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Syrophoenician Woman – Matthew 15 And Mark 7

Jesus Heals The Daughter Of A Syrophoenician Woman – Miracle Of Jesus

Jesus and His disciples traveled to the region of Tyre and entered a house, intending not to be noticed. It is assumed He wanted to spend some quiet time with His disciples. Yet, Jesus knew He had a divine appointment with a woman who needed His help. Immediately, a Syrophoenician woman came to them with a distressing situation. Her daughter was possessed by an evil spirit and she was desperate to get her healed. This was no accidental encounter. This was an opportunity to demonstrate who deserved God’s Love. And to correct the disciples negative ideas about Gentiles. In the end, the evil spirit was cast out of her daughter. It was her mother’s great faith that made her daughter whole.

The Syrophoenician woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter who had an unclean spirit. Matthew 15:21-28 - Mark 7:24-30

25 Instead, at once, a woman whose little daughter had (was under the control of) an unclean spirit heard about Him and came and flung herself down at His feet.
Mark 7:25 AMP

Casting the unclean spirit out of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter is an outstanding lesson on faith. Scroll down to learn more about this wonderful miracle. You can locate it in your Bible at Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30.

What Is A Syrophoenician Woman?

26 Now the woman was a Greek (Gentile), a Syrophoenician by nationality. And she kept begging Him to drive the demon out of her little daughter.
Mark 7:26 AMP

The Syrophoenician woman refers to someone living in the Roman province of Syria, and more specifically the area historically known as Phoenicia, now called Lebanon. Tyre and SIdon were major Roman ports in the time of Jesus

Tyre and Sidon were two cities located in Phoenicia, named for the Phoenicians, traders and mariners who settled along the Mediterranean coast of what is now Lebanon. After the Romans took control, Phoenicia became part of the province of Syria. That is where we get the name, Syrophoenician, to help differentiate it from other Phoenician settlements. The woman was also called a Gentile (Greek), meaning she was not Jewish and thought by the religious to be ineligible for God’s Blessing.

The distance between Capernaum and Tyre is approximately 35 miles. Jesus and his disciples could likely walk there in about 10-12 hours depending on pace and and the number of breaks. Sidon was another city about 20 miles North of Tyre. They were both prosperous Roman port cities. News of Jesus’ miracles had spread all over the Middle East, even reaching Tyre and Sidon. (Mark 3:7-8, Luke 6:17-19) Between the two cities, there was Zarephath, where Elijah and a Gentile widow miraculously survived a famine together. (1 Kings 17:1-20, Luke 4:14-30) Jesus mentioned Tyre and Sidon when He rebuked some of the Galilean cities for their unbelief. Saying, “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse.” (Matthew 11:20-24)

Why Did Jesus Travel To Syrophoenicia?

This Syrophoenician woman, a Gentile, was neither Jewish, or had any legal basis to claim a miracle. She simply heard about Jesus, and that gave her hope that her daughter could be cured. Her religion had not helped, neither could the doctors, since this was a spiritual problem. The reports coming from Galilee were of a prophet who was doing miraculous things, including healing folks. This was the beginning of her faith in Jesus. Faith comes from hearing the Word. (Romans 10:17) She had very little Revelation, but just ONE Word from God can change your life! And as she continually considered the possibilities of meeting Jesus, and her daughter made whole, her faith brought everything together as she believed. (Mark 4:26-29)

Jesus finished rebuking the religious leadership for their preference of tradition over the Word, and being more concerned with outward things than what was inside. Jesus knew his disciples had similar thoughts. So the trip to Tyre accomplished two things. Honored the faith of a desperate mother. And taught His disciples a valuable lesson. Remember, Jesus only did or said what the Father told Him to do or say. (John 5:19-30, 7:16-17, 12:44-50) The Word mentions no other reason for this trip, so its safe to assume this was another divine appointment, similar to the meeting with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Syrophoenician Woman – Compare Matthew 15 To Mark 7

Matthew 15:21-28 KJVMark 7:24-30 KJV
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Compare and contrast the two Gospel accounts. Notice any differences?

Begging Is NOT Believing

Matthew seems to provide the most complete account of the events involving the Syrophoenician woman. The diligent reader will notice a key point. She brought the problem to Jesus. She was begging, which is rooted in fear and doubt. Unfortunately, that is not what moves God. Paul writes, But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6) This was not happening with the Syrophoenician woman. She was crying and begging, desperately wanting her child made whole, but had no way to connect with Jesus. She even called Him Son of David, but she was not a Jew. So Jesus said nothing. It seems cruel at first, but stay with me.

Jesus was wanting her to take her eyes off the problem and embrace the solution – Him. Sometimes the problems in life seem so big, and Believers forget how much BIGGER our Heavenly Father truly is. Magnify God, not the problem. He knows all about the situation, so focus on thanking Him for the solution. Consider the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Most folks want to identify with the widow, begging for justice from an UNJUST judge. God is not unjust. And Believers are CHILDREN of God, not servants or slaves. God is always ready with the answer. Everything starts with believing His Word that He is a REWARDER of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him. Expect the miraculous. Believe God has the answer, and thank Him for it!

“Send Her Away, She Is Bothering Us With All Her Begging.” – Jesus’ Disciples

A Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus to get an evil spirit removed from her daughter. Matthew 15:21-28 - Mark 7:24-30

22 And behold, a woman who was a Canaanite from that district came out and, with a [loud, troublesomely urgent] cry, begged, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon!
23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us.

Matthew 15:22-23 AMP

Just a few chapters back, Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of weakness and infirmity. (Matthew 10:1) And, they had listened to his rebuke of the religious leaders for their lack of love and concern for people who were hurting, for preferring religious traditions to God’s Word. It was at this very moment they had an opportunity to apply what they learned. Instead, they fell back on religious tradition, and wanted the Syrophoenician woman sent away, rather than help her.

No doubt the woman heard their request, but thankfully her love for her daughter was more powerful than any negative emotions caused by their words. She was determined to get her daughter healed. She may have started with all the disadvantages, not being Jewish, outside the Covenant, not understanding how faith works, and most alarmingly, the lack of compassion of Jesus disciples. But she never gave up.

Consider how Christians treat each other, especially those outside “their camp.” Satan has used religion (doing things man’s way instead of according to God’s Word), to divide us into many different religious flavors. And uses different beliefs to cause friction. We rarely reach out to unbelievers, or other religions for many reasons, some might be acceptable, but most are not. At the very least, we can learn to LOVE everyone. You may be the only JESUS someone will ever meet. Will you act like religious folks, like the disciples here, or will you demonstrate the Love of God?

Giving The Children’s Bread To The Dogs

24 He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 But she came and, kneeling, worshiped Him and kept praying, Lord, help me!
26 And He answered, It is not right (proper, becoming, or fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.

Matthew 15:24-26 AMP

A Syrophoenician woman tried begging and flattery, but that did not move Jesus. He needed her faith. Matthew 15:21-28 - Mark 7:24-30

What Jesus initially said was True. His first priority was to Israel. But it was not exclusive, especially once His people rejected Him. He healed Gentiles before (Centurion’s servant), why not this woman? Folks have struggled to understand what He said to the Syrophoenician woman. I believe it is similar to His response to His mother during the events at the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned the water into wine. Mary brought the problem. Jesus needed to correct her thinking, so He said, “Mine hour is not yet come.” The next words out of her mouth declared her faith in Jesus, THE solution, “Do whatever He says.”

The Syrophoenician woman worshiped Jesus, kneeling before Him, and even called Him Lord. But something was still missing. Jesus said, “Its not appropriate to give the children’s bread to the little dogs.” It seems almost scandalous to hear that. But look what happened to the woman. She stopped her begging and responded, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s table.” Don’t focus on the crumbs. God’s Love for us is so much more than just the crumbs from His table. Focus on the FAITH of this woman. She set aside her fear. She DILIGENTLY sought out Jesus, and finally believed He was a rewarder of her faith! Jesus was not pushing her away. He was drawing her in, and lifting her up, knowing that faith comes from hearing the Word. She heard the words of Jesus, and knew she had the answer. I believe her response was a DIVINE answer. The words of Jesus are Spirit and Life. (John 6:62-69) She heard about Jesus and they were drawn together – it seems it was the primary reason Jesus was in the Tyre region since nothing else is recorded there. Consider how important she was to God that Jesus made a trip just for her daughter.

The Great Faith Of The Syrophoenician Woman

A Syrophoenician woman releases her faith securing her daughter's healing. Matthew 15:21-28 - Mark 7:24-30

27 She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little pups (little whelps) eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you wish. And her daughter was cured from that moment.

Matthew 15:27-28 AMP

Her response proved her faith. She was not willing to wait even one more day for her daughter’s deliverance. It took a few extra minutes, but when the time was perfect, she released her faith. Jesus immediately responded, “Dear woman, great is your faith. It is done as you desire.” Note a few things here. Jesus said she had GREAT FAITH. He knew this both from what was in her heart, and what she released via her lips. It is quite interesting that this was the exact lesson Jesus taught earlier in that same chapter – These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Matthew 15:8) Jesus was able to challenge this woman. She started by begging and then some flattery. After listening to Jesus, she believed with her heart, and released her faith boldly. And remember, faith is NOW. It is BELIEVING you have your desire based on God’s Word. Its not denying the current circumstances, its acknowledging God’s Love is greater than every circumstance. Faith is Joy, Expectation, and Praise in spite of circumstances, knowing that God is a REWARDER of those who diligently seek Him. (Psalm 37:3-5, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 1:37, Romans 10:8-17, Hebrews 11:1)

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter Is Made Whole

29 And He said to her, Because of this saying, you may go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter [permanently].
30 And she went home and found the child thrown on the couch, and the demon departed.

Mark 7:29-30 AMP

Syrophoenician woman returns home to find her daughter free from the unclean spirit. Matthew 15:21-28 - Mark 7:24-30

With her faith released, everything happened as the Syrophoenician woman believed. And just to confirm it, Jesus said, “The demon has left your daughter.” She had no way of knowing this other than the Word of Jesus. But she happily headed home, believing that her daughter was well. She found her daughter in her right mind and free from the evil spirit. The Word does not say, but there was likely a joyous reunion when she arrived home. God is always so very Good. (Psalm 23:1-6, 103:1-22, John 3:14-18, 10:1-18, 3 John 1:2)

Jesus Heals The Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter – Final Thoughts

The Syrophoenician miracle is an outstanding lesson on faith. This woman, a Gentile, came to Jesus while he was near Tyre. At first, she begs for her daughter to be healed to the point of annoying the disciples who ask Jesus to send her away. Jesus was never annoyed by people who were hurting. He came to free mankind from all oppression.

Jesus said to the woman, “I am sent first to the children of Israel. It isn’t right to give the children’s bread to the dogs.” At first, it sounds offensive. But this was meant to stop the woman from begging and get faith out of her heart. Compare this statement to what he said to his mother at the wedding feast in Cana when she was complaining about the lack of wine. Both statements seem on the surface to be out of character, but they both produced faith in Mary and in the Syrophoenician mother.

The dog reference, and seemingly having her miracle delayed, snapped that begging spirit right out of her and she immediately and boldly proclaimed, “Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s table.” She was not leaving Jesus without her miracle. And Jesus commended her for her “great” faith that looked beyond his earthly ministry to a time when all people would be accepted into God’s family through faith in Jesus.

The lesson we learn from this miracle is that begging and crying does not move God. It is our faith in Jesus that moves mountains. If you have a need, find out what the Word says about it and speak/pray/act on it boldly and receive your miracle.

Check out the additional sources below. Read the story out loud in different Bible translations. God may reveal something you need from this story, an answer or insight to your own situation. The Word is ALIVE and TRUTH, and is always relevant. No person or religion has a monopoly of Revelation or insight. The Bible was written for YOU. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, your Guide and Comforter inside, even a child can understand. (Psalm 119:129-136, John 15:1-27, 17:14-24, Hebrews 4:10-16)

Read about the Gentile mother’s faith in five popular translations – AMP, KJV, HCSB, NIV, The Message:

Jesus Heals the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Woman – Matthew 15:21-28Mark 7:24-30

Check out all the wonderful Christian content linked below and learn more about this healing miracle.

Children’s Bible Stories – Scriptures and Adaptations on Jesus Healing the Daughter of a Syrophoenician Mother

The Answer To A Mother’s Prayer – Paraphrase of the Syrophoenician miracle

Jesus Casts a Demon Out of a Gentile Woman’s Daughter – Paraphrase of the story

Children’s Sermons & Lessons on the Syrophoenician Mother Miracle

Crumbs From The Table – A children’s sermon

The Faith of Syrophoenician Woman – A very brief sermon on what a Christian looks like

A Greek Woman Asks Jesus’ Help for her Daughter – A very brief lesson with questions

Devotions, Discussions & Sermons and Other Resources About Jesus Healing the Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter

The Syrophoenician Woman – A lengthy discussion of the Gentile woman’s faith

Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table – A post on Jesus and women – scroll down for the section on the Syrophoenician woman

A Woman Of Great Faith – A short discussion the Syrophoenician mother

Lord, even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table. – A blog post on the correct lessons to learn from this miracle.

Sermon Notes: Lessons From The Syrophoenician Woman – A brief article from the Virtual Preacher

Healing The Gentile Woman’s Daughter – Notes on the story

Syrophoenician – Brief background on the word “Syrophoenician” from Bible.org

Matthew 15 Commentary – From IVP

Mark 7:24-37 – Additional study resources

Matthew 15:10-28 – Additional study resources

Phoenicia – Secular information on ancient Phoenicia

Tyre, Lebanon – Secular references to the city of Tyre

Tyre – Brief history of Tyre

Images:www.LumoProject.com

Search for Other Christian Web Sites.

Suggested Search Terms: Jesus, miracles of Jesus, demons, Gentile Woman’s Faith, Tyre, Syrophoenician Mother

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