Faith, Healing and Miraculous Works – Matthew 15:21-39

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Matthew 15:21-39 Faith, Healing and Miraculous Works

Yeshua’s ministry was a continual ministry of Faith, Healing and Miraculous Works. Calling His disciples to follow Him gave them the opportunity to live with Yeshua day in and day out observing His life, practices, and daily lifestyle. The disciples got to witness firsthand and close-up, all that Yeshua did and taught, including the ability to ask questions about those things they heard and witnessed but did not understand.

In this passage, the disciples are given the opportunity to observe Yeshua’s ministry to a foreigner, multitudes of healings of different kinds, and another miraculous work that has never been repeated in the history of the called-out ones.

In this teaching, Faith, Healing and Miraculous Works, the disciples are once again given the opportunity to see for themselves those things Yeshua did that they would ultimately be challenged to do in their own lives and ministry.

The Hebrew writer wrote:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

He wrote further:

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Mt 15:21 Then Yeshua went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.

After teaching about what defiles a man and makes him unclean

(that which comes from the heart and spoken through the mouth),

Yeshua leaves Israel and travels through the region of Tyre and Sidon.

This is a story of a woman whose faith allowed her to receive the reward for diligently seeking The Savior.

The coasts of Tyre and Sidon were outside the land of Israel in Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon. Yeshua had spoken earlier about these two cities possibly in reference to what He was going to do. At the time, He had not ministered in those cities.

Mt 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Mt 11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

Meanwhile, in the coast/region of Tyre and Sidon, a woman came to Yeshua.

Mt 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

The woman referred to Yeshua as Master and as a descendant of the royal family of David. Yeshua did not respond to the woman.

Mark identified the woman as being Greek and of Syrian and Phoenician birth.

Mk 7:24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

Whose house we do not know, but someone in the area was hospitable to Yeshua.

Mk 7:25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: Mk 7:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

Mt 15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

The disciples wanted to send her away and not minister to her.

Mt 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The lost sheep of Israel was a reference to the fact that many Israelites were lost according to faith in YeHoVaH.

Mt 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

Mt 15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Healing and deliverance is the children’s bread.

Yeshua tests the woman’s faith with what is perceived as an insult, but the woman was undeterred in her pursuit of deliverance for her daughter, knowing that Yeshua had the power to set her free.

Mt 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Mt 15:28 Then Yeshua answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

The woman was relentless, received results, and was recognized by Yeshua as a woman of great faith.

Descriptions of Faith

Faith is a frame of mind.
Faith is undeterred confidence.
Faith is a way of thinking.
Faith is belief and expectations until results manifest.
Faith manifests in speech.
Faith manifests in actions and behavior.

Mt 15:29 And Yeshua departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

Mt 15:30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Yeshua' feet; and he healed them:

Yeshua healed a multitude of people.

Mt 15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

These miraculous works were done outside of the land of Israel, but the people recognized that the God that healed them was the God of Israel! The multitude glorified YeHoVaH as a result of what they had seen and experienced.

Mt 15:32 Then Yeshua called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. Mt 15:33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?

Mt 15:34 And Yeshua saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.

Mt 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

Mt 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Mt 15:37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.

Mt 15:38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.

Mt 15:39 And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.

All these things Yeshua did to show who He was and to build the faith of His disciples knowing that the day would come when they would have to pick up His mantle and carry the light of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the nations of the world before He returned.

Yeshua would remind the disciples of this miracle to boost their faith. Although His disciples witnessed firsthand what Yeshua did, they continued to struggle in their faith.

Their struggles could have been related to their former teachings as He would remind them later to beware of the leaven/teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

What we believe is what we consistently speak and practice.

Yeshua said: The works He did we shall do.

Jn 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father

These signs shall follow them that believe.

Mk 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Mk 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Mk 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.

Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The level of your obedience to YeHoVaH's Word will not only cause personal suffering but will determine the degree of miraculous power you manifest in your life.

Yeshua learned His obedience by the things which He suffered. …

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Heb 5:10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Use – 1838 ἕξις hexis {hex'-is}

Meaning: 1) a habit whether of body or mind 2) a power acquired by custom, practice, use

Usage: AV - use 1; 1

Senses – 145 αἰσθητήριον aistheterion {ahee-sthay-tay'-ree-on}

Meaning: 1) faculty of the mind for perceiving, understanding, judging

Usage: AV - senses 1; 1

Exercised – 1128 γυμνάζω gumnazo {goom-nad'-zo}

Meaning: 1) to exercise naked (in a palaestra or school of athletics) 2) to exercise vigorously, in any way, either the body or the mind

Usage: AV - exercise 4; 4

Discern – 1253 διάκρισις diakrisis {dee-ak'-ree-sis}

Meaning: 1) a distinguishing, discerning, judging

Usage: AV - discerning 1, discern 1, disputation 1; 3