the desire of ages-第94章

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e　idolaters；　and　were　despised　and　hated　by　the　Jews。　To　this　class　belonged　the　woman　who　now　came　to　Jesus。　She　was　a　heathen；　and　was　therefore　excluded　from　the　advantages　which　the　Jews　daily　enjoyed。　There

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were　many　Jews　living　among　the　Phoenicians；　and　the　tidings　of　Christ's　work　had　penetrated　to　this　region。　Some　of　the　people　had　listened　to　His　words　and　had　witnessed　His　wonderful　works。　This　woman　had　heard　of　the　prophet；　who；　it　was　reported；　healed　all　manner　of　diseases。　As　she　heard　of　His　power；　hope　sprang　up　in　her　heart。　Inspired　by　a　mother's　love；　she　determined　to　present　her　daughter's　case　to　Him。　It　was　her　resolute　purpose　to　bring　her　affliction　to　Jesus。　He　must　heal　her　child。　She　had　sought　help　from　the　heathen　gods；　but　had　obtained　no　relief。　And　at　times　she　was　tempted　to　think；　What　can　this　Jewish　teacher　do　for　me？　But　the　word　had　come；　He　heals　all　manner　of　diseases；　whether　those　who　come　to　Him　for　help　are　rich　or　poor。　She　determined　not　to　lose　her　only　hope。

Christ　knew　this　woman's　situation。　He　knew　that　she　was　longing　to　see　Him；　and　He　placed　Himself　in　her　path。　By　ministering　to　her　sorrow；　He　could　give　a　living　representation　of　the　lesson　He　designed　to　teach。　For　this　He　had　brought　His　disciples　into　this　region。　He　desired　them　to　see　the　ignorance　existing　in　cities　and　villages　close　to　the　land　of　Israel。　The　people　who　had　been　given　every　opportunity　to　understand　the　truth　were　without　a　knowledge　of　the　needs　of　those　around　them。　No　effort　was　made　to　help　souls　in　darkness。　The　partition　wall　which　Jewish　pride　had　erected；　shut　even　the　disciples　from　sympathy　with　the　heathen　world。　But　these　barriers　were　to　be　broken　down。

Christ　did　not　immediately　reply　to　the　woman's　request。　He　received　this　representative　of　a　despised　race　as　the　Jews　would　have　done。　In　this　He　designed　that　His　disciples　should　be　impressed　with　the　cold　and　heartless　manner　in　which　the　Jews　would　treat　such　a　case；　as　evinced　by　His　reception　of　the　woman；　and　the　compassionate　manner　in　which　He　would　have　them　deal　with　such　distress；　as　manifested　by　His　subsequent　granting　of　her　petition。

But　although　Jesus　did　not　reply；　the　woman　did　not　lose　faith。　As　He　passed　on；　as　if　not　hearing　her；　she　followed　Him；　continuing　her　supplications。　Annoyed　by　her　importunities；　the　disciples　asked　Jesus　to　send　her　away。　They　saw　that　their　Master　treated　her　with　indifference；　and　they　therefore　supposed　that　the　prejudice　of　the　Jews　against　the　Canaanites　was　pleasing　to　Him。　But　it　was　a　pitying　Saviour　to　whom　the　woman　made　her　plea；　and　in　answer　to　the　request　of　the　disciples；　Jesus　said；　〃I　am　not　sent　but　unto　the　lost　sheep　of　the　house

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of　Israel。〃　Although　this　answer　appeared　to　be　in　accordance　with　the　prejudice　of　the　Jews；　it　was　an　implied　rebuke　to　the　disciples；　which　they　afterward　understood　as　reminding　them　of　what　He　had　often　told　them；that　He　came　to　the　world　to　save　all　who　would　accept　Him。

The　woman　urged　her　case　with　increased　earnestness；　bowing　at　Christ's　feet；　and　crying；　〃Lord；　help　me。〃　Jesus；　still　apparently　rejecting　her　entreaties；　according　to　the　unfeeling　prejudice　of　the　Jews；　answered；　〃It　is　not　meet　to　take　the　children's　bread；　and　to　cast　it　to　dogs。〃　This　was　virtually　asserting　that　it　was　not　just　to　lavish　the　blessings　brought　to　the　favored　people　of　God　upon　strangers　and　aliens　from　Israel。　This　answer　would　have　utterly　discouraged　a　less　earnest　seeker。　But　the　woman　saw　that　her　opportunity　had　come。　Beneath　the　apparent　refusal　of　Jesus；　she　saw　a　compassion　that　He　could　not　hide。　〃Truth；　Lord；〃　she　answered；　〃yet　the　dogs　eat　of　the　crumbs　which　fall　from　their　masters'　table。〃　While　the　children　of　the　household　eat　at　the　father's　table；　even　the　dogs　are　not　left　unfed。　They　have　a　right　to　the　crumbs　that　fall　from　the　table　abundantly　supplied。　So　while　there　were　many　blessings　given　to　Israel；　was　there　not　also　a　blessing　for　her？　She　was　looked　upon　as　a　dog；　and　had　she　not　then　a　dog's　claim　to　a　crumb　from　His　bounty？

Jesus　had　just　departed　from　His　field　of　labor　because　the　scribes　and　Pharisees　were　seeking　to　take　His　life。　They　murmured　and　complained。　They　manifested　unbelief　and　bitterness；　and　refused　the　salvation　so　freely　offered　them。　Here　Christ　meets　one　of　an　unfortunate　and　despised　race；　that　has　not　been　favored　with　the　light　of　God's　word；　yet　she　yields　at　once　to　the　divine　influence　of　Christ；　and　has　implicit　faith　in　His　ability　to　grant　the　favor　she　asks。　She　begs　for　the　crumbs　that　fall　from　the　Master's　table。　If　she　may　have　the　privilege　of　a　dog；　she　is　willing　to　be　regarded　as　a　dog。　She　has　no　national　or　religious　prejudice　or　pride　to　influence　her　course；　and　she　immediately　acknowledges　Jesus　as　the　Redeemer；　and　as　being　able　to　do　all　that　she　asks　of　Him。

The　Saviour　is　satisfied。　He　has　tested　her　faith　in　Him。　By　His　dealings　with　her；　He　has　shown　that　she　who　has　been　regarded　as　an　outcast　from　Israel　is　no　longer　an　alien；　but　a　child　in　God's　household。　As　a　child　it　is　her　privilege　to　share　in　the　Father's　gifts。　Christ　now　grants　her　request；　and　finishes　the　lesson　to　the　disciples。　Turning　to　her　with　a　look　of　pity　and　love；　He　says；　〃O　woman；　great　is　thy　faith：

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be　it　unto　thee　even　as　thou　wilt。〃　From　that　hour　her　daughter　became　whole。　The　demon　troubled　her　no　more。　The　woman　departed；　acknowledging　her　Saviour；　and　happy　in　the　granting　of　her　prayer。

This　was　the　only　miracle　that　Jesus　wrought　while　on　this　journey。　It　was　for　the　performance　of　this　act　that　He　went　to　the　borders　of　Tyre　and　Sidon。　He　wished　to　relieve　the　afflicted　woman；　and　at　the　same　time　to　leave　an　example　in　His　work　of　mercy　toward　one　of　a　despised　people　for　the　benefit　of　His　disciples　when　He　should　no　longer　be　with　them。　He　wished　to　lead　them　from　their　Jewish　exclusiveness　to　be　interested　in　working　for　others　besides　their　own　people。

Jesus　longed　to　unfold　the　deep　mysteries　of　the　truth　which　had　been　hid　for　ages；　that　the　Gentiles　should　be　fellow　heirs　with　the　Jews；　and　〃partakers　of　His　promise　in　Christ　by　the　gospel。〃　Eph。　3：6。　This　truth　the　disciples　were　slow　to　learn；　and　the　divine　Teacher　gave　them　lesson　upon　lesson。　In　rewarding　the　faith　of　the　centurion　at　Capernaum；　and　preaching　the　gospel　to　the　inhabitants　of　Sychar；　He　had　already　given　evidence　that　He　did　not　share　the　intolerance　of　the　Jews。　But　the　Samaritans　had　some　knowledge　of　God；　and　the　centurion　had　shown　kindness　to　Israel。　Now　Jesus　brought　the　disciples　in　contact　with　a　heathen；　whom　they　regarded　as　having　no　reason　above　any　of　her　people；　to　expect　favor　from　Him。　He　would　give　an　example　of　how　such　a　one　should　be　treated。　The　disciples　had　thought　that　He　dispensed　too　freely　the　gifts　of　His　grace。　He　would　show　that　His　love　was　not　to　be　circumscribed　to　race　or　nation。

When　He　said；　〃I　am　not　sent　but　unto　the　lost　sheep　of　the　house　of　Israel；〃　He　stated　the　truth；　and　in　His　work　for　the　Canaanite　woman　He　was　fulfilling　His　commission。　This　woman　was　one　of　the　lost　sheep　that　Israel　should　have　rescued。　It　was　their　appointed　work；　the　work　which　they　had　neglected；　that　Christ　was　doing。

This　act　opened　the　minds　of　the　disciples　more　fully　to　the　labor　that　lay　before　them　among　the　Gentiles。　They　saw　a　wide　field　of　usefulness　outside　of　Judea。　They　saw　souls　bearing　sorrows　unknown　to　those　more　highly　favored。　Among　those　whom　they　had　been　taught　to　despise　were　souls　longing　for　help　from　the　mighty　Healer；　hungering　for　the　light　of　truth；　which　had　been　so　abundantly　given　to　the　Jews。

Afterward；　when　the　Jews　turned　still　more　persistently　from　the　disciples；　because　they　declared　Jesus　to　be　the　Saviour　of　the　world；

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and　when　the　partition　wall　between　Jew　and　Gentile　was　broken　down　by　the　death　of　Christ；　this　lesson；　and　similar　ones　which　pointed　to　the　gospel　work　unrestricted　by　custom　or　nationality；　had　a　powerful　influence　upo