Persistent Conquering Faith

Portraits of FaithPersistent Conquering Faith

Study Guide 

Message for Sunday March 17, 2019

This Week Reading:  Matthew 15:21-28  Additional Reading:  Matthew 8:5-13

Introduction

The Bible is practical. It not only contains life principles, wisdom for life and correct doctrine, the Bible also provides real life examples of those life principles in action. The Bible shows us what faith looks like in the lives of ordinary people so that we can become people who live with faith. A few times in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) Jesus is recorded as saying that someone's faith is great. These are instances that deserve our attention since we can learn a great deal that will help us in our own lives as we live out our faith in a real world. In studying a scene such as the one for this week's reading a few suggestions are in order. First read the story several times so that you know clearly the flow of events. Second be sure you understand the context or background to the story. Reading the Background Information in the next section will help with that. Thirdly look at the story from different angles and try to feel and experience what different characters in the story were feeling and experiencing. In this scene put yourself in the position of the woman, in the position of the disciples, in the position of someone above the scene looking down and watching the scene unfold. The more you are able to put yourself in the shoes of the people in the scene the better you will apply the teachings of Jesus to your life. 
  

Background Information

Some very important items of context appear in these verses that add to an understanding of faith. Immediately before these verses Jesus is disputing with the religious leaders about their understanding of faith. They believed that faith meant following certain rituals, traditions and protocols (see verses 1-20 of chapter 15). In chapter 14 verse 31 Jesus says that Peter has little faith (presumably the opposite of great faith). A key background point is that the region of Tyre and Sidon were pagan areas and the last place you would expect to find a portrait of faith. The Canaanites were the enemies of Israel in the Old Testament and were pagan people who worshiped false gods. In Greek there were two words for dogs. One word referred to street dogs and the other to pets or lap dogs which lived in the master's house. The word Jesus uses refers to lap or house dogs who lived with the family. Thus Jesus referring to dogs is not as harsh as it may seem. Then as now house or lap dogs were fed crumbs or pieces from the master's table. This story is similar to the additional verse above in which Jesus notes that the Centurion had great faith. In Mark 3:8 which is prior to this incident it appears that some people from Tyre and Sidon had visited Jesus during his healing and deliverance ministry. It is reasonable to assume that it was through the testimony of these people that the Canaanite women had heard about Jesus. Calling Jesus the Son of David and Lord indicates that the woman believed that Jesus was the savior of the world. The statement of Jesus that he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel is a true statement of God's unfolding plan. Jesus was training a group of Jewish followers to be instruments of the kingdom. That was Jesus' focus at this point in His ministry - it was not on world wide evangelization. Once Jesus died and the Holy Spirit was given then the disciples would be sent to the whole world by Jesus as His representatives (Matthew 28;18-20). That stage in God's plan had not yet been reached.  

  

A Simple Outline with Key Points

I. Faith

Faith is being fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He had promised.

                                                                                                  Romans 4:21

Faith is:

• a matter of the heart
• begins inside and is expressed in action
• Revealed under pressure and opposition
• Refined by trials such as waiting, failure and suffering

II. Faith Begins with a Seed - verses 15-16

How can they call on the one they have not believed in? 

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14

Faith comes from hearing the message. Romans 10:17

Faith is like a seed which must be planted in a prepared heart and then watered so that 

it will grow.

III. Persistent Conquering Faith Requires Alignment - Verse 22

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work

                                                                                         1 John 3:8

Persistent conquering faith is in alignment with the purpose of Jesus to bring restoration

IV. Persistent Conquering Faith Stays Focused - 23-27

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither 

the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else 

in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus 

our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

Persistent faith always moves the hand of Jesus. - Verse 28

Digging Deeper Questions

1. Have everyone in the group give their best definition of faith. What are some examples of faith you have seen in your life either in your own life or the life of someone else?
2.Tell the story step by step in your own words. 
3. Imagine you are the woman what is motivating you? How do you feel at each point in the story? 
4. What is the disciples reaction to the woman can you relate to them why or why not? 
5. What are the specific points about the woman's faith that leads Jesus to call it great faith?
6. Make a list of the points of great faith from this scene and discuss each.
7. What will you specifically apply from this study? Be specific.

This Week's Challenge 

Look to plant a seed of faith in someone's life this week.

Additional Resource:

What does it mean to have great faith