Syrophoenician Woman

Lord, Help Me!

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  Ephesians 3:16-17

We don’t know her name. She could be called many things—a Syrophoenician, a Canaanite, and a Gentile. Jews usually considered Gentiles unclean and wouldn’t have anything to do with them. However, as soon as the woman heard Jesus was nearby, she went to see him (Matthew 15:22-25).

“Lord, Son of David,” she begged him, “have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

At first, he didn’t answer her, and the disciples urged him to send her away. Then Jesus told her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

She knelt before him saying, “Lord, help me!” Her prayer was short and full of faith.

He replied, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

She probably knew who he meant by “the children.” He referred to the people of Israel. And the dogs were the Gentiles, because Jews considered them unclean. The woman didn’t take offense at his words, however. Dog was usually a derogatory word, but Jesus used kynarion, which meant “a little dog—a puppy,” an affectionate word for a pet.*

“Yes it is, Lord,” She dared to contradict him. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” She used the same word—little dogs. She was on her knees begging, a desperate mother.

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

As he often did, Jesus illustrated with a real-life example something he’d taught the disciples earlier. The scribes and Pharisees had asked Jesus why his disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate (Matthew 15:1-20). They weren’t concerned about germs like my mother was when she asked me, “Did you wash your hands?” They were concerned with man-made rituals and traditions that included many washings. He’d told them what came from their hearts made them unclean, not dirty hands. Jesus was concerned about hearts.

This Gentile woman had called him “Lord, Son of David,” and fell at his feet. He didn’t consider her unclean. Her heart was full of faith. She believed he was the Messiah.

What do you do when you don’t get an immediate answer to prayer? Pray again, and again. Pray with perseverance, pray from your heart.

DIG DEEPER

Read Matthew 15:1-20. What did Jesus say made a person defiled, unclean? How would you characterize your words?

Matthew 15:28 is an example of Jesus’s long-distance intercessory prayer. Another example is Romans 8:34-39. From what location is Jesus praying? Who’s on your long-distance intercessory prayer list?

Read Jesus’s parable about audacious, persevering prayer in Luke 11:16-21. How can you bring boldness into your prayer life?

Nancy J. Baker

* kynarion Little dog:https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G2952&t=KJV

This devotion is included in our most recent collection of devotions, Restore the Significance.