PURKEY'S
B I B L E S T U D Y
O U T L I N E S
H O M E P A G E
_______________________________________________________________________
Rev. Ronald C. Purkey, an ordained Baptist minister, claims no originality for the contents
of these Bible study outlines. However, every Bible study posted on this website has been
taught by Rev. Purkey. To see more Bible study outlines go to the Archives Page:
rcpbibleoutlines.com/index10.htm_
______________________________________________________________________
FAITH OF A CANAANITE
April 28, 2024
SCRIPTURE:
INTRODUCTION: This story of the Canaanite woman also appears in
Mark uses a word for dogs in the story that implies "household pets" or "puppies." Unlike the type of stray dogs that would carry disease, these domesticated animals were, in some cases, considered members of the family. Mark’s Gospel also fills in the gap of what happened after Matthew's version of the story, that the woman went home and found her daughter in perfect health, delivered from the demons who had been tormenting her.
I. JESUS MEETS A DESPERATE MOTHER (Matthew 15:21-22)
INSIGHT: After confronting the Pharisees and teachers of the law about true inner cleanliness (Matthew 15:1-20), The Lord Jesus retreated with His disciples to the region of Tyre and Sidon. These were two cities on the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre was about 30 miles from Galilee, and Sidon, further north, was about 50 miles from Galilee. It's clear that Christ is entering "pagan territory" here. This would be significant to Matthew's Jewish audience. Up to this point, the Lord had focused His primary efforts in the land of the Jews. By traveling to this area, He is boldly stating that even though salvation comes from the Jews, the message of God's grace is available to everyone. Centuries earlier, Isaiah made this clear by saying that Israel was to be "a light to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 49:6).
A. The Lord went to Gentile territory to get away from the crowds and to rest. (Matthew 15:21)
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (Matthew 15:21)
1. To the Jews First.
Jesus Now leaves the land of Israel for the first time during His public ministry. This is interesting because Jesus came to Israel as her King. When He sent His disciples out, He instructed them to go into the cities of Israel but not beyond her boundaries. Then the Lord was rejected by Israel, and there arose conflict. The breaking point between Jesus and the Jewish religious rulers came earlier in
2. And also to the Greeks (the Gentiles).
What happens? Jesus Himself steps over the boundaries of Israel and lays down another great principle. He will now receive the Gentiles. His invitation is, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (lit., ”rest you“)” (Matthew 11:28).
B. A Syrophoenician woman approached Jesus and called to Him to help her sick daughter. (Matthew 15:22)
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. (Matthew 15:22)
This mother displayed her agony over the condition of her daughter and earnestly pleaded for help. Despite her Gentile status, she came and knelt before a Jew and repeatedly asked for help, not giving up despite Jesus’ initial silence.
RESCUING THOSE IN GREATEST PERIL
Roger Storms, a pastor in Arizona, tells his story: "One Sunday, a car had broken down in the alley behind our facilities, and the driver had jacked up the car and crawled underneath to work on the problem. Suddenly, we heard him scream for help. The jack had slipped, and the car had come down on top of him.
"Someone shouted, 'Call 9-1-1!' and a couple of people ran for the phone. Several of our men gathered around the large car and strained to lift it off the trapped man. Nurses from our congregation were rounded up and brought to the scene. Somehow the men were able to ease the car's weight off the man, and he was pulled free. Our nurses checked him over. He was scratched up and shaken, but otherwise okay.
"When this man was in peril, people did all they could to help -- risking themselves, inconveniencing themselves. Whatever was necessary to save this man, they were ready to try. How we need this same attitude when it comes to rescuing those in greatest peril -- the danger of losing life eternally!" -- Roger Storms, Leadership.
II. JESUS EXPLAINS HIS MISSION (Matthew 15:23-24)
INSIGHT: It is interesting that the Lord Jesus would come into Gentile territory, and then not respond to a Gentile woman looking for help. Again, it is helpful to keep in mind here Matthew's primarily Hebrew audience. They are going to be wondering how the Gentiles fit into the redemptive plan of God. So, what the Lord does in this story is take on the "arms-length" attitude of a typical resident of Jerusalem in respect to the Gentiles -- that is, to keep them at a distance.
Given the woman's initial boldness, Jesus probably knew she was not going to go away easily, so His initial "non-response" was not going to deter her from getting help for her daughter. Jesus had healed Gentiles before this, but it was always in Jewish territory. Now He was in a land that Jews typically avoided. Jesus was never held back by the traditional boundaries of the Jews, especially when it came to where they did or did not travel.
A. The woman had no claim on Jesus the Messiah. (Matthew 15:23)
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. (Matthew 15:23)
The Syrophoenician woman was a mixture of several races and a true Gentile She was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia (see
B. The woman was told that Jesus was sent to the Jews. (Matthew 15:24)
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24)
The disciples said, “Send her away, for she crieth after us.” She was causing a disturbance and probably a little embarrassment. Finally, Jesus told her that His mission was to “the house of Israel,” not to the Gentiles.
ARE "ALL" REALLY WELCOME?
A tale is told of a sea captain who wandered into a church on Cape Cod in the 1880s. He sat down, leaving his captain's hat on his head. The ushers were aghast. Whispers were rampant. Finally, two ushers decided to tactfully tell him he needed to remove his cap in church. He refused, citing the sign outside that read, "All welcome." He felt that meant him, hat and all. Rumor has it that after he left the service that day the trustees went outside and took down the sign! -- Author Unknown.
INSIGHT: The Lord Jesus was astonished at the faith of this Gentile woman, who probably had not been aware of Israel's long history with God. Even so, she had a steadfast faith in the power of God, and His representative, the Son of David. The Lord Jesus often taught about the persistence of prayer, and making our requests known to God, and here He was experiencing it firsthand. This mother knew what she wanted, and that it was consistent with the will of God -- all she had to do was ask Him. And she did!
A. The Syrophoenician woman worshiped Jesus and asked Him to help her. (Matthew 15:25)
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. (Matthew 15:25)
When she addressed Jesus as the Son of David, He said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She as a Gentile had no claim upon Him as the Son of David. However, now she comes and worships Him, calling Him “Lord,” and asks for help. Now she will get help, as we shall see.
B. Jesus continued to resist the Syrophoenician woman’s request. (Matthew 15:26)
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. (Matthew 15:26)
Jesus still resisted the woman’s request by saying that to take the children’s bread (Christ’s ministry to the Jews) and toss it to the dogs (the Gentiles) would not be right.
C. This Gentile mother revealed the dept and earnestness of her faith in Christ. (Matthew 15:27)
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. (Matthew 15:27)
1. She trusted in the Lord’s power.
This mother’s wise response. She said that even dogs eat crumbs from under their master’s table, indicating that she understood her place as a Gentile in God’s plan. Through she was not a Jew, she trusted in the Lord’s power and goodness.
2. She kept pleading for the Lord’s help.
This mother believed that Jesus could heal her daughter and continued to plead her case in spite of Jesus’ comments. Her willingness to take the “leftovers from the table” showed her faith in the greatness of what the Lord would do for Israel. She never doubted the Lord’s ability to cast the demon out of her daughter.
D. Jesus was impressed by her faith and granted her request that her daughter be healed. (Matthew 15:28)
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. (Matthew 15:28)
Jesus really marveled at the faith of this gentile woman. He had said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden -- I’ll help you; I’ll lift your burden,” and that is what Jesus did even for a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. Her answer had revealed a great faith, and to that our Lord responded.
MISTAKEN CONFIDENCE
A successful businessman made this statement: “Almost every religion talks about a savior coming. When you look in the mirror in the morning, you’re looking at the savior. Nobody else is going to save you but yourself.”
We as Christians do not agree with that “worldview” because it is in direct contradiction to the gospel. The Bible teaches the exact opposite of such a self-sufficient confidence. The apostle Peter said of Jesus: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
In
We cannot save ourselves. We can be saved only by God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, died as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and rose from the grave. – By Vernon C. Grounds, Our Daily Bread, May 18
QUESTION: “If Christ died for all, why are only some saved?”
Jesus Christ died for all, but you have to accept the pardon that Christ paid for. There is on record the account of a prisoner who was granted a pardon by the governor, but he refused to accept it. He would not accept the pardon at all.
They took it to court because his friends wanted him out of jail. The judgment was that yes, a pardon could be granted, but it wasn’t valid until it was accepted by the individual. There’s a pardon for every sinner on this earth, but you have to call for it by faith before it becomes yours. In other words, you have to TRUST Jesus Christ as your Savior.
a. Jesus’ mission.
To heal sickness was NOT Jesus’ MISSION. Jesus came to FORGIVE sin and SAVE sinners. Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost, and WE SHOULD DO THE SAME.
b. Our mission.
May God empower us to be SOUL WINNERS; may we bring others to Christ. America needs FORGIVNESS; America needs SALVATION! That is our MISSION!
CONCLUSION: What do we learn as we study
INSIGHT: The mother who came to Jesus, knowing that He was the only one who could help her, realized that there was no guarantee that He would help her. As believers today, however, we have Bible promises from God that tell us that He rewards faith, that He rewards those who seek Him earnestly, for example
Of course, as we earnestly seek the Lord, we must come with a humble heart, ready to listen to Him and trusting God’s will and timing. It is through our faith in Christ that we will receive every good gift God intends for us.
First, we learned that the disciples were wrong. Jesus seemed to ignore the woman, but He wanted only to increase her faith. His delays are not His denials. Jesus was ministering in gentile territory, and the people “glorified the God of Israel” (verse 31).
Second, we learned that WE need to respond to people today the way Jesus responded. Ask Him for discernment.
INSIGHT: Our Lord’s disciples never knew what would happen next! Today, you can check your own responses to life’s challenges as you consider how they handled their different situations.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “To find truth, look to Jesus Christ.”
REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the Moody Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary: (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Dr. Tony Evans (https://tonyevans.org/), KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Dr. Robert Jeffress’ Pathway to Victory (https://ptv.org/), Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, Radio Bible Class Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected illustrations and other references.
E-Mail: Rev. Ronald Purkey
How To Get To Heaven: CLICK HERE
More Bible Study Outlines: CLICK HERE
Who is Rev. Ronald Purkey? CLICK HERE
Who is Sarah Sibert Purkey? CLICK HERE
Listen to The Bible Broadcasting Network: CLICK HERE
Read the “Let’s study the Bible” article on: www.inkfreenews.com