Bible Verse of the Day Monday November 21st, 2022

Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus said to her “woman you have great faith! Your request is granted.

The woman in this verse received a double blessing from Jesus. He first commends her for her boundless faith, responds to her request, and tells her that he has healed her daughter. He endorses her intensity, which, alongside her steadiness and humility, brought a blessing from the giver of all gifts. She continued in her faith that Jesus could heal her daughter. Jesus bestowed his grace and praised her for her great faith. As happens to us today, Jesus tested her faith with his initial silence. But it was necessary to work to strengthen her faith. This woman had to realize what it meant to follow Jesus, as we still do when facing trials and tribulations in our lives today.

 

Jesus healed this woman's daughter because of her great faith, which she displayed in her persistence in believing in Jesus as the great healer. A faith that believes that when we encounter a storm-tossed sea, and there seems to be no escape, we rest in the fact that Jesus is there with us and is the great faith mentioned in this bible account. Jesus' closest followers, his Apostles, realize this fact and ask Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:15). They realized that great faith in Christ Jesus was necessary if they were going to be able to carry out their mission of spreading the gospel to the world. Jesus' work of bringing forgiveness to a sinful world seemed problematic to his Apostles, and they realized that without great faith, they would not be able to continue telling the world of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior.

 

In Jesus' day, people believed that the Mulberry tree had such strong roots it could last for over 500 years. Even if someone is plagued with unforgiveness and has a heart filled with bitterness, with roots as strong as the Mulberry tree, Jesus can rip them from the ground and soften the hardest heart. There is no more difficult a task than forgiving an injury that has taken root over time. However, if we will but surrender our hearts and souls to Jesus, these evil thoughts will dissipate, and a more potent power will prevail. No power on earth can overcome God's love in Christ Jesus for all people. If we will but surrender ourselves, heart, mind. body, soul, and spirit to Christ Jesus, He will encourage our faith and lead us to a hope that will intensify and strengthen our faith (Psalms 138:3)