READ the account in Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30. Jesus had been laboring in the vicinity of blue Galilee, where many of His mighty works had already been wrought. Nights and days had been full of praying, teaching, healing. All at once He calls His disciples, and with them starts on a journey toward the old cities of Tyre and Sidon. Why did He take that journey of forty to sixty miles? What object had the Master in mind?
THE disciples go with Him wondering. They wonder more that when they reach there, He enters into a house and "would have no man know it." Why after taking them so far, should He secrete Himself? What was the use of coming? Questions like these must have perplexed the minds of the disciples.
"But He could not be hid." You can not hide the flower with its sweet, strong perfume. You can not hide the bird when its heart must sing. The fulness of God in humanity, bursting to disclose His love, flowed out of every opening of the old house, pervaded the atmosphere, and its currents swept on till they reached the heart of a mother, bowed in an agony of grief over a sorely-afflicted child.
The City of Tyre as It Is To-day.
THEREFORE she came. "For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Gentile, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought Him that He would cast forth the demon out of her daughter." What mysterious wireless telegraphy had been in operation! Away down in Galilee the ear of Jesus had heard the woman's cry. His heart had felt her pain, and somehow she was assured that in some way her prayer for her child would be answered. God in His goodness heard her prayer, and when the Deliverer came she knew Him. Following Him she cried: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon. But he answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us." But He replies as tho a Jew, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Then He seems to have gone on and entered the house. And the woman still followed praying. There is nothing so persistent as the prayer of a loving mother. No strain is too great to endure. Rebuffs are nothing while hope offers fruition. No depth of humility can stay her steps if in their lowest depths of humility she can find hope. And, therefore, when Jesus said: "Let the children first be filled; for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it unto the dogs," she was not offended. She was willing to be counted among the dogs, only so her child is healed; and she replied, "Yes, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."
HER faith is sufficiently tested, and a lesson is given to the disciples. He who gave the mother-love loved greater. To heal that child He journeyed the weary miles. To test the faith of the woman He seemed indifferent. To teach the disciples a lesson, He showed that the ministry of God's blessings reached outside "the chosen people" to all of every class; and that faith, humble, persevering faith was not alone a heritage of the Jews. Here also was one of the lost sheep pleading for the Shepherd; and
"Far out in the desert He heard its cry, Sick and helpless, and ready to die;" and He snatches the lamb from the demon4wolf, and comforts the mother. “O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” And then after healing the body of the daughter and the heart of the mother, He returns to Galilee.
THERE are many sons and daughters to-day demon-possessed in mind and body. The demon of unrestrained pleasure binds some with cords as soft as silk, but strong as steel. Unreasoning temper and blind, fitful passion control others. The demon ambition dethrones the calm reason and best judgment of many, holding them back from usefulness and God. The unclean demons of intemperance, profanity, obscenity, and vice, chain myriads in the bonds of perdition. And there are many anxious mothers. Pray, mothers, pray. Pray humbly, pray earnestly, pray persistently. Never mind the obstacles Satan interposes between you and the Master. Never mind His seeming indifference. He hears; He loves; He sympathizes; He will deliver.
