Great Faith

Scripture

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.

~Matthew 15:28, NLT

Quote

Only God is great is the superlative sense, others are great only in relationship to Him.

~Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

A superlative is the greatest of the great: I guess you might say supreme or superior. God’s greatness is infinitely above any greatness on the part of man but Jesus did compliment this woman’s faith with the word ‘great.’ It is a great story. The woman was not a Jew, she was Syrophoenician. The Jews looked down on these people. They regarded them to be almost as low as a Samaritan. They often referred to these unacceptable people groups as ‘dogs’. This is one of those stories that cannot be translated because Jesus was using satire and sarcasm. This woman knew that Jesus did not see her as a dog but He did put her faith to the test. I think He did this for His disciples benefit. At first Jesus seems to ignore the woman; then He uses the sarcasm but she is locked in…her faith is great. She will not be distracted or discouraged and if she had one doubt, it doesn’t show.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a world filled with people like this woman! People with an undaunting faith in Jesus. It would be great to have them in our churches. People who are relentless in their passion for Jesus and relentless in prayer. Only one other time does Jesus use the word great to describe some ones faith and that was with the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8, When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! Both the woman and the centurion were despised Gentiles.

God is good. I am always thankful for a good night’s sleep and thankful for Excedrin Migraine. I woke up early with one of those headaches but it is almost gone PTL. Just a note of praise for my annual birthday canoe trip. I want thank sister for putting it together, the girls for looking our for me, the boys for doing the heavy lifting and Troy for buying my steak dinner. I am also very thankful that we made it back alive. I think Charlie broke his toe but other than that, no injuries. Josie and I had the only wreck. We hit a rock in the rapids and capsized. Josie little blond head was bobbing up and down like a cork as she went through the rapids. I hit bottom a couple of times but finally made it to some calm water. I think we will do the lower end net year. It is a little safer. No granddaddy could ask for better grand children: I am blessed and thankful.

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