without a doubt that He could heal her daughter.  She even said when she called out, “Lord, son of David.” Even his apostles were struggling to see who He truly was and yet this woman could see.  

If we want to be used by the Holy Spirit to pray for others then we don’t need to be perfect, we just need to be willing and humble.  This woman humbled herself and knelt before Jesus.  She begged Him to heal her daughter.  She did not get caught up in what she should or shouldn’t do.  She didn’t get caught up in what He was saying or how He was saying it.  She needed Him to heal her daughter and she kept asking and persisting until He did.  We can all learn a lot from this woman.  Her faith was so powerful it saved her child.  

Whom do you know that could use some prayers like this?  This woman knew she had nothing to lose and everything to gain by begging Jesus to heal her daughter.  Are we playing it too safe with our prayers?  Are we holding back when we ask Jesus for healing or not even asking Him to heal our loved ones because we don’t want to bother Him or we don’t feel we are worthy?  Are we asking for things, but not the big things, not the things we really want because we are afraid we won’t get them?  Are we protecting ourselves from the letdown of our prayers not being answered so we don’t ever ask?  

I know this is for someone today because it is very strong in my thoughts right now.  God wants me to tell you to stop holding back and stop playing it small with your prayers.  God has some amazing blessings for you and yet He is waiting for you to ask.  He is waiting for you to trust that He will answer your prayers, even if they seem a bit impossible, even if they seem extremely impossible.  God is telling us to ask Him anyway! I feel as though He really wants us to understand that we are not bothering Him with our prayers.  We honor Him when we pray to Him and ask Him for help, especially when we ask Him for big, bold, audacious things.  That is not a word I use often, but I felt that was the word I was supposed to use there.  

Wouldn’t it be great one day to be sitting there, or standing there with Jesus, and then He turns to us and says, “Woman, or man, great is your faith!” I long for that day.  That image, that vision is enough for me to do all I can to increase my faith.  The image of Jesus saying that to me gives me the strength and fortitude to pray the litany of trust and the litany of humility often.  That image gives me the strength to call on the Lord whenever I need Him.  The woman in the verse today had great faith.  She believed He was who He said He was, she believed in His power and she wasn’t afraid to ask Him for help. How about us?

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless each and every person listening to this episode.  Lord, we want to have great faith, please help us.  We want to come to you when we are in need.  We want to ask you the big, bold, audacious prayers.  We believe Lord, help our unbelief.  We love you Lord and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus’ holy name, Amen!

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus.  I want to remind you that registration for the Oct 7-9th retreat has opened up. CLICK HERE  to register! I am so excited to get to spend a weekend getting to know some of you.  It is going to be a really fun time and yet also a time to be filled up with God’s love.  It will be a healing weekend too! If life is a bit much at times, you will leave feeling refreshed.  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day.

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