Florida pastor reveals why the faithful who stay focused on Jesus can experience 'the greatest miracle'
Passage from the Gospel of Matthew brings home deep faith for all
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, 'Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.' But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, 'Send her away, for she is crying after us.' He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, help me.' And he answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly" (Matthew 15:21-28).
These verses come from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible.
Not much is known about St. Matthew, who is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew, says Christian website Overviewbible.com.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}THE LORD IS 'THE ORIENTING CENTER OF OUR LIVES,' SAYS MASSACHUSETTS FAITH LEADER: 'WE CAN BE BOLD'
When Matthew was called by Jesus to be one of his disciples, he was employed as a publican or tax collector — a "reviled profession" at the time.
And though he's one of the authors of the Gospels, St. Matthew is only mentioned seven times, said the same website.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Gospel of Matthew is one of the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. It is attributed to St. Matthew. (iStock)
The location of Jesus' preaching in the verses is significant, said Pastor Jerry Sander of Calvary Chapel Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida.
"He went from the heart of the Jewish culture and belief to two Gentile regions," Pastor Sander told Fox News Digital.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The wording of the Canaanite woman's plea is also worth noting, he said.
"An unnamed woman cries out to Jesus and says, 'Have mercy upon me,’ although she's not the one with the issue," said Sander.
"It's actually her daughter."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This, he said, is "what an attack from Satan does."
Pastor Jerry Sander of Calvary Chapel Boca Raton (at right) reflects on Jesus' interaction with the woman from Canaan, described in a passage from the Gospel of Matthew. (iStock/Jerry Sander)
"It doesn’t just affect us but those around us," he said.
Additionally, the woman used Jesus' Messianic name — something Sander said was "profound, because she's just a lowly, unnamed, Gentile woman."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The disciples also missed it, urging Jesus to send her away as if she were a nuisance, or possibly they were embarrassed to be seen with a Gentile woman," he said.
But Jesus did not send the woman away, said Sander. He helped her, both physically and spiritually.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Jesus said something very interesting when He said, ‘I wasn’t sent except for the lost sheep of Israel,'" noted Sander.
The woman from Canaan received two miracles, said Sander. Her daughter was healed physically, and she received spiritual healing from Jesus. (iStock)
"That may sound harsh, but I believe He wanted to see where her heart truly was," he said.
When the woman came closer to Jesus and worshiped Him, she called Him Lord, the pastor said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And while Jesus' retort may seem harsh, "it's actually not," said Sander.
"In the midst of this conversation, the woman continues to draw closer to Jesus," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"In the midst of this conversation, the woman continues to draw closer to Jesus."
"Life constantly puts obstacles in our path to Jesus — but we need to persevere and pursue Jesus with all that we have because in the end He’s all we need," said Sander.
In healing the woman's daughter, two miracles occurred, said Sander.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aside from the casting out of the demon, Sander believes "the greater work was done in this woman's heart."
"This woman came to Jesus looking for a physical healing for her daughter and left with a spiritual healing in her soul," he said.
The woman was not judged for her amount of faith, "but Who her faith was placed in," said Sander.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The woman from Canaan received two miracles, said Sander: her daughter was healed, and her heart was converted. (iStock)
"She placed her faith in Jesus, and I believe He became the Lord of her life," he said.
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"To me the greatest miracle that can happen in our lives is when we become born again by putting our faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior," said Sander.
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