How to Have Great Faith

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28)

Jesus went out of His way to leave the land of Israel for the only known time in His ministry. He went to Tyre and Sidon, and the only thing we know Jesus did there was meet with a woman whose daughter was demon possessed.

The woman asked Jesus to deliver her daughter from torment, but Jesus began by putting the woman off. Yet, she seemed to push back against any apparent reluctance in Jesus, and the Savior was impressed by her determination.

Then Jesus answered the woman with this encouraging word: O woman, great is your faith! In the gospels, Jesus never said these specific to another person. He complimented the great faith of the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant (Matthew 8:10), but He said those words to the crowd, not to the centurion directly. This Gentile woman heard it from Jesus directly.

Significantly, the only two people to receive this compliment from Jesus were these two Gentiles. Great faith may be found in unexpected places.

This unlikely woman’s faith was so great that she had her prayer answered, and Jesus delivered her daughter from demonic torment.

– Her faith was great, even compared to her other virtues – humble, patient, persevering, love for her child. Jesus didn’t compliment any of these good things, but only her faith.
– Her faith was great because it was unlikely. No one might have expected a Gentile to trust Jesus so much.
– Her faith was great because she worshipped Jesus answered her need.
– Her faith was great because it had been tested so severely. It’s hard to think of a greater test than having a demon-possessed child; but her faith was also tried by the seeming indifference or coldness of Jesus.
– Her faith was great because it was clever. She turned Jesus’ word inside-out and made what might have been taken as an insult as a door open for faith.
– Her faith was great because it concerned a real need right in front of her. Many people have faith for everything except those things that are right in front of them.
– Her faith was great because it would not give up. She did not stop until she got what she needed from Jesus.

You could say that her faith conquered Jesus. He not only healed her daughter, but Jesus did so immediately, something she had not even asked for.

We read of nothing else that Jesus did during His time in Tyre and Sidon. It would seem that His only divine appointment was to meet the need of this woman of faith and her afflicted daughter.

That’s how much Jesus loved and cared for her – and how much He will do for all those who come to Him with great faith.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 15