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They know their request is according to the mind of God, and they can wrestle, if need be, like the Syrophenician woman, if He sees fit to try their faith. He does not always answer at once. He lets them wrestle with groans that cannot be uttered; but they know the Spirit is making intercession for them, and they hold on sometimes amidst great discouragement and temptation till the answer comes.
But while in this, or in any other way, we approach God in the spirit of dictation, rather than of faith and submission, we virtually renounce the blessing even whilst we solicit it. From the history of the Syrophenician woman we may learn, that our applications for mercy must be sincere, fervent, and incessant.
15 "Lie at Jesus Christ;" to lay down, lie at the feet of Jesus Christ, to persevere like the Syrophenician woman, Mark 7:25. Ed. 16 "Ply;" to solicit importunately. Ed. 17 "A flam;" a fable, an imposition. 18 "Most an end;" continually, perpetually.
Introductory Observations Christ could not be concealed the Syrophenician Woman goes to him on Account of her Daughter her Humility Earnestness Faith the Silence of Christ upon her Application to him the Disciples repulsed the Woman's renewed Importunity the apparent Scorn with which it is treated her Admission of the contemptuous Insinuation her persevering Ardour her ultimate Success the Necessity of being Importunate in Prayer Remarks on the Woman's national Character Present State of the Jews the Hope of their final Restoration.
And rising, he departed thence into the confines of Tyre and Sidon; and entering into a house, desired that no man should know it: yet he could not be hid. For a woman hearing of him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by birth, and she entreated him that the devil might be cast out of her daughter.
It does not appear any longer to afflict mankind, and if the reason be inquired, perhaps it is that the victorious power of Messiah might he displayed in the expulsion of evil spirits, by his presence upon the earth. This Syrophenician woman then was induced to hasten to Jesus, in consequence of the distressing situation of her poor possessed daughter.
Having heard of the miracles which Christ performed, for long since his fame had gone throughout all Syria, a woman of Canaan, a Syrophenician by birth, and a Greek by religion, repaired to the house with haste, under the pressure of a severe domestic calamity. Her young daughter had an unclean spirit, or, as she expressed it, was "grievously vexed with a devil."
In fact they try to throw him down from a sort of Tarpeian rock which they use for executions; but he makes his way through them and escapes: the only suggestion of a feat of arms on his part in the gospels. There is not a word of the Syrophenician woman.
This, and this only, is the great barrier, the insurmountable impediment to the more universal display of my character, and the multiplication of my wonderful works" This woman, however, expressed no suspicion, intimated no doubt; but, with unhesitating confidence, addressed him as the "Lord, the Son of David." "O blessed Syrophenician, who taught thee this abstract of divinity?
He wouldn't always do exactly what they asked Him, because that would sometimes be of no use, and sometimes would even be wrong; but He never pushed them away from Him, never repulsed their approach to Him. For the sake of His disciples, He made the Syrophenician woman suffer a little while, but only to give her such praise afterwards and such a granting of her prayer as is just wonderful."
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