Syrophoenician Woman; A Determined Mother

When she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.

(Mark 7:30)

The Syrophoenician woman, also called the Canaanite woman, was a Gentile (non-Jew) with a demon-possessed daughter. It was hard for the mother to care for her child, and sometimes the situation seemed hopeless. There was nothing that could be done to free the girl from her torment. The mother had heard of Jesus' power to heal and went to him. She told him about her daughter and asked him to heal the little girl. Jesus said, "First I should feed the children – my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs" (Mark 7:27). Jesus meant he should care for the Jews first, and this woman was a Gentile. The woman was desperate. She wasn't willing to give up so easily, because Jesus was the only hope for her daughter. The woman answered, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates" (Mark 7:28). Jesus told the woman she'd given a good answer. He instructed her to go home, because the demon had left her daughter. The woman hurried home, now filled with hope. When she got there, she saw it was true. Her daughter was resting quietly because the demon was gone. The mother believed Jesus could heal her daughter. She never doubted. She didn't give up, either, even when it looked like Jesus would deny her request. The hopeful mother wasn't going to let go of this chance to have her child freed from the demon. Perhaps Jesus was testing her faith or her persistence, If it was a test, she passed. Jesus didn't even journey to her home as he had with Jairus. Jesus healed the girl without even seeing her.

Thinking it through 

The woman wasn't  willing to give up. She told Jesus that even dogs deserve the crumbs. If she'd accepted Jesus' first answer and left, her daughter would have remained demon possessed. what one thing will you persistently ask God for?   

 

 

Written by Katrina Cassel