Jesus Heals a Demoniac Girl
Many times we have read in our Bible Studies that because of someone’s faith they have been healed, or sins forgiven. This lesson tells about a mother whose faith enabled the healing of her daughter by Jesus.
Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
Jesus and His disciple went into the borders of Thyre and Sidon. Thyre and Sidon were both Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean Sea. They were ancient, wealthy, large cities of Phoenicia, splendid, flourishing in commerce, and powerful by land and sea.
Jesus entered into a house secretly without anyone one being aware He would be there. The woman who lived there had a young daughter who had an unclean spirit. She had heard of Jesus and she fell at His feet.
The woman was a Greek, this meant she was a Gentile women and not a Jewess. She was also a Syrophenician by nation, this is a name given to those that are half Phoenicians and half Syrians. This mother begged Jesus to cast out the devil that was in her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, “Let the children first be filled: for it is not honorable to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.” And she answered and said unto Jesus, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
Jesus said unto her that because of what she said to Him the devil is gone out of her daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
What Can Be Learned From This Lesson?
Possessed with devils is a serious affliction. The New Testament refers to these persons as being afflicted with especially severe diseases, either bodily or mentally, such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, epilepsy, melancholy, or even insanity.
This mother came to Jesus and knew the stories that went before Him. She knew He would be able to heal her daughter who was afflicted with unclean spirits. When she went to Jesus asking for Mercy and was met with harshness she did not walk away instead she continued to plead.
When Jesus said: “Let the children first be filled, for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs” it might sound like He was being harsh. The mother of the child who had an unclean spirit might have even thought His kindness was only for the Jews and not for the Gentiles.
It was at that time that the Jews claimed superior rights over the Gentiles. The Jews were the chosen people of the LORD God. The Gentiles were regarded as dogs. Yet this courageous mother stood her ground and suggested that she made no demand upon being fed the food of the Jews she just wanted a little crumb of kindness from Jesus.
It was because of her faith in Jesus that gave her the courage to explain to Him that she had a need and for Him it would not be a great feat to cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Jesus did indeed cast out the devil and her daughter was lying upon the bed. This was all because of a mother’s faith.
Faith is a great virtue to have. A virtue is goodness, righteousness, integrity, honesty and moral uprightness. Many times we have read in our Bible Studies that because of someone’s faith they have been healed, and sins forgiven.
Faith is that substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrew 11:-3)
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Jesus Heals a Demoniac Girl:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2075,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Jesus Heals a Demoniac Girl:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2075,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Jesus Heals a Demoniac Girl:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2075, (accessed).
