PRAYING WITH HUMBLE BOLDNESS
4-30-006
Ken Peterson
Mtt. 15:21-28
INTRODUCTION
Just before Easter the results of a Harvard Medical School research project designed to determine the power of prayer was released. The headlines in the Washington Post read, “Prayer Doesn’t Aid Recovery, Study Finds,” and the New York Times announced, “Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer.” Some, of course, were delighted with these results and saw it as conclusive proof that prayer doesn’t work and it’s time for us, in our scientific age, to “stop dabbling in the supernatural,” as one academic put it.
The study involved 1,802 heart-by-pass patients. One-third were told they might be prayed for and weren’t. One-third were told they might be prayed for and were. And, one-third were told they definitely would be prayed for. Catholics and Protestants who agreed to pray for certain patients were told to ask for “a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications.” The two groups who didn’t know if anyone was praying for them had almost the same rate of complications, 52%, whether they were prayed for or not. But, 59% of the patients who knew they were being prayed for suffered complications.
Of course, there have been plenty of other studies indicating prayer does have an impact. And there are numerous major flaws in this study. The researchers even acknowledged they could not control the fact that many “unauthorized” people may have interceded for loved ones in the so-called “unprayed-for” group. But the biggest flaw in this study from my perspective is that it treats all prayer as the same– regardless of the qualifications, intensity, or faith of the “pray-er.” The Bible gives us quite a different picture of prayer. As James 5:16 reminds us, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” (NLT) And, again and again throughout the Bible, we are told that the level of faith is of huge import in prayers effectiveness.
This morning, I want to talk about the kind of prayer that gets results. Our Scripture is perhaps one of the strangest, most shocking incidents in Jesus’ ministry– one that at first glance seems out of character for Jesus. Let’s read this story of a Canaanite women’s faith in Mtt. 15:21-28.
PUZZLING ELEMENTS
There are a number of things that shock us in this story. Jesus’ reluctance seems out of character. This same Jesus who could sense a timid woman touching the hem of His garment for healing, who declared His mission was to “Seek and save what was lost” (Lk. 19:10), now in response to an earnest, desperate cry for mercy, says nothing– But he answered her not a word (23)KJV. Then, at least on the surface of things, Jesus appears to say no. But this woman refuses to accept that and reasons with Jesus so He says, “Yes.” Is Jesus changing His mind here? And, perhaps most disturbing of all, Jesus who throughout His ministry has been breaking down the walls of prejudice and including the excluded as with the Samaritans and women, now seems to be buying into the prejudice of the Jews who referred to Gentiles as “dogs.”
However, I would suggest this morning, the very things in this story that puzzle us are windows to a deeper understanding of prayer that is effective. It gives insight into the workings of prayer and dignity to the role of the person praying. Prayer is not just listing petitions, hoping something “takes.” It is actually entering into thoughtful, reasoned dialogue with the Master– a process of shaping, redefining, and growing in intimacy with Jesus and His purposes for us.
Mark, in his telling of this story (Mk. 7:24-29), gives us another important detail. This is an intense period in Jesus’ ministry. Just prior to this, He and his disciples had crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to get away from the crowds and have a little down-time. But the crowds saw where he was headed and ran around the Northern edge of the lake and when Jesus and the disciples landed on the other side, they were met with a huge crowd. There, He ended up feeding 5,000 men plus women and children by multiplying five loaves and two fish. Then, Jesus and the disciples crossed back over to the other side (the crossing in which Jesus walked on the water), and,
As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went– into villages, towns or countryside– they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed. (Mark 6:54-56)
Then, the Pharisees come sniping at Jesus over some of His disciples not going through the proper ceremonial washing of their hands before eating. Teaching, healing, conflict, and non-stop crowds of people is exhausting. Everything Jesus tries to get away hasn’t worked. Now Mark begins this same incident we’ve just read in Matthew with,
Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; but He could not be hid. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. (Mark 7:24-25)
Tyre is a foreign country, pagan territory to Jews. So Jesus has resorted to getting out of the country for some needed away time with His disciples– but He could not be hid. In case you noticed, I inserted that phrase from the KJV into the NIV translation of the above passage because I especially like it, He could not be hid. Jesus has left Israel and journeyed across the border to an adjoining country, not to expand His ministry, but to get a break. He is going to a place where He thinks He is unknown and won’t be recognized. But His cover is blown by this woman– He could not be hid.
A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." (Matt 15:22).
Dale Bruner in his excellent commentary on Matthew says the Greek word here translated, “crying out” is almost always used to convey talking too loud or shouting. So he translates this as “screaming.” He also notes, her address, “Lord, Son of David” soars up to heaven, for she clearly understands Jesus is the Messiah and is acknowledging Him as Lord. And her request, “My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession," goes down to hell. Jesus, the Son of God, pitted against the legions of hell. Now, in another enigmatic statement, Matthew records Jesus’ response to this earnest, impassioned plea for help.
Jesus did not answer a word. (Matt 15:23)
What are we to make of that?
THE SILENCE
When we make a request, we expect an immediate response. If there is no response, we often repeat it, thinking it went unheard. Since this woman is shouting, she has no doubt about being heard. How long did this silence go on?
Sometimes silence in response to our speech can cause us to reflect and think more deeply about what we are so full of words about. Writer, Kathleen Norris, talks about a “silence that sinks into your bones.” I think this was one of those silences. The famous preacher, John Henry Jowett, tells of remembering an old saint from his boyhood telling him that after some services he liked to make his way home alone, by quiet byways, so that the hush of the Almighty might remain on his awed and prostrate soul. Yes, I too, know about that. In our last church, our home was what I considered a perfect distance from the church, just one-third of a mile away. That walk home after a church service was often something like that– especially after an evening prayer service.
We live in a world that doesn’t like silence. Everywhere we go they seem to think we need background music– whether shopping or sitting in a restaurant. If your phone call is put on hold, they think they need to play some music or give you a few commercials. Often, I would prefer silence. People walk and hike with earphones on listening to music. We fill our homes with noise from television and radio. In general, silence is unsettling to our modern ears.
But, for the deepest experiences of life, we know silence is the only adequate response. Waiting on the threshold of death with a loved one– just a silent presence is all that seems worthy. Also when we are totally overwhelmed with the glory of the Lord– perhaps lost in the wonder and beauty of God’s creation or in an especially close encounter with Him in worship– there just are no words that can be adequate. Silence can have depth and richness.
The response of the disciples here is one we can identify with. This woman is irritating, crying out, talking way too loud. They’re on vacation. Their solution is to get rid of her, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." Silence reveals things, especially our hearts. Here we see the disciples hearts– self-absorbed, wanting to control things to their liking. Peace and order are their priority, not her needs.
But silence also reveals the heart of this woman. Silence is not “no.” So she waits through the silence and the disciple’s heartless rejection. Notice that while she is consistently addressing Jesus as Lord, there is no “Lord” in the disciple’s response. They see themselves as “taking charge” of the situation– no spirit of submission to their Master.
God may be silent for awhile, but He will speak. Remember that terrible silence on Calvary as Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” And God said nothing. God said nothing on Friday. He said nothing on Saturday. But on Sunday, He broke the silence and began to speak and act in the power of the risen Christ.
FAITH
What happens next in the story, I think, is best understood as Jesus thinking out loud– a soliloquy, as Jesus says, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." (24) The text does not say He spoke to her at this point. Jesus knows God’s will for Him is to focus upon Israel, not because God does not love the rest of the world as much as He loves Israel, but because He needs a beginning place, a beachhead for salvation to move out from. Jesus’ mission needs a focus, parameters. His speaking this out loud is perhaps to help the disciples through this reasoning process. Here we are let in on the process of Jesus seeking fresh guidance from the Father for this new development. He knows God’s will in general. But, is this to be an exception?
To Jesus’ reflective thinking, this woman renews her request with three simple, desperate words, “Lord, help me!” Now she is kneeling, a worship posture. She knows what to do in the silence, in the waiting, in the time of Jesus’ reflection on the Father’s will. She worships. This is a model of what we need to do when God is silent to our pleas for help– worship Him.
To this, Jesus seems to continue His soliloquy in vs. 26, for the expression here is identical in the Greek to the one in vs. 24, literally translated, “He responded and said.” It is not until vs. 28 we have added that Jesus was responding “to her” in the Greek. It is what Jesus says in vs. 26 we find troubling, whether spoken to himself or to the woman, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." The Jews of that day considered themselves God’s children and the rest of the world, the Gentiles, with the contemptuous term “dogs.” Is Jesus reflecting that prejudice here? We know that Jesus does not really feel that way. Such prejudice is totally out of character, amply illustrated elsewhere in Jesus’ ministry. There are two important points here. The first is made by Albert Barnes in his classic commentary who paraphrases Jesus as saying,
"You are a Gentile; I am a Jew. The Jews call themselves children of God. You they vilify and abuse, calling you a dog. Are you willing to receive of a Jew, then, a favor? Are you willing to submit to these appellations to receive a favor of one of that nation, and to acknowledge your dependence on a people that so despise you?"
When we come to God, it must be with humility. Here we see Jesus using the common Jewish thinking of the day to establish this fact with her. And, in essence, her response is that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her, “Just help me, Lord!” But, He does something else that contains a powerful hint of grace. While the Jews used “dog” in derogatory way, referring to the wild street dogs, Jesus uses the diminutive form of the word for “dogs,” meaning “house-dogs” or pets. In so doing, Jesus puts Gentiles and Jews under the same roof. And, it opens a door, letting her know His thinking is not like the Jewish thinking of that day. A word change and a play on a word, to let it be known, things are different with Jesus.
As Jesus talks about a pet dog in the house under the table, it changes everything, doesn’t it? This is a huge and surprising elevation. Think about a favorite pet. Polly and I recently had to put our pet beagle to sleep that we’ve had for 14 years. What a huge part of our lives he was! How empty our house seems when we return home without his enthusiastic greeting. I’m sure we’ll be putting on weight now that we don’t have to get up from our chairs 20 times each evening to let him in and out, in and out, and in and out. Yes indeed, he was major, honored part of our family.
Here now, we see the tenacious, bold faith of this Canaanite woman. She refuses to be discouraged by the silence of Jesus and the irritation of the disciples. Even with Jesus’ soliloquy that seems to offer little hope, she seizes upon what is not said. There is no “no.” Like a drowning person, she’s is clinging to Jesus now in worship. As further thoughts are revealed, she seizes them and eloquently argues her case, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table (27).” Then, she receives from Jesus a commendation Jesus rarely gives, “Woman, you have great faith!” Here is faith that is thoughtful, reasoned, and incredibly bold. At the same time, it is rooted in humility. It is not demanding, but waiting through the silence and pursuing in thoughtful, reasoned asking.
This woman becomes a model for us of prayer that doesn’t easily give up. She stands against all “little” and half-hearted prayers. Here is prayer that hangs in there, pressing its case. It is prevailing prayer that refuses to give up in the silence of Jesus or the rebuff of the disciples. Some of us are perhaps one prayer away from deliverance, healing, or a spiritual breakthrough. And, don’t miss the fact that this is a woman pleading for her child. She comes to the house in which the Lord is dwelling and worships. When she returns to her house, things are different.
CONCLUSION
There was a terrible drought in Ohio in the summer of 1853. The soil had started to crack under the hot summer sun. The farmer’s crops and livestock were within days of total loss as they gathered for worship that Sunday. Their pastor, Charles G. Finney walked into the pulpit with an umbrella under his arm and began to pray for rain. After his impassioned, fervent prayer, he began preaching. Before he finished, there came the crack of thunder and the sound of rain against the roof. Then, as the congregation quietly wept, he began to sing that hymn,
When all thy mercies, O my God,
My thankful soul surveys,
Uplifted by the view, I’m lost,
In wonder, love, and praise.
Finney was one of the great evangelists of all time– instrumental in a spreading revival that saw a half a million people come to Christ. And, here’s the amazing thing: follow-up of converts showed that 85% of those converted in Finney’s meetings remained true to their original commitment. Sometimes surveys of results from other such crusades show figures as low as 6% in those following through with their commitment. What is the difference? Finney would point to his prayer life. He wrote about how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit
“...that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer....
But, he went on to say:
“...Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit and find I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer.... after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life.”
Indeed, the way we pray and the intensity of our prayer makes all the difference. We need more of the impassioned, humble boldness of this Canaanite woman and Charles G. Finney. Next Sunday evening, we will have our monthly vesper prayer service here. We come together for the sole purpose of prayer and ministry through prayer to needs in the body of Christ. It is certainly one of the ways we can cultivate this kind of prayer life.