Jesus Listens – August 26, 2023

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Matthew 15:21,22

Jesus Listens

The reputation of Jesus as a miracle worker had spread far and wide. The miracles were performed to point to the fact that he was the promised Messiah, God’s chosen one to rescue the world from the power of the devil and the curse of sin.

A Canaanite woman came to him. She was a descendant of the original inhabitants of the land of Palestine. Though not a Jew, she knew about Jesus and had faith in him as the “Lord, the Son of David.” She believed Jesus was the Messiah. At the same time, her faith was attacked by the devil in a direct and frightening way: her little daughter was inhabited by a demon. We’re not told what specific effect this had on the girl, but from other cases of demon possession recorded in the Gospels, we know that evil spirits brought great affliction to the bodies and minds of the people they possessed.

But the woman knew just where to go for help. She went to Jesus. She trusted that he had the power to help. Whether he chose to use his power in that way would be up to him. But she was certain he had the power.

Whatever problem you are facing, go to the same place the Canaanite woman went. Go to Jesus. You can be certain he has the power to help and will answer your prayer in whatever way is best. After all, he was willing to be nailed to a cross and suffer hell to rescue you from your sin. Surely, he knows how best to answer your plea for help.

Prayer: (Psalm 140:6)
O LORD, I say to you, “You are my God.” Hear, O LORD, my cry for mercy. Amen.