21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sklon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Caanan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, tliou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away ; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped hun, saying. Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said. It is not meet to take the children's bread, and lo cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord ; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, 0 woman, great is thy faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Another of our Lord's miracles is recorded in these verses. The circumstances which attend it are peculiarly full of interest. Let us take them up in order, and see what they are. Every word in these narratives is rich in instruction.
We see, in the first place, that true faith may some- times hefoundj lohere it might have been least expected.
A Caananitish woman cries to our Lord for help, on behalf of her daughter. " Have mercy on me/' she says, " 0 Lord, thou Son of David." Sach a prayer would have showed great faith, had she lived in Bethany, or Jerusalem. But when we find that she came from the " coasts of Tyre and Sidon," such a prayer may well till us with surprise. It ought to teach us, that it is