Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
The lady's prayers were just not being answered. It's a strange story to be in the Bible: Jesus just walked on as though He hadn't heard her. The Bible plainly says, "He answered her not a word" (Matt. 15:21-28). That doesn't sound natural for Him, does it?
We love miracle stories of answered prayer, and we tell them to our children hoping they will inspire them to believe. But sometimes children's prayers apparently don't get answered; we don't know how many are confused by miracle stories. Youth often end up discouraged and "lukewarm." First, we should never tell a story that we don't know for sure is true. The monks in the Middle Ages told the people "pious tales." Secondly, we should tell the children this story of the lady whose prayer Jesus didn't answer, and why He didn't respond to her. The insight in this story will help them.
He happened to have come to where she lived; she had heard of Him and believed He was the Messiah. So, as He was walking along the road, she came up to Him. Her prayer was simple and utterly sincere: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
He walked on as though He had never heard her! Then she began badgering the disciples; would they please intercede with Him to pay her some attention, like many discouraged people who appeal to the saints for help. They were annoyed; she was a Gentile. They "urged Him, 'Send her away, for she cries out after us.'" They too paid her no attention.
He did respond, in her hearing: "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Gentiles are outside My ministry. Goodbye, please, it seemed He said.
But the lady wouldn't give up. She "came and worshipped Him," and begged, "Lord, help me!" Because she believed He was "the Son of David," she also believed there was another side to Him. Then He said something that must have hurt: "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." I think I would have given up and gone home angry. Me, a dog?! But she had wit as well as faith: "True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table!" She was smart, and she was right.
Jesus all along had wanted to help her. He had staged His attitude as a lesson to His disciples, not to despise Gentiles, or women. Her prayer was answered, her daughter was delivered because she believed in His character of love, and she persisted. A good story!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 11, 2004.
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