THE SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN
Matt 15:21-28
Mark 7:24-30
There are two matters which arrest us in the account of the Syrophoenician woman. The first is that the event took place on the occasion of an excursion of Jesus outside strictly Jewish territory. Tyre and Sidon was a region outside the economy of the ancient people, resting even then, as it had done for centuries, under the curse of God. The journey which Jesus took to reach the region was one of at least fifty miles over mountainous country, and almost impassable roads.
The second impressive fact in the account is that this was an occasion upon which He deliberately sought rest and retirement. This Mark makes perfectly clear: "From thence He arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered into a house, and would have no man know it."
If we consider this statement in the light of the context, we find on the human level, the reason. Hostility to Him had become more and more bitter. The days were crowded days, and so for a while He left the country of the privileged people to whom He was commissioned as the Messiah. Necessarily, we remember that in the ultimate meaning of that commission the entire world was included; but He began at Jerusalem with the ancient people of God. Here was an occasion upon which He sought retirement and quietness, by crossing the borderline into Tyre and Sidon.
The woman to whom the account introduces us was an outcast from the Jewish standpoint. We read that she was a Greek, which simply means in this connection that she was a Gentile. Her actual nationality was Syrophoenician, and therefore her religion was pagan. We see our Lord then taking a long journey with His disciples, leaving for the moment the people to whom He was first specially sent, and coming to this region beyond the boundary line He was brought into contact with this woman.
It is quite evident, however, that even in this region He was known, for we read that: "He entered into a house, and would have no man know it."
However the statement of Mark which we have already quoted is ended with the declaration that "He could not be hid."
This is a most arresting statement. We are led to ask immediately why it was that He could not be hid. The declaration is not a reference to the crowds of people that may have been surrounding Him. We know from other accounts that He could always be hidden if He so desired. For instance, we read in the eighth chapter of John how, when hostile crowds were thronging round Him, and they were attempting to arrest Him, Jesus hid Himself. On this day, however, "He could not be hid."
I am emphasizing this statement by way of introduction because the answer to our question as to why He could not be hid becomes self-evident in the account itself. He knew the facts concerning this woman, and although He had sought retirement, He could not remain therein, while that woman was outside in her agony and need. In such cases He could not be hid. In that connection we may remind ourselves of the situation already referred to as recorded by John, when it is written He hid Himself. From intellectual pride and opposition He forever hides Himself. In the presence of human agony, when it makes its appeal to Him, He cannot be hid.
In looking at the woman we take first the accidental things that is, the things of her circumstances and condition.
As we have said, she was a Gentile, which means of course from the standpoint of the writings of these evangelists, she was outside the covenant of Israel. We remember that Paul divided the human race into Jew and Gentile, for the purposes of his argument. So did all these writers in their thinking. This woman, then, was outside the privileges created by covenant relationship with the ancient people of God.
Then she was a Syrophoenician. That tells the account of her religion. The Syrophoenicians were all worshippers of Asherah, sometimes called Asheroth, and sometimes referred to as Astarte. Astarte was the moon goddess. The worship of the moon goddess began in the admiration of beauty, for all these false religions had something underlying them in the matter of their beginnings, which was worthwhile. Astarte was always conceived of as the goddess of beauty. We have to keep in mind, however, the fact that at this period the whole idea had degenerated. These Syrophoenicians were affected by, and indeed, to a large measure, shared the Greek philosophy and outlook which declared that three things were of utmost importance. First, freedom from all restriction; second, a complete expression of whatever may be found within human nature; and so, finally, all those experiences resulting from these two matters.
Many years ago Dr. Hugh Black, then of Edinburgh, wrote a book called "Culture and Restraint." In that book he contrasted the Hebrew ideal with the Greek. The Greek ideal was that of culture, the cultivation of anything and everything within human personality, without any restriction whatever, that is, without restraint. To put it in the common phraseology, it was the philosophy of letting oneself go, independent of all opinion and and law. The ideal of the Hebrew was that of restraint, that is government of personality by law. Dr. Black showed how in Christ the two ideals merged, culture, but under restraint; and consequently, restraint in order to culture. The religious atmosphere in which this woman had been born and brought up, declared that instinct and passion were perfectly right, and were to be indulged in, without any restraint whatever. The worship of beauty had become the worship of everything thought desirable, within human personality, of which life was capable. All that is undoubtedly suggested by the declaration of the evangelist that this woman was a Syrophoenician.
Turning from these matters, and looking at the woman as she stands revealed in the account, necessarily our first impression is that of her love. Here was something inherent in her motherhood; and in itself it was quite independent of her religious position. The account pulsates with the revelation of the suffering of this woman in the presence of her afflicted child. As she said, "My child, afflicted with an unclean spirit," we hear the wail of a mother's love. Thus we see manifested in this woman what I do not hesitate to call the universal good. We find it everywhere in humanity, however degraded that humanity may be. In passing one has to admit there do seem to be exceptions not alone in what we speak of as pagan countries, but in our own land. One does meet mothers who seem to have no love for their children, and who abandon them. I am not speaking of some distressed woman who abandons a baby on a door-step. That may not prove the absence of love. I am thinking rather of supposedly refined women who abandon their children to the care of servants and others. In spite of these exceptions, however, it is true that the love of motherhood is universal in human life. It was clearly manifested in the case of this woman. She was outside the covenant of Israel, but she was a mother. There was no one to whom she could turn among the privileged people, whose conception of motherhood was holy, but she was a mother, and was consumed by the love of her heart for her child.
The next thing that we observe about this woman is her faith. Perhaps we should hardly have seen this had it not been that at this point we hear Jesus saying to her, "O woman, great is thy faith." How she knew Him we are not told. Mark does tell us earlier in his account, in chapter three, that people had come to see and hear Jesus from Tyre and Sidon. Evidently some of these people now knew Him. The way the account is told would suggest that she had not been among the number of such, because we are told she had heard about Him. Her faith is manifested in an activity, based upon conviction. That is always faith. If there be no conviction, faith is impossible. If conviction, however, produces no activity, then there is no faith. When conviction compels an activity, we have the evidence of faith.
Again, watching the whole process, we discover that she was a woman of tremendous will power and persistence. This is seen in the way in which she refused to be deflected from the purpose that had brought her to seek the Lord.
And once more, it is evident that in this hour of her dire necessity, she was entirely disillusioned as to the value of her own religion. Her child was possessed by an unclean spirit. She knew the hopelessness of Astarte in the presence of such a condition. Beauty meant nothing to her now, for ugliness was incarnate in her own offspring. She was conscious that the expression of passion was of no avail.
We do not know, but it is at least possible that the existence of the child was due to her own conception of life, that of giving expression to passion, and gaining experience. Be that as it may, the fact remains of her consciousness of helplessness in the presence of her need. It is an arresting picture, because there are thousands of people living in that realm today, pictured in a Hollywood lifestyle. Experience and expression, passion allowed to have its full fling, no restriction. These people often speak of their condition as being one of freedom. Well, it may sound and seem excellent so long as the sun is shining. When the storms gather, there is no value in it. This woman had lived in that atmosphere, but now in the hour of her dire need, because of the suffering of her child, as Mark says, she had heard of Jesus, and now she heard that He had crossed the border-line, and was in the region of Tyre and Sidon.
When we turn to the contemplation of our Lord's dealing with this woman, let us honestly say that we find it a very startling account. Our first feeling as we read it, is that it does not seem to harmonize with all we know of Him. His first speech concerning her approach to Him does not sound like Him. That feeling, however, is the result of superficial understanding of the account. If we watch Him carefully we shall understand what He was doing, and the ultimate result proves the intention that He had in the whole of His attitude. It is often a good thing to look at a result in order to understand a process. That I think will be true of life in its entirety at this point. When we reach the life that lies beyond, we shall understand the processes through which we have passed, as we cannot understand them now. The ultimate result in the case of this woman is found in His final words to her, and His act of power through which the deliverance came that she sought. When that is kept in mind we find the interpretation of the method He adopted in dealing with her.
In His method we are conscious of what appeared to be His hesitations. I am not suggesting that there was any hesitation in His mind as to His ultimate intention; and, of course, there was no hesitation really, but His method seems to suggest it. The first thing we read was that when she first came: "He answered her not a word."
Then His disciples besought Him to interfere and to send her away; and to them He replied: "I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
So far He had addressed no word to the woman. The request of the disciples is in itself an interesting one. It may be that they were conscious of His desire for retirement, and therefore pleaded with Him to grant this woman's request, in order that she might go.
Then, when the woman made her appeal more urgent, "Lord, help me," He replied to her: "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."
That does, to our ears, sound a harsh thing to have said. Even here, however, let us remember that the word He used for dogs was not the common one, but a diminutive, and one that had in it something of the note of tenderness. In those Eastern lands the dog was always looked upon with contempt, that is, the wild; marauding dogs that were a positive menace to society. But in all those houses there were little dogs that had their place. When our Lord spoke thus to the woman, He did not use the word that described the ferocious dog, but that which referred to dogs admitted to the household.
What then, we ask, was our Lord really doing? And we reply at once that by the very apparent harshness He was creating an opportunity for the complete activity of her faith. At this point He said to her, "O woman, great is thy faith." He knew that faith through all the processes. I declare without any hesitation that if He had not known it, He would not have adopted this method. We have really a remarkable illustration of how He adapted His method to the need of those with whom He was dealing. Here was a woman. a strong character, and great faith. He knew her. He was giving her the opportunity to proceed alone the line of her own confidence, until she reached the point of full and complete expression. His silence when first she came was not refusal. Indeed, He had come outside the house, because she was there. He might have refused to see her. He needed retirement, but could not be hid.
Matthew tells us that she said in her approach: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David."
He made no response to her, but speaking to the disciples, He said: "I was not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
That statement in itself was remarkable, that He was sent, not to the house of Israel, but "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." As we consider this statement we may call to mind a later hour in His ministry, when after controversy with the rulers in the case of the man born blind, He had instituted a new order of things, and had said to the listening Jews, possibly to their unutterable surprise.
"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, . . . and they shall become one flock, one Shepherd."
It was to these lost sheep that He was sent. Here the objection may be stated that this woman was not of the house of Israel; and at once we recognize that this is true so far as the relation of the flesh is concerned. At this point, however, we see her receiving from Him in an act of power, a blessing that proved that spiritually she did belong to the house of Israel as the result of faith. She was one of the lost sheep.
In addressing her, what He said would seem to number her among the "little dogs." Let us keep in mind that these were the playthings of the children, and were constantly found around the tables in the homes. He told her that it was not fitting to take the children's bread and give it to these little dogs. Now we observe how His method was vindicated in the victory He gained. It may be said that it was her victory, and that is so; but that is what He was aiming at; and when she gained the victory of her persistence, He had gained His victory.
Against His silence she persevered. Against His apparent exclusion of her by what He had said to His disciples, she still persevered. When addressing her, He had seemed as though He was putting her out of the realm of the possibility of receiving help from Him, she still persevered. When He said: "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the little dogs," she said: "Yea, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table."
That was the point when her faith reached its ultimate, and rained its victory; an old Puritan writer says of her answer that it was characterized by the wit of faith. She had come to Him against prejudice, she persevered against silence. She persevered further against apparent exclusion: and at last with scintillating wit, which means with a vision to the heart of truth, she had consented to be numbered among the little dogs, under the master s table; but declared that even they partook of the crumbs. Thus all His method was vindicated as her faltering faith had persevered, until it had become victorious faith.
It is worthy of note that when she first spoke to Him she addressed Him as "Son of David." That was the peculiar Messianic description of Him. Evidently she was familiar with this, although herself not of the Hebrew people. It was to that application He made no reply. At this point she dropped that designation, and out the ultimate plaintiveness of her appeal into the word, "Lord, help me." That was not Messianic; that was universal. It was the cry of a human soul to One in Whose presence she recognized the presence of the Lord.
To that cry He gave the answer of power, and revealed the secret of it, as He said: "O woman, great is thy faith; be it done unto thee even as thou wilt."
At that point this woman passes out of sight, but we see her travelling home, and watch her as she found the reward of her faith in the evidences of the power of Jesus. She had left her child possessed by an unclean spirit, twisted and contorted, and possibly in the paroxysms of passion. She returned to find her laying on the bed, resting, the demon gone, her life one of quietness and peace.
In this account we see our Lord turning from the infidelity of traditional orthodoxy to a faith found in pagan surroundings. The rulers within the covenant people were in opposition to Him. They lacked faith, and remained infidels in the presence of the wonders and signs of His mighty works and words. Turning from them, He found in pagan surroundings, a faith that drew from Him the commendation, "O woman, great is thy faith."
This remains a revelation for all time. Our Lord is ever doing this self-same thing, and will continue to do it when orthodoxy is cursed by infidelity. Over and over again He finds faith in surroundings that orthodoxy condemns.
The great teaching of the account is that faith is the principle of life, and not race. She was not of the chosen race. She lacked all the things of privilege. Nevertheless she made a venture upon the basis of a conviction, and by the activity of that faith came into vital relationship with the Lord and His power. It remains true that wherever men or woman make that venture on the basis of that conviction, they too enter into such relationship with Christ which makes them of the seed royal, of the race eternal, of the very people of God.
Surveying the account, we remember that He had said to His disciples: "I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
His action in this case was no departure from that high commission. Outside the fold of Israel He had found a member of the flock of God. He had fulfilled the function of His office in its wider sense.
When He had said to her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs," and she had replied: "Even the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table."
He did not give her the crumbs, but the children's bread.
Whenever a soul, whatever its background may be, however pagan, and apparently contrary to past revelation, in its agony seeks Him, "He cannot be hid." That is the lesson of this account. Let it sing its song in every heart
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