Sermon -- 13th Sunday after Pentecost (August 23, 2026)

 A GREAT FAITH RECEIVES GREAT MERCY.

MATTHEW 15:21-28

In the name + of Jesus.

      There are times when it appears that our Lord ignores us and our challenges.  The Psalms remind us, “[Our] help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2).  When our help does not seem to come, we are perplexed by God’s seeming inactivity.  Is he concerning himself with bigger things?  Is he ignoring us?  Does he care?

     That was the case with the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus.  Our help comes from the Lord, so she came to her Lord.  She prayed for mercy, and for good reason.  She said, “A demon is severely tormenting my daughter” (Matthew 15:22)!  Her anxiety must have been through the roof.  She knew that Jesus brought healing and relief.  She yearned for it and begged for it.  She said, “‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David!  A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!’  But he did not answer her a word” (Matthew 15:22-23).  Jesus ignored her!  Maybe he was focused on bigger things.  Maybe he did not care.  But that does not sound like Jesus, does it? 

     If we attempt to defend Jesus’ callous response, we may cite a little background.  “Canaanites” refers to a number of nations who had inhabited the Promised Land.  They were wicked and practiced perverse worship, including child sacrifice.  The Lord had been patient with them, giving them centuries to repent.  When they did not, the Lord’s judgment came upon them.  That judgment could have come in the form of a plague or a natural disaster.  Instead, the Lord’s judgment came in the form of the sword, as the Lord commanded the Israelites to either drive the Canaanites out of the land or to kill them off.

     The Israelites were forbidden to show them any kind of mercy.  The reason was simple.  The Lord told them, “They will turn your sons away from following me, and they will serve other gods.  The anger of the LORD will burn against you, and then he will destroy you quickly” (Deuteronomy 7:4).  God had chosen the nation of Israel to be the people through whom the Savior would come into the world.  Allowing the Canaanites to remain settled in the Promise Land threatened the promise of a Savior.  No one was permitted to mess with that promise.  Therefore, the people of Israel were to extract or exterminate the Canaanite people.

     Obviously, they did not kill off all the Canaanites.  A Canaanite woman approached Jesus and pleaded with him for help and for mercy.  “But he did not answer her a word” (Matthew 15:23).  If we attempt to defend Jesus’ callous response, we might conclude, “No wonder he didn’t answer her a word!  She was a Canaanite!  She was marked for divine judgment, not divine favor.  Besides that, her daughter was possessed by a demon.  What cultish practice was she engaged in for that to happen?  She was getting what she deserved, and it was not mercy.”

     We are not told how long she had been crying out to Jesus.  Even if it wasn’t long, you can understand how it would quickly get tiresome.  It sure annoyed Jesus’ disciples!  They “pleaded, ‘Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us’” (Matthew 15:23).  If she was upset that Jesus had not answered her a word, it must have stung when he finally did respond.  He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).  In other words, “I am here for the chosen people of God, not you.” 

     This Gentile woman—a Canaanite, no less!—did not give up on her petition.  She still trusted that Jesus would perform an act of mercy and healing.  She knew that Jesus was the Son of David.  In other words, he is the Messiah.  And he is not a Messiah for some; he is the Messiah for all—even for Canaanites.  So, “she came and knelt in front of him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’  He answered her, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs’” (Matthew 15:25-26).  Ouch!  Jesus had reduced her to a little lap dog who should not eat from the Lord’s table.

     But great faith receives great mercy.  She persisted in her trust.  “[Our] help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2).  He is Christ, the Lord.  He is our help in time of need.  He is the Savior of the nations.  He delivers from sin, death, and especially from the power of the devil.  The Canaanite woman grabbed onto Jesus’ words, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs” (Matthew 15:26).  She replied, “Yes, Lord” (Matthew 15:27).  Am I nothing but a dog?  Okay.  So be it.  I do not claim to be worthy of special treatment.  I know that I am not owed mercy; for mercy, by definition, is not deserved.  So, I will be a dog.  But I am the master’s dog.  I still benefit from the master’s care.  “‘Yes, Lord, … yet their little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’  Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, your faith is great!  It will be done for you, just as you desire.’  And her daughter was healed at that very hour.” (Matthew 15:27-28).  Great faith receives great mercy. 

     The Canaanite woman refused to believe that Jesus was unconcerned for her, that he was merciless, or that his salvation was limited to a few.  She knew he was the Son of David, the Lord’s anointed—anointed to make the atoning sacrifice for sinners.  She knew that he had come to destroy the devil’s kingdom.  And if that was true, then he would relieve her daughter from the devil’s clutches.  So, she would not let Jesus’ gruff responses dissuade her.  She persisted in her faith.  She insisted that Jesus be who he is—a merciful Savior.  The crumbs from his table would be enough for her.  Great faith receives great mercy.

     Now, to my knowledge, no one here is demon possessed.  And chances are that you don’t know anyone who is.  But the devil does lay claim to everyone who enters this world.  We were all unclean, sinful even from the time we were conceived.  If we are to be saved, the Lord must deliver us from the devil’s grasp.  In Holy Baptism, the Lord converted you from unclean to clean, from sinner to saint.  Martin Luther’s rite of Holy Baptism even included a minor exorcism.  The pastor said, “Depart, unclean spirit and make way for the Holy Spirit.”  And in baptism, the Lord did what was promised: “You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).  In this way, Jesus had released you from the power of the devil.  The devil cannot have you; you belong to Christ.

     However, the devil is not willing to leave you alone.  He is called “Satan,” which means Accuser.  He oppresses you with accusations and rubs your sins in your face.  He replays the past, reminding you of sins from long ago.  He opens wounds and makes the guilt fresh all over again.  The Lord has warned us, “[The devil] is a liar” (John 8:44); but when he accuses you of your sins, he does not lie.  He reminds you of what you have done and replays what you had said.  He does not make anything up.  You know his accusations are true.  In this way, the devil oppresses you.  He focuses you on yourself and your sin.  He wants to convince you that you are worthless, unlovable, and irredeemable.  But he will suggest ways to cope, tempting you to turn to drugs or alcohol, or worst of all, suicide.  The devil plays dirty, and he will do whatever he can to drag you down to hell with him.

     But the Bible reminds you of this—and it is imperative that you take it to heart: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8).  Jesus grants you relief not merely from the devil’s claim on you, but also from his oppressing you with guilt and shame and misery.  Therefore, you and I cry out to Jesus, and he does not get annoyed by your cries for mercy.  Like the Canaanite woman, you want to be free from being oppressed by the devil.  Like the Canaanite woman, you know that “[Our] help comes from the LORD” (Psalm 121:2), and there is no other helper.  Like the Canaanite woman, you don’t deny your sins or your misery.  You confess it, and flee to Jesus for deliverance.  Like the Canaanite woman, you plead, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David” (Matthew 15:22)!  And like the Canaanite woman, you trust that Jesus will provide deliverance, relief, and consolation for sinners.  For, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, …abounding in mercy.  …He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  He does not repay us according to our guilty deeds” (Psalm 103:8,10).  We trust that Jesus will do what was promised.  For, great faith receives great mercy.

     See how merciful the Lord is!  He does not treat us as our sins deserve.  We deserve death and hell.  We’ve earned it.  Jesus does not give us what we deserve; that is mercy.  But neither can our sins just be ignored.  So, to destroy the works of the devil, Jesus let the devil do his worst to him.  To deliver us from Satan’s accusations, Jesus held himself accountable for every sin imaginable.  Jesus was treated as our sins deserve as he put himself under divine judgment for us.  But then Jesus rose from the grave.  He who took our sins away lives to bestow forgiveness.  He who overcame death lives to bestow eternal life upon us.  He who took up every accusation of sin lives to silence the devil and to declare you not guilty of all charges.  

     There are only two times in the Gospels that Jesus commended someone for having great faith.  Both were Gentiles—a Roman officer and a Canaanite woman.  If great faith receives great mercy, perhaps you wonder if your faith is great enough.  Fear not.  You are not saved by how strongly you believe or by how sincere you are.  You are saved by how merciful the Lord is.  You are saved by his work for you.  Faith does not look to itself to see how bold or strong it is.  The devil tells you to look at yourself.  But faith looks to Jesus.  His saving work is perfect.  His salvation is sure and certain.  This great Savior bestows great mercy.

     The Canaanite woman was content to receive scraps from the master’s table, knowing that even a little from him was enough.  It is enough for us, too.  Our goal is to dwell in God’s presence and be seated at the eternal banquet in heaven.  That will come soon enough.  For now, we come to the Lord’s altar.  Here, we receive a small portion of the heavenly banquet.  It is a moment of time and a smidgeon of food.  For now, we receive scraps from the master’s table.  And it is enough to strengthen and keep you in the true faith until life everlasting.  It is enough to forgive your sins, to ward off the devil, and to keep you safe in Jesus’ care.  It is more than we deserve, but it is gladly and freely given.  For, our great Savior bestows great mercy.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.