‘Then the woman came back to Jesus, dropped to her knees, and begged. “Master, help me.” Matthew 15:25 (MSG)
Matthew 15:21-28 recounts the account of a Canaanite woman in desperate need of help. Her daughter was not well; she was suffering terribly. In verse 21, she cried out for mercy, indicating it was very painful for her as a mother to watch her daughter suffer. Note: Her prayer request was not for finances or for a house, a husband, or even cattle. Her needs were different. She prayed for Jesus to have mercy on her, despite the problem being with her child.
Maybe she was blaming herself for the child’s condition. Maybe she was thinking, ‘If I was a better mother, my child would not be acting like this.’ However, sometimes it doesn’t matter how wonderful you are; things happen to people. This Canaanite woman came to Jesus out of desperation. Her daughter was demon-possessed and suffering. Jesus did not answer immediately. This caused her to become even more desperate. My sisters, sometimes God leaves us in a desperate situation to teach us how to depend on Him.
Later, we see that the disciples had a problem with her desperation (verse 23). They asked Jesus to send her away for “…she is bothering us” (MSG). Friends, your praise or request is not good enough until it bothers someone. Eli thought Hannah was drunk (1 Samuel 1). It bothered him, but Hannah was having an intercession session with God. By faith, Hannah received her blessings.
The Canaanite woman also didn’t need the ‘whole bread’ but was willing to settle for the ‘crumbs’ to receive her breakthrough. Jesus’s response was, “Oh woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!” (verse 28 – MSG). And her daughter was healed at that moment.
It may not be your child, but it could be a family member, someone at your workplace, or even in your church. But you, my sister, got delivered and received mercy. You know where God brought you from, how He picked you up and turned you around. Encourage someone today who needs to experience your desperation breakthrough. Guide them to Master Jesus, Who delivers.
Read: Psalm 88:1-2; Matthew 8:26
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 57:7-11; John 5:16-30; Judges 6; Judges 7:1-8
