James Nisbet Commentary - Matthew 15:22 - 15:28

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James Nisbet Commentary - Matthew 15:22 - 15:28


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

THE WOMAN OF CANAAN

‘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,’ etc.

Mat_15:22-28

This poor woman was by birth a heathen, a Phœnician; and the Phœnician religion was one of the very worst, the most cruel and degraded, of all the superstitions of the heathen world. Yet this woman had certainly some knowledge of God’s truth, for she addressed our Lord as the Son of David. The facts of the story are well known to you all: let us consider some of its lessons.

I. Dissimulation of love.—Our Lord’s seeming unkindness, unkindness of manner, was only in appearance. He loved her truly in His heart, and was prepared to shed His blood for her. How often does our Lord seem at first to be unsympathetic with us, and to treat us roughly! When in our distress we call upon Him for succour, He seems so far off from us. We pray to Him, and He makes no sign. He seems not to hear. And if we are faithless we feel disposed to say, ‘I get no help from my prayers. It is of no use praying.’ He seems not to hear. The truth is He would try our faith and obedience.

II. The grace of meekness.—How much we have to learn from the behaviour of this woman of Canaan, and the unstinted praise and blessing which our Lord bestowed upon her! Many persons undoubtedly would have been inflamed with anger. But the woman of Canaan exhibited in a marked degree the essentially Christian virtue of meekness. It is the virtue which enables us to accept injurious treatment or false accusations, or opprobrious or unkind words, in a calm, patient, and gentle spirit. It was an eminent characteristic of our Master and Pattern, the Lord Jesus. It is a supernatural virtue; for mere nature would scorn the idea of meekness. We are all of us naturally inclined to be up in arms when we are ill-treated, or opprobriously or contemptuously spoken to, to resist when we are unfairly treated, and to give back angry words in return for unkind speech.

—
Bishop Sheepshanks.

Illustrations

(1) ‘Duff, the missionary, was about to begin service in a Boer farmer’s house, when he noticed that none of the Kaffir servants were present. To his request that they should be brought in, the Boer replied roughly, “What have Kaffirs to do with the Gospel? Kaffirs, sir, are dogs.” Duff made no reply, but opened his Bible and read, “Yes, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” “Stop,” cried the farmer, “you’ve broken my head. Let the Kaffirs come in.” ’

(2) ‘The Talmud contains a story so singularly parallel to this that it is worth reproducing. “There was a famine in the land, and stores of corn were placed under the care of Rabbi Jehudah the Holy, to be distributed to those only who were skilled in the knowledge of the Law. And, behold, a man came, Jonathan, the son of Amram, and clamorously asked for his portion. The Rabbi asked him whether he knew the condition, and had fulfilled it, and then the suppliant changed his tone and said, ‘Nay, but feed me as a dog is fed, who eats of the crumbs of the feast,’ and the Rabbi hearkened to his words, and gave him of the corn.” ’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

THE IMPORTUNITY OF FAITH

Christ came unto His own, and His own received Him not. Distrust, suspicion, contempt, dislike—in a word, unbelief was His portion. It must have been, then, no ordinary refreshment to His spirit to meet with so strong and unassailable a confidence in His goodness and power, as was displayed by the Syrophœnician woman. Passing away, however, from Christ to our own personal concern with the narrative, let us consider what light it throws upon the subject of prayer.

I. The apparent opposition of Christ.—How her faith survived what it had to encounter is a marvel. First, there was His chilling silence. ‘Perhaps’—the poor mother thinks—‘it is because I am unworthy, that He will not listen to me. It cannot be because my need is not sore. Well, I am unworthy, but still I trust in His goodness.’ Then there is the distinct repulse: ‘I have no mission to you.’ Then there is the classing her among ‘the dogs.’ (She accepts the imputation, but with the wonderful dexterity of faith, turns it to her own account.)

II. Yet the Saviour kept watch over her spirit, and will not suffer her to be tried above that she is able to bear. He is behaving in this apparently unaccountable manner in order to train her. She is to get a blessing, as well as her daughter. And this is the way of obtaining it.

III. The importunity of faith is acceptable to God.—‘Men ought always to pray and not to faint.’ ‘Pray without ceasing.’ And we infer that He Who is willing to bestow temporal benefits in answer to prayer, is not less willing to do for us more than we can ask or think, for the supply of our spiritual necessities.

Prebendary Gordon Calthrop.

Illustration

‘Our Lord may have desired to test yet further the woman’s faith, both that He might crown it with a more complete and glorious reward, and that she might learn something deeper respecting Him than the mere Jewish title that she may have accidentally picked up. And He may have wished for all time to encourage us in our prayers and hopes, and teach us to persevere even when it might seem that His face is dark to us, or that His ear is turned away.’