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Opening Questions: Q. Have you faced any problems in your life?
Q.What would be your attitude if somebody in your family is suffering from a grave sickness?
Bitter, depressed, angry, hopeless, and negative.
Now let us learn about a woman who faced a very serious problem in her life and how she dealt with it.
Matthew 15:21-28
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 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."
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Q. How do you feel if your daughter or son or somebody very close to you is demon-possessed?
Q.What was the attitude of the Canaanite woman towards Jesus and why?
She believed Jesus could heal her daughter. She was humble - vv. 22, 25.
She might have tried many doctors and exhortionists.
She spent a lot of money for treatment.
She loved her daughter and wanted to get her cured.
The daughter got worse and the mother was desperate.
Q. How did Jesus respond to her plea?
Jesus seemed to be indifferent to her (vv. 24, 26).
Q. Can Jesus be indifferent to a suffering person?
No, Jesus was only testing her faith.
Q. What could have been her reaction?
She could have felt insulted and humiliated (vv. 24, 26)
If she were proud, she could have turned back and gone and tried some other doctor.
Q.How did she actually react?
She humbled herself even to be a dog (v.27).
Q.What trait of character do you notice in this women?
Persevering, determined - takes ‘no’ for an answer.
Q.What obstacle did she overcome to come to Jesus.
Pride and laziness, and the barrier of race and religion.
Q.Why was she persistent?
She loved her daughter and wanted her to get cured.
Q.Do you have faith like this woman?
Q.Are you humble like this woman?
Q.How much effort do you make to reach out to Jesus?
Q.What effort do you make to have great Bible studies?
Q.Are you tough and determined like this woman?
Q.When you go for evangelism, are you easily intimated by a harsh person?
Challenge
Have the faith and humility and determination of the Canaanite woman.
Forget your past failures and unhappiness.
Get closer to Jesus to have a new life.
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