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The slides from here on out are mostly of our church, family and celebration of Mother’s Day. So you’ll want to pay attention to the PowerPoint.

Thank you, Church family for being here today and thank you for the listeners across the Internet this morning.

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Today, we turned in the Bible to find a woman, a canon, Night woman, who shows incredible courage, and faith. She approaches Jesus, with a plea for help! Despite rejection and obstacles. She demonstrates incredible faith and courage. As we reflected on her story this morning, we are reminded of the power of faith. And the strength that comes from trusting God.

If you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn to Mathew 15:21–28. 

Let us stand in the reverence of God’s word.

Matthew 15:21-28New International Version

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 

²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David,have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Now let us pray!

Lord, we thank you for this day, and we thank you for the women in our lives that have shown great faith and taught us about you. We thank you that they have shown unwavering love toward us over the years. Lord, I pray that we still continue to honor our mothers. Lord I ask you to continue with us! Teach us some valuable lessons as we study and meditate upon the woman in this story. Father, we ask that you’ll be with us this morning and everything that we say and do be pleasing unto you. It is in Jesus name we pray, amen!

Now we find Jesus and his disciples coming into a new city. Scripture tells us here that the cities are Tyre and Sidon. 

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These two cities are located just north of the sea of Galilee. Tyre was known in Greek as the rock. It is still there. It was a very good trading center situated on the Mediterranean Sea. Boats would come in and out of that port. Business and men would meet and trade there. One of the major exports purple dye. It also was surrounded by lots of rocks that created a fortress.

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They were known for great wealth, but also great wickedness. There must’ve also been some spiritual seeking individuals there, because Mark 3:7–8 and Luke 6:17–18 establish that assumption. 

Mark 3:7-8 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. ⁸ When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.

Luke 6:17–18¹ He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,

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So we see in both of these scriptures the fame of Jesus was stretching beyond just one community and people from other communities were coming to see this man named Jesus. Among these people is an unnamed woman. A woman with a problem.

So it is here somewhere around Tyre and Sidon that the woman from Canaanite engages with Jesus Christ.

Back then, people with demon possessions, Wood be ridiculed, shunned, and lonely. They may even suffer with more diseases, because doctors would not treat them. We think we don’t have enough mental health care workers. Now they were almost obsolete, and people, with conditions like paralysis, blindness, loss of speech, epilepsy, seizures, insanity, self harm, deafness, and much more suffered in isolations. The lady from Canaan Night was suffering alongside of her child who may have had one of these or more of these conditions.

At first, she does not receive an acknowledgment from Jesus. People thought maybe she was ignoring her. The disciples just wanted rid of her. However, this came of night woman persists. And her faith she keeps stretching towards Jesus and that’s what we should do. There’s a problem in our life and we can’t handle it. We need to stretch ourselves to Jesus.

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The expression is “squeaky wheel gets the grease” (or sometimes “gets the oil”). It means that the person who complains or speaks up the loudest is the one who receives attention or gets their problems solve.

This lesson teaches us and all mothers, a lesson in humility and perseverance.

so let’s take a look at the woman’s desperate plea to Jesus. It’s a desperate probably of desperation and love. Loving mothers will do anything for their children.

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I find that so in animals too. One time I had my cows in a corral. The corral panels are probably 40 to 60 pounds of pace. I had a Charlet cow, which is white, and the breed is known for their aggression. Her little calf went underneath the panels and that mama cow could not get to her baby and that baby was crying. She was desperate and she persevered. On her shoulders, she picked up four choices of this fence that probably weighed 3 to 400 pounds and pulled it over top of the baby and dropped it on the other side. She immediately nestled that baby with her neck and pushed it to her other.

The Cana Night woman, here in scripture, addressed Jesus Christ as Lord. She showed him respect. Her high hopes, she knew him as the Messiah. One thing we do know, is that, people were coming from everywhere to meet this human man who could perform the miracles of God. She gives her plea to Jesus. She was pleading for his compassion and mercy upon both her and her child.

Despite the rejection from the disciples and the other Jews, she persevered. She continue to petition Jesus for helps

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The second thing the Holy Ghost would have us look at and examine is the disciples rejection in Jesus says response to the Canaanite woman.

as she reaches for the help of Jesus, she has met with resistance and even rejection from the disciples. Rejecting her shows us of their mindset and attitude of the disciples. They were a little bit prejudice. they may have viewed her as an outsider or as someone that did not fit into their description of a Jew. They did not find her worthy of receiving help. The disciples urge Jesus to shoot her away.

However, Jesus uses this as a teaching moment for his disciples and for us today. He challenges is their narrow mindless. he questions there ideas of compassion. O let God not question our compassion today. This lesson cautions us today about not being prejudiced. It cautions us not to make differences between people, but yet love all people and show all people compassion. Jesus highlights, the ideas of empathy, inclusion, and compassion.

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We have to be careful not to be distracted, totally by spiritual matters that we miss the needs of others today. Some churches, even have a prejudice against needy people. For example, if you don’t have enough money, or you don’t make a certain dollar amount, then, some churches do not want you to be a member of their church. That’s real. That’s a fact.

Jesus wants to remind his disciples and us to be open to the areas of need and of spiritual needs around us.

The beauty of God‘s message is for all people. The message of Jesus is not to shut out those people who are different from you, but instead embrace them with love.

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But in that time. The Lord was first sent to the lost Jews, but you know, he also turned and went to the Gentiles, but here he was still meeting with the Jews, and they thought the the Canaanites, were dogs. So the woman was not part of the Jewish community that Jesus was witnessing to in this scripture. But the woman comes, she kneels in front of Jesus, in an act of humility in need.

Then in verse 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

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The Jews commonly used the term “dog” to refer to Gentiles,

believing these pagans were no more likely than dogs to share in God’s blessings.

But Jesus isn’t insulting this woman; He is

teaching His disciples by contrasting their prejudice toward Gentiles with His own compassion.

Notice, too, that she isn’t offended and doesn’t debate Him. Instead, she accepts the label

if it means receiving God’s help for her daughter.

She answers, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

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If you’ve ever watched a dog near the dinner table, you know how eagerly it waits for even the smallest crumb to drop.

This woman was desperate for even the smallest measure of God’s help for her daughter,

and she was willing to endure whatever it took to receive it.

She pushed through every obstacle and faced every challenge because she loved her child.

Her persistence and confidence in Jesus’ power to heal are what moved Him to acknowledge her great faith.

By trusting His mercy and authority, she shows she understands who He is and that His grace reaches beyond every boundary.

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Jesus then commends her: “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed.

“Your request is granted.” And we see that her daughter was healed.

Jesus’ response to the Canaanite woman teaches us perseverance and faith.

By speaking with her and granting her request, Jesus not only heals her daughter

but also shows His disciples—and us—the call to compassion

and an open heart toward everyone who comes to Him for help, no matter their background.

In short, her story reminds us that God’s kingdom welcomes all,

and that faith-filled persistence can lead to extraordinary answers.

Third, let’s consider the woman’s unwavering faith—her unwavering faith.

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Even after the disciples pushed her away and Jesus initially remained silent, she held firmly to her trust in Him.

She keeps asking for help, even when she feels discouraged.

Her unwavering faith is a steady trust in something greater than herself.

It reflects deep trust, resilience under pressure, and devotion to God’s purpose.

Her faith highlights the strength of those who hold to their convictions through setbacks and doubt.

It calls for the courage to remain faithful when the outcome is unclear.

Her faith can serve as a source of  inspiration for others, showing that no   matter what obstacles may come their way, they  can find strength and guidance in their faith.

It also calls us to stay true to our convictions, even when others question or oppose us.

Her persistent faith moved Jesus to answer her prayer, showing the power of believing prayer.

Ultimately, her faith reminds us of the strength that comes from steadfast trust in God.

It strengthens our resilience by anchoring us in something greater than ourselves.

Her example offers hope and inner strength to all who seek to remain faithful.

even when life brings discouragement and hardship.

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As we reflect on the Canaanite woman’s story, we’re reminded of the challenges mothers face today.

Like her, many mothers find themselves in desperate moments, pleading for help and direction.

In seasons of uncertainty and hardship, we can follow her example and trust the power of faith and prayer.

God meets us when we come to Him with humble, persistent trust.

As mothers—and really, all of us—we’re called to persevere with unwavering

faith and courage, trusting that God hears our cries and will provide what we need.

The Canaanite woman’s story teaches us faith, perseverance, and the power of prayer.

Like her, we come to Jesus with humility and trust, confident that He can meet us in our need.

In difficult and uncertain times, we’re called to stand firm in faith,

trusting God to provide for us and for those we love.

So today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s honor the women in our lives who embody

the Canaanite woman’s faith, courage, and unwavering love.

May her perseverance strengthen our own faith.

And may we remember: God hears our cries and supplies what we need.

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Let’s honor the women in our lives—living and those who have gone before us—who have shown faith, courage, and unwavering love.

May we follow their example and trust God’s provision and grace.

And if you’re ready to receive the salvation Jesus offers, will you place your faith and trust in Him today?

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(Repent of your sins. Confess Jesus to be  your Savior and Lord and be baptized for  

the forgiveness of your sins, and receive  the indwelling gift of the presence of the  

Holy Spirit, who will fill you with faith, courage, and love as you  faithfully obey God’s Word and willdaily. If  you’re ready to make a decision for Christ,   would you do so today? )

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day. God bless.

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