The Syrophoenician Woman
Her character: Though a Gentile, she addressed Jesus as "Lord, Son of David." Her great faith
resulted in her daughter's deliverance.
Her sorrow: That her child was possessed by an evil spirit.
Her joy: That Jesus freed her daughter from spiritual bondage.
Key Scriptures: Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
Her Story
Her body jerked and twisted, arms thrashing the air. Wide-eyed, the little girl spoke to ghosts her
mother could not see, her face changing as rapidly as clouds in a sudden storm. Fear, surprise,
and then a crazy kind of laughter, as though someone had stolen her soul. Dark hair stuck in
gummy strands against her cheeks.
Her mother wondered what had become of the sweet child who had followed her like a puppy
wherever she went. How she missed those soft kisses and the button nose that had nuzzled her
cheek. She had hardly slept these last few nights for fear of what her daughter might do to
herself. Neither of them, she thought, could stand much more.
Just that morning she had caught wind of a Jewish healer who, friends said, had come to Tyre
hoping for relief from the crowds that mobbed him in Galilee. It didn't matter that Jews
seldom mingled with Gentiles. She would go to him, beg his help, throw a fit herself if
necessary. She would do whatever it took to get him to listen. It didn't take long to find him.
She approached Jesus, pleading, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is
suffering terribly from demon-possession."
But Jesus ignored the woman, making no reply.
Finally, his disciples said to Jesus, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
But Jesus knew it would not be that easy to get rid of her. The only way, in fact, would be to
answer her prayer. He told them, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
Hearing him, the woman fell at his feet again, imploring, "Lord, help me!"
Then Jesus turned and said, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
But the woman would not give up. "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that
fall from their masters' table."
"Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted," Jesus said.
So the Syrophoenician woman returned to her daughter, who was delivered from the evil spirit
the very same hour that Jesus had spoken.
Scripture doesn't describe the little girl of this story in any detail; it says only that she was
possessed by a demon. But judging from similar incidents, such as that of the Gerasene
demoniac, whose story is told in Luke 8, or the little boy in Matthew 17, who kept throwing
himself in the fire, the signs of demonic possession were probably both obvious and frightening.
But why did Jesus seem so rude to the poor woman, ignoring her request and then referring to
her and her child as dogs?
His response may sound a little less harsh when you realize that the word he used for "dogs" was
not the derisive one Jews ordinarily reserved for Gentiles. Instead, it was the term used for little
dogs kept as pets. Jesus was also making it clear that his primary mission was to the Israelites.
Had Jesus performed many healings and miracles in Tyre and Sidon, he would have risked the
same kind of mob scenes he had just left behind in Galilee, thus inaugurating a ministry to the
Gentiles in advance of his Father's timing.
The woman couldn't have known the reason for his silence, however, and it must have tested her
faith. But rather than give up or take offense, she exercised her quick wit, revealing both a deep
humility and a tenacious faith. It was a combination Jesus seemed unable to resist—fertile soil in
which to grow a miracle. The Syrophoenician woman must have rejoiced that day to see the
daughter she loved safe and sane, grateful for the life-giving bread that had fallen from the
Master's table.
Her Promise
What possible promise can be found in a pagan woman whose little girl was possessed by an evil
spirit? The Syrophoenician woman wouldn't have known what to do about her daughter had she
not heard about Jesus. Somehow, she was given the faith to believe that he was capable of saving
her child.
Evil spirits, unfortunately, are not creatures of a former age. We, too, must fight the evil powers
in own lives. The difference now is that Jesus has won the ultimate victory on the cross. As
believers, we share in his victory. He has given us authority over the evil forces that threaten us.
We may still be fighting the battle, but, strange as it might sound, the victory is already won!
This devotional is drawn from Women of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Women in
Scripture by Ann Spangler and Jean Syswerda. Used with permission.
https://www.biblegateway.com/devotionals/women-of-the-bible/2013/11/01
