The Yale expositor., 1906-06-01
THE GENTLE
WOMAN'S FAITH
Sunday School Lesson Tor June 8. 1906
Specially Prepared for This Paper
Specially Prepared for This Paper.


LESSON TEXT.-Mark 7;24-SO Memory
verse. 30.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Great is thy faith:
be II unto, thee even as thou wilt"-Matt.
| 1928.
TIME.-summer. A. d. 20. few weeks
| after last lesson.
| PLACE.-On border OF country of Tyre
and Sidon, 40 or 80 miles northwest of Sea of
| Galilee
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
V. "a. From thence went"
From Capernaum or it's vicinity, Jesus
and the twelve went into the neighbor-
hood of Tyre Borders" The coun-
try district within the domain of the
cities named. Would have no man
know it," He did not wish notoriety
of any sort. He had come hither that
He might quietly teach His apostles.
Gould not be hid" 1t soon became
known that the great Healer was
I there.
V. 25. For" What is about to be
told brought Him such fame that it
probably accounts for his brief stay
in this region. In the Rev. Yer. this
verse begins with But straightway."
Immediately upon hearing of His ar
rival, woman who had great need
sought Him out. Young daughter"
A little child. Had an unclean
spirit" She was the victim of what
was known as demoniacal possession.
Heard of Him" Perhaps she or her
neighbors had been among those who
flocked to Galilee to see and near
Jesus mark 3:S).
V. &c. "A Greek" Probably she
spoke the Greek language. "Syrophoe-
nician." She was a Phoenician by
race, and lived in the political division
known as Syria; some other Phoeni-
clans lived in northern Africa, and
were termed Libyo-Phoenicians Be
sought Him." By combining Mat
thew's account with that of Mark, we
see that the following conversation
took place:
Woman-Have mercy on me, o
Lord, thou son of David my daughter
is grievously vexed with a devil.
Jesus remains silent.
Disciples-Send her away, for she
crieth after us.
Jesus Ito disciples)-I am not sent
but unto the lost sheep of the house OF
Israel.
Woman (worshiping)- help
me!
Jesus Ito woman)-Let the children
first be filed; for it is not meet to
take the children's bread and to cast
it unto the dogs.
Woman-Truth, Lord; yet the dogs
under the table eat Of the children's
crumbs.
Jesus-O, woman, great is thy faith:
be it unto thee even as thou wilt. Go
thy way; the devil is gone out of thy
daughter.
AS we see how Jesus tried the wom-
an, first by His silence, then by ap-
parent rebuff, we feel sure that He
was trying to bring her into the
household of faith" that she. as we'll
as her daughter, might be blessed
V. 81. LET the children first be
filed" Jesus words to the disciples
(see above), which she had heard,
would give her to understand that He
meant Gentiles must wait until Israel
ties were provided for. mot meet"
Not fitting. Unto the dogs" The
Jews thought that they alone were
children of God, and they called people
of other nations dogs" to indicate
that their lives were unclean, and
perhaps that they parked" at true
Goodness.
v. %. "She answered" One OF weak
faith might have gone home discour-
aged or perhaps resentful, but this
woman's faith was enere lied by
mother-love, and she was ready to
bear anything If she might gain her
daughters restoration. "Yes, Lord"
She agreed. to what Jesus said, and
addressed Him as the sovereign Lord
of mankind. "Yet the dogs" etc. The
woman humbly accepts what He says
and from the truth of the proverb
draws a new plea.
30. For this saying" Because OF
the faith and love shown by this say
ing. Jesus was greatly pleased by her
! faith, for it put her where He could
} bless her; she had opened her heart
/ TO Him. See Matthew's rendering in
our Golden Text. The devil is gone
! out" Jesus had not seen or touched
the child, but He assures the mother
that she is cured.
V. 80. WAS come to her house" Be-
lieving Jesus word, she fastened
} homeward and found her daughter. re-
| laaoad from her maladV "laid"-Or
} more literally 'thrown"-upon the
bed. Probably a convulsion had ac-
companied her release. What happy
: home that humble cottage now be-
came! Note the obstacles which mis-
} woman overcame: Cd Nationality;
she was to Jews foreigner. CD Re
/ ligion; she was Canaanite and pagan.
[ l2A Snaach. she was q Creek. q l.en-