St Mary Coptic Church – Ottawa SS Group’s name : St Mark Grade : PS
Preparation date / Sept. 4th ,09 / Service date / Sept. 11th , 09Lesson’s title / The Great faith of the Canaanite woman.
General purpose / (*) Love / (*) Faith / (*) Hope
Specific purpose / Nothing should prevent us from our Heavenly Father .
Verses of the lesson / Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)
References / 1) Bible
2) Sermon ( Audio – Father Matta – 1973 )
illustration tool / Candy
Psalm of the week / psalm 20 “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you”
Personal meditation / A great faith is not a result of being a great person in the church .
Introduction / Revision of last lessons.
1) Give a description to the Canaanite worship ?
2) What was the symbol of impurity in the Old Testament , or till no for any Jewish man?
3) So now what about the children’s bread ? Did the Canaanite woman asked for the children’s bread ?
4) What was she asking for ?
5) Introduce , why it is important to have faith .
Lesson / a) Notice the discussion sequence between Jesus and the woman
b) She heard about Him and monitoring his arrival to her land. ( because she wanted something from Him )
c) She is looking and searching for Him everywhere .
d) She knew that He is in that house ( he wanted to hide ) , but she stood at the door , crying
e) Jesus asked the disciples if they told anybody that He is here ?
f) The disciples tried to dismiss her , they couldn’t
g) Jesus couldn’t withstand her insistence, so He went out to see her .
h) As soon as she saw Him , she increased her crying and begging.
i) The Disciples asked Jesus to dismiss her with a word or alms . but she didn’t leave , and kept crying , Lord help me.
j) Jesus answered the disciples without looking to her , I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
k) Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
l) That was after she heard that He is not coming for her , and informed her that , I will not answer you , go away .
m) She didn’t leave ….. so …..26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
n) Do you know what that great woman said : 27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
o) As if she said : yes Master , I know that I am a dog , and don’t deserve the crumbs which fall from my masters’ table …. All your children are my masters , and I deserve nothing …. But this also gives me hope as I have the right ( as a dog ) in the crumbs .
p) This what was Jesus aiming and looking for , this great faith , after she said that He spoke with the words that He never spoke to any person in the world from Adam till now ……
q) 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." In St Mark , it was clearly mentioned “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
r) The demon couldn’t withstand this type of faith , and he left the girl
1) What prevented the Canaanite woman from Jesus ???
a) Was there any influence of the place , how far she was from Jesus used to serve ?
b) Was there any influence that she is a Canaanite and they are enemies to Jews?
c) When we commit any sin , aren’t we in enmity with God till we repentance ?
2) Who is Canaan ? he is Ham’s son , his father Canaan , also made a mistake with regards to his father Noah , when he saw the nakedness of his father and told his brothers about it ( he mocked his father ) . and Noah Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren. This means that she is a daughter of a curse ? did she consider this ? and that prevented her from Jesus .
3) Was she embarrassed from Jesus since she was worshiping idols ?
4) Did she consider that Jesus was in retreat ?
5) Did she consider that Jesus Himself told her that He is not for her ?
6) Did she consider when Jesus was harsh with her and told her that she was a dog ?
7) What was she relying or depending on ? had she had any promises ? or father ( like Jews when they told Jesus that they are sons of Abram ? since she had no promis , she reminded Him with His promise , that he is the savior son of David….
8) Did she had any personal right in Jesus ?
9) Did she had a priest or an intercessor to intercede on her behalf , so that Jesus will answer her request ? did she had any boldness before Jesus ?
10) So what ??? she admitted that she is nothing and had nothing , and she is only looking for the generosity and perfection of the Lord , and this is the strongest faith .
11) Not like the Pharisee , whom when stood in front of the Lord , he told Him , I do this and that ….. fasten and give alms …… so did he receive any forgiveness from the Lord , no , on the contrary was condemned .
12) That is why she heard the word that Jesus never said to anybody on earth , if you go back to the previous chapter , you know what Jesus told St Peter , the great between disciples ? the rock ….. He told him "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" ( st Matthew 14: 31 ) and why did St Peter heard those words , because of some wind ( not because any long distance , or Tyre and Sidon , or any harsh words he heard from the Lord ….. on the other hand St Peter , knew whom was beside him and supporting him .
13) Is there any of us worse than the Canaanite woman ?
14) If we have that faith and can convey it to your kids , the church and Christianity would look much different , and Love and hope would have been larger and larger .
15) Have the faith that nothing would prevent you from Jesus , as saint Paul said , even an angel shouldn’t
16) With her faith , this woman , won healing for her daughter , she was praised and glorified like no one on earth in the entire history , and for sure she became a follower , she had no right in anything , she won everything and the one whom had everything …. Just sunk .
Conclusion / Jesus loves that we ask from Him , and if we ask , He will answer .
Lesson application / Can you go home today , think about something you need from God and keep asking for it all week long . ( remember you are asking something from the King of all kings ) .
Homework / 1) Form groups .
2) Prepare a SS lesson about David the prophet .
3) Each group for a certain age ( è G2 , è G6 , è G8)
Weekly report / # of kids : 28 / Atten. : / Commun.
Personal notes / Confes. Date : / Commun. ( 2 ) / # of visited kids this week : non
Bible ( yes ) / Spiritual book ( Title ) : Interpretation of epistles of St John
Notes of servant’s servant / 1) This lesson should be an example or model on how to prepare a SS lesson.
2) We need to practice more on SS lessons.