The Yale expositor., 1910-06-10
The Canaanitish
Woman
Sunday School Lesson for June IL, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper


be II unto thee even as thou wilt. Matt.
1928.
TIME.-Early summer OF A. d. 20, a few
weeks after the last lesson.
PLACE.-On the borders OF the country
OF Tyre and Sidon. forty or fifty miles
northwest of the Sea of Galilee.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Hatred That Repulses Christ.-V. 81.
Why did Jesus leave Capernaum and
Galllee?
Already at the time OF his highest
fame, the cloud had arisen that was to
cover the whole sky. When, interpret
ing the feeding of the five thousand.
Christ insisted upon spiritual food and
not literal bread as the supreme gift
to men John 6:22-71), many even of
his disciples were offended and walked
no more with him. We have already
seen Qesson y the delegates from
the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusa-
lem as they watched him to catch him
in some word or act by which they
could bring a charge against him.
What was this charge that the Phar.
isees sought? That the disciples of
hands that we would consider unclean,
but hands that had not been washed
according to the Pharisaic rules that
had grown up.
What position did Christ take re-
garding such observances? That the
Pharisees were hypocritical, wasting
their thought and time on empty reg
ulations while they transgressed the
real law of God.
What was the Importance of this
controversy? "These twenty verses
Matt. 15:1-20) sum up the great con-
troversy of the New Testament" that
between the religion of the letter and
external obstacles and the re-
ligion of the heart, between what st.
Paul calls "the righteousness which is
of the law and the righteousness
which is of God by Cor grounded upon)
faith" Phil. 3:9."-Cambridg Bible.
What was the effect of the contro-
versy on Christ? This hatred and bit
ter opposition drove Jesus into retire
ment again.
Where did he go this time, with his
disciples? Into the coasts (borders.
region) of Tyre and Sidon. These
hourishing seaports, the capitals of
Phoenicia, are not far from the Sea
of Galilee, Tyre only about 80 and
Sidon So miles.
Love That Christ Seeks.-V. %.
How did Christ succeed in his plans
for rest? "He could not be hid" says
Mark.
Who broke into our Lords retreat?
AS we might expect, a mother! Her
daughter Mark tells us that 1t was a
little girD was grievously vexed with
devil.
How did this mother approach
Jesus? She must have forced her way
into the house against opposition. She
fell at Christ's feet Mark and cried,
doubtless over and over: Have
mercy on me, o Lord, thou son OF
David"
The Suppliant Tested.-Vs. 1927.
Those that pray are usually tested.
This Is not to inform Christ whether
they are sincere or not, since he
knows all hearts.
The First Test was the difference in
race, nationality and religion. She
was by language a Greek (see Mark,
and we have no knowledge that our
Lord spoke Greek. BY nationality she
was a Canaanite, of the blood OF the
original inhabitants of the land, de-
scendants of Ham.
How did the woman overcome these
obstacles? BY calling Jesus Lord"
and "son Of David" thus showing
some knowledge of the Jewish Mes
siah.
The Second Test was silence. HE
answered her not word"
How did this woman meet this test
of silence? BY her persistence; she
continued her beseeching cries.
The Third Test was the opposition
of the disciples.
How did Christ answer the disciples
selfish urgings? BY a remarkable
statement of the unity and restric-
lions of his mission: II am not sent
but unto the lost sheep of the house
of Israel"
How did the mother meet this new
obstacle? BY ignoring the disciples
and going straight to Jesus once more.
The Fourth Test was an absolute de.
NAL from the lips of Jesus, or what
seemed such: "It Is not meet to take
the children's bread. and to cast 1t to
dogs"
How did the mother meet this OBJ
stacle? Truth, Lord. yet dogs eat OF
the crumbs which fall from their mas
ter's table"
The Suppliant Rewarded.--v. %.
How did Jesus receive this saying?
With evident and profound satfsfac-
ton: 20 woman, great is thy faith"
How was the noble mother reward
ed for her persistence and faith? BY
the complete cure of the little girl
from that very hour, the precise mo-
ment when Christ had pronounced the
words of healing.
Illustration. Everywhere faith, or
the capacity Of receiving, has power
to claim and demand the thing which
a. uaodo Won nlant N healthy seed