The Tupelo journal., 1910-06-10
The Canaanitish
Woman
Sunday School Lesson for Jsss II, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper
15:21-1.

LESSON TExT.-Matthew 15:21-ss.
Memory verses. q. %.
GOLDEN TExT.-"Great IL thy faith;
be It unto thee even as thou wilt
15:2S.
TIME.-Early summer of A. D.. %. 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. Fl.
Why did Jesus leave Capernaum and
Galilee? Our last lesson saw Jesus
at the height of his popularity. His
wonderful provision Of food, his
blessed gifts Of healing, and the other
marvels which he worked, together
with the gracious words that fell from
his lips. had SO captured the love
and honor of the people that he could
with difficulty prevent their making
him their king and thus classifying all
bis teachings. For, though he had
come to set up a kingdom, 1t was a
kingdom Of the truth. quiet and peace
full, and not a kingdom Of force; his
kingdom was to grow up within men,
and was not to come with observation.
Already at the time of his highest
fame, the cloud had arisen that was to
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 ven Of
his disciples were offended and walked
no more with him. We have already
cen 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
Jesus ate with unwashed hands-not
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
Pharfsees were hypocritical. wasting
their thought and time on empty reg
ulations while they t~ransgressed the
real law of God.
What was the Importance OF this
controversy? "These twenty verses
(Matt. 15:1-20) sun 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 Tor grounded upon)
faith" Phil. 3:9."-Cambridge 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
lourishing seaports. the capitals OF
Phoenicia, are not far from the Sea
Of Galilee, Tyre only about IS and
Sidon IS miles.
Love That Christ Seeks.-v. 20.
How did Christ succeed in his plans
for rest? HE could not be hid" says
Mark. .
Who broke into our Lords r~etreat7
As we might expect. a mother! Her
daughter mark tells us that 1t was a
little girl) was grievously vexed with
q 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 a word"
How did this woman meet this test
of silence? BY her persistence; she
continued her b~eseeching 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-
tions of his mission: Il 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 raj an absolute de-
NAL from the lips of Jesus, or what
seemed such: ut Is not Weet 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 satisfac-
ton: 20 woman. great is thy faith"
How was the noble mother reward
ed for her persistence and faith? By
%ho comnlote cure of the little girl