Sermon IX
OF THE WOMAN OF CANAAN
Matthew 15:21–28. Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, &c.
IN this text is set forth unto us an example of a constant and stedfast faith; for this woman did so persevere, that she overcame three most sharp conflicts, and notably teacheth us what is the quality and proper virtue of a true and right faith, which indeed is a certain trust, and most deeply settled in the mind of the divine goodness and grace, known and made manifest by the word of God. For Mark mentioneth that she heard the report of Jesus, without doubt, good and joyful, that he is a bountiful man, and marvellous ready to help every one; that report was good tidings, and the word of grace unto her, whereupon this her faith did begin; for unless she had believed that she might be made partaker of Christ's goodness, she would not have followed him, or cried after him, which is what we have often admonished, and which we are taught, Rom. 10:17, "Faith cometh by hearing." Wherefore the word ought always to go before, and give the beginning of salvation; but how came it to pass, whereas many others heard the same report of our Saviour Jesus, yet they followed him not, but quite despised that report? I answer, they that are not sick, as they have no need of the physician, so neither are they desirous of him. But this woman was afflicted and felt her necessity; that report was so joyful unto her, that she being stirred up thereby, did follow Christ, running after such a pleasant Saviour, Cant. 1. Wherefore Moses must always go before; who may teach us to feel sin, whereby grace may be wished for and desired of us; it is vain therefore, although Christ be preached to be loving, and to be desired and longed for, if a man be not before humbled through knowledge of himself, and made desirous of Christ, according to the song of Mary. The Lord "hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away," Luke 1:53.
Now all these things are written for the consolation and lifting up of them which be miserable, poor, needy, and oppressed with sin, that
they may know to whom they may flee in all distresses, and where they may seek for help and safety: But see how Christ urgeth and inflamed faith in them that be is, whereby they may become stronger and more confirmed. First, this woman being encouraged with that alluring faith of him, goeth after him and crieth for help, not doubting but she should find him to be such an one as she had heard him reported to be, and that she should forthwith intreat him for the recovery of her daughter. Christ in all respects sheweth himself unto her so, as though he would deceive all her trust, and make his report false, so that she might think with herself, Is this that man which is so bountiful, and ready to help all? Doth he so fulfil the most commendable report which goeth of him? Where doth there appear any thing like those things which men have told me of him? They were deceived themselves, and deceived me also. He sheweth himself an enemy rather than a friend; why doth he not so much as speak a word, and friendly deny me help, if I be unworthy thereof? He holdeth his peace, and vouchsafed not to speak a word, neither offereth his help; here surely Christ gave a grievous blow to the mind of the woman; so it is an incomparable torment to them that believe, being in distress, when God sheweth himself such an one at their prayers, like unto one that is angry, and whom they pray unto in vain, hiding so deeply his grace, that they now perceive nothing else, but that he will not perform those things which he hath promised, and that so he will shew his own words to be false. This truly happened to the Israelites at the Red Sea, and to many other excellent holy men; but what doth the woman? She removed out of her sight and mind that Christ sheweth himself so ungentle and hard to be intreated, she being constant and not moved hereat, persevereth in the trust of his goodness, whereof she had heard, and which she had conceived in her mind, suffering herself in no wise to be turned from it; so also must we do: we must trust unto the word alone, although God himself, and all creatures, pretended otherwise than the word preacheth.
But this is most hard to nature and reason, to be so utterly destitute, and to depend on the word of God, without any feeling of comfort,
even when a man feeleth and trieth all things to be contrary; God give unto us such a mind and faith, that we may so do, especially at the point of death, and in extreme necessities. Secondly, as the cry and faith of this woman seemeth to have suffered repulse, the disciples come with their faith, doubting not but that they shall intreat the Lord; but when they think they shall make him more easy to be intreated, they find him to be much more hard, repelling, as it appeared, and as they thought, the faith and prayers both of the woman and also of themselves. Neither doth Christ hold his peace, and leave them in doubt, as before, but he seemeth plainly to deny that which they ask, saying, "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" this stroke is much more grievous than the former, where not only the person is repelled, but all hope is cut off, namely, the comfort of the intercession of all other Saints and Elect; for it is almost the last refuge to them that suffer distress and feel the indignation of God, to get themselves to good godly and holy men, seeking for comfort and help, and as charity requireth, they find them ready and willing, but even they also some time do in vain ask help and succour, for neither are they heard, so the case of them in distress becomes worse and more lamentable; so the afflicted and desolate may truly object unto Christ those words, wherein he hath promised that he will hear his Saints: "if two of you shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven," Matt. 18:19. Again, "whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive," Matt. 21:22, and many such like; but if to him that objecteth these things, and asketh him how he can go from his words and promises, he answereth thus, I go not from my promises, I have not promised that I will hear all prayers, but the prayers of them that be mine, which are of the house of Israel, not of all whosoever. What thinkest thou, having taken such a repulse? Such an answer is like a flash of lightning, wherewith the heart and all trust is severed and broken in a thousand pieces: For what trust can there be left, when he heareth that that doth not pertain unto him, which because of the word of God he trusted to have obtained, but unto others.
Here not so much as a word can be left if one do according as he feeleth. But what doth this woman? She doth not so fall from hope, she still sticketh to the words which she had heard of Christ, although he went about, by this repulse, to wrest them out of her heart, she suffered not herself to be frayed away, neither with his silence, neither with the hard answer, she continueth steadfastly in a sure confidence, believing that under this difficulty which Christ did pretend, that grace was as yet hidden and laid up for her, which she had heard reported of him, she cannot be brought as yet to judge Christ, not to be bountiful and gracious, and that he can deny the help which she desireth. This was to persevere strongly in faith; she followeth Jesus even into the house, as St. Mark writeth, she is instant upon him, falleth down before him, and saith, "Lord help me." Here the Lord giveth a deadly and the last blow, saying unto her face, that she is a dog, and unworthy to be partaker of the bread of the children. What can she answer? For he seemed to signify in these words, that she is of the number of the damned, which can look for no part with the elect; this word seemeth eternal, and that cannot be gainsaid; for he which doth not pertain to the company of the elect by the ordinance of God, what may he hope to be left for him? This woman is not yet discouraged and past hope, but yieldeth to this judgment of the Lord, she confesseth of her own accord, that she is a dog, neither desireth she any thing but that which is wont to be given to dogs, namely, the crumbs which falleth from their master's table. She seems to have used great cunning: she takes Christ in his own words; he had made her like unto a dog, she acknowledgeth it, and desireth that he will only suffer her to be a dog, according to his own saying; what should he here do? How should he escape? He was now taken: for the crumbs under the table are granted to the dogs, to whom they are said to be due; here therefore Christ being overcome opens himself wholly, and granteth the desires of the woman, and showeth that she is not a dog, but a true Israelite.
These things are written for the instruction and comfort of us, whereby we ought to learn, how deeply sometimes Christ hideth his grace from us, and how we must not judge of God, according to our
own sense and opinion, but only according to his words; for we see here that although Christ showeth himself very hard to this woman, yet he did not plainly deny to help her; but whatsoever he answered, howsoever it seemed a denial, yet it was not a denial, but left in doubt, leaving an entrance for faith, although but small. For he saith not at her first petition, I will not hear her, but he held his peace, neither promising nor denying help. So to the second petition, which the Apostles made, he did not say, she is not of the house of Israel; I cannot therefore perform that which she desireth, but he only saith, "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" leaving all things in doubt, between a plain grant and denial; so when she had the third time desired him, he saith not, Thou art a dog, get thee hence, the bread of the children is not due unto thee, but he saith, "It is not meet to take the children's bread," &c., again leaving in doubt whether she was a dog or no; nevertheless all these sayings seem outwardly rather a denial of help than room to hope, but in very deed they did contain in them rather a promise and hope, than a denial, yea, there was nothing but a promise, though most deeply hid, and altogether secret under that silence, and answers, although they were hard, and a denial only sounded outwardly.
By these it is showed how our heart is wont to be affected in temptation; for according as that feeleth in temptation, so Christ here behaveth himself; it feeleth all things to be denied, when it is far otherwise; wherefore it is requisite, that leaving his own feeling, by a sure faith in the word of God, it conceive and hold fast the promise of help deeply hidden under the denial, and yield to the sentence of God towards us, as this woman did, so shall we overcome and take the Lord in his words, that he cannot but help us; so that if we feel in our conscience at any time God rebuking us, pronouncing us sinners, and unworthy of the kingdom of heaven, then we feel as it were Hell, and it seems unto us that we are past all hope and recovery for ever: Then if we had the skill of this woman, that we could take the Lord in his own judgment, and say, yea, Lord, I am a sinner, and altogether unworthy of thy grace, but thou hast promised forgiveness to sinners, neither didst thou come to call the righteous, but, as Paul
saith, to save sinners, he truly should bring to pass, that the Lord should be forced, even by his own judgment, to have mercy upon him: So did Manasses, when, being penitent, he prayed for pardon, as we read in his prayer: he yielded to the judgment of God, acknowledging himself a most grievous sinner, and so he bound God with his promise, which had promised forgiveness of sin to sinners, not to the righteous. The same also did David observe, Psalm 51:4, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." For that purchases us displeasure, that we disdain to suffer the judgment of the Lord, and against our wills yield unto his sentence, when he pronounceth us sinners; such a hard thing is it to acknowledge sins, and to embrace the judgment of God; we all confess ourselves sinners in words, but as soon as the Lord speaketh in our heart, and pronounceth us sinners, we do not abide by that which before we confessed, we had rather be counted righteous and free from that judgment. But it must needs be, if God must be just in his words that thou be a sinner, then also mayest thou use the right of sinners, which God himself hath given unto them, namely, to pray with a sure expectation of forgiveness of sins, then is it permitted unto thee, not only to feed under the table of crumbs after the manner of dogs, but being a child of the household, thou shalt sit at the very table, God having now, how great soever he be, given unto thee according to thy desire.
Here we have an historical exposition of this text, allegorically; for as it chanceth to this woman's daughter being sick, for whom, through faith, she obtained health by a miracle, so also it falleth out with us, when we are delivered from spiritual sickness, to wit, sins, which truly are a most grievous and troublesome evil unto us; for as she acknowledged herself a dog, so must we acknowledge ourselves sinners and judged unto Hell, the Lord pronouncing it, which if we can do as she did, we shall be safe. We have already spoken elsewhere of other things whereof there might be occasion to speak out of this text, as how one may obtain grace and safety by the faith of another, as here it fell out to the daughter of this woman; this
thing also that Christ's disciples, and the woman, are here examples of love, forasmuch as none of them pray for, seek or do those things that are their own, but every one that which is another's, is very manifest by itself, and easily acknowledged of every one, especially seeing that we have so largely treated hereof in another place.