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Horton. but she believed in His mighty power; for the casting out o f demons was a mighty work. It would be. considered a great faith today if someone untaught in the Word should believe for the casting out of demons, and it would be a good faith for many fathers and mothers to have, for the devil is certainly controlling the lives of many sons and daughters,. How it must have given joy to the heart o f our Lord to find this unexpected manifestation of faith in a Gentile woman! (2 ) Unwavering faith: The test o f the woman’s faith was severe. He put her in the class o f worthless dogs—unworthy and unwelcome dogs. She does not resent this unusual attitude o f the Lord Jesus, but humbly takes her place as a despised Gen tile, but she is unwavering in her faith. Her need is desperate; . her desire is deep- seated; she will not be put off. (3) Undeniable faith- Such faith will not be denied, and the Lord honored her by putting her in the great faith family. That was a happy day for our Lord when He found such great faith in such an unlikely subject. What blessings there are in store for us all had we but faith to believe and the faith to reach out and take that which is ours >by reason o f our purchased pos session. Would he put you in the great faith, or the little faith family? PRACTICAL POINTS (1) W e must take our right place before He can answer our prayers. (2) The revelation o f Jesus is through the race o f the Jews. (3) Patient persistence- in prayer, accom panied by. humility o f heart, obtains its: object. (4) The multitude of our blessings is meas ured by our faith. (5) There is many a crumb o f comfort from the Master’s table. ( 6 ) When Jesus’ word went forth, the demons went out. (7) It would be good to be found in the great faith family.
By T. C. E MPHASIS should be laid, in this les son, upon six words in the 24th verse, “But He could not be hid.” You cannot hide the light o f the sun. You can hide from it, but it cannot be hid. Jesus will shine; the light and life o f love in our Lord must shine forth- It shines out from the B o o k ;jt shines out from true lives. “ Faith cometh by hearing” . Here is a Gentile woman whose ears and heart had heard a ' message concerning a Jewish teacher and miracle-worker, and this little incident in our Lord’s life is pregnant with lessons for us. What a loss would be ours were the story omitted from the record! Here is an unusual manifestation o f faith on the part o f a sorrow-stricken mother, and an unusual attitude o f Jesus toward suffering. It was the Jews’ day; He came to His own people first; He was following a well defined line o f action in His service. “To the Jew first” is God’s order. W e can never understand the Bible aright if we do not read it in the light of its dispen- sational aspect. In the Old. Testament from the time of God’s covenant with Abraham, all of, His dealings with the sons o f men were in relation to Israel. He never speaks o f the nations save as they are related to the Jewish people. Matthew tells us that the woman’s appeal was first, “ Son of David;” when repulsed, she calls Him “ Lord” . No one must call Jesus Lord but by the» Holy Spirit. As Lord He must respond. Note the develop ment o f faith in the story: (1) Unexpected faith. .You would not expect a Gentile to manifest faith in the Jewish Messiah. Her knowledge of Him must have been very limited. She had. no foundation for her faith as had the Jewish believers who had the Scriptures in their hands. She had a deep-seated need, which is the basis o f all real prayer. She believed in the testimonies she had heard concerning His power and HJs mercy. She could not have analyzed her own faith,
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