Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 15:22

"And behold, a Canaanitish woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon." — Matthew 15:22 (ASV)

A woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,

Possibly she did not know that Christ had come; but, anyhow, when Christ comes, sinners come. He journeyed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and this woman met him.

And, behold, –

There is something here that is worth beholding, so the Holy Ghost draws attention to it, just as we sometimes print N.B., Nota bene; mark well; "behold," –

And, behold,

For it is a great wonder that such a person should have come to Jesus: "And, behold,".

“Behold”—here is something worth beholding, good for eyes and hearts. Just as Jesus went to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a woman came out of the same coasts to meet Him. Sooner or later, a meeting will come about between Christ and seeking souls. This “woman of Canaan” had no claim on account of her nationality. She was a Gentile of the worst sort, of a race long before condemned to die. She came from the narrow strip of land on which the Tyrians lived and like Hiram, of Tyre, she knew the name of David, but she went further, for she had faith in David’s Son.

Love for her daughter led her to travel, to cry, to beseech, to implore mercy. What will not a mother’s love achieve? Her need had abolished the barrier between Gentile and Jew. She appealed to Jesus as if she were of the same country as His disciples. She asked for the healing of her child as a mercy to herself, “Have mercy on me.” She asked it of Jesus as Lord. She asked it of One greater than Solomon, the son of David, the wisest and most potent of wonderworkers. She put the case briefly and movingly, and pleaded for her daughter with all a mother’s loving anxiety.

Her need taught her how to pray. Until we, also, know what we need and are full of hopeful longings, we will never plead effectively. Do we pray for our children as this woman pleaded for her daughter? Have we not good reason to take her for our example?

And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,

When sinners come to Christ, it is because Christ comes to them.

Notice the two statements, how they coincide. Jesus departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, and this woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and so they met. Oh, that there might be such a meeting here tonight, between someone who has come from a long distance to meet Christ, and Christ who has come on purpose to meet that person!

And behold, a woman of Canaan came.

A Syrophenician woman, one of the old, concentrated race living in Tyre and Sidon.

And cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

The devil had extraordinary power at that time, so that he possessed the bodies and minds of men. I am not certain that instances of Satan's possession do not exist even now among us; there are cases that look very much like it, but in the Saviour's day there were evidently singular and remarkable possessions of men and women by Satan. This poor mother says, My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.