LordHelpMeMatthew1521to28
March 01, 2026
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Reminiscere - The Second Sunday In Lent 1-March-2026 Sermon Text: Matthew 15:21-28 Sermon Theme: “Lord, Help Me!” I. Preserve My Faith Under The Cross! (Vs.21-23a) II. Keep Me In Your Word! (Vs.23b-25) III. Open My Lips To Pray Your Word!(vs.26-28) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Episode Notes
Reminiscere - The Second Sunday In Lent 1-March-2026
Sermon Text: Matthew 15:21-28
Sermon Theme: “Lord, Help Me!” I. Preserve My Faith Under The Cross! (Vs.21-23a) II. Keep Me In Your Word! (Vs.23b-25) III. Open My Lips To Pray Your Word!(vs.26-28) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Psa 25:6-7 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. (7) Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Reminiscere is the Sunday in Lent to remember. On Ash Wednesday we remembered that we are dust and to will return to the dust of death. The only wages our good works pay out are death. Sinful from our conception and birth. All we think, do, and say is tainted by our sin. As the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah testifies, Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. All of our good deeds - our righteousness - are nothing but filthy bloody rags of human waste - they have no bartering power before the only living and holy God. Our life fades as a leaf - our iniquities like the wind blow us from one fire of sin to the next - until we are consumed in hell. Scripture is clear, 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Lent calls us to remember our sinfulness and repent - but not this Sunday. In the 25th Psalm the sinner David pleads with God to “Remember His everlasting tender mercies and lovingkindnesses” towards us sinners. We are sinful from our infant years. David pleads for the Lord in His mercy to forgive him his trespasses. God’s mercy remembers us sinners for His goodness sake - not ours.
False spiritualities whispered by the devil and often masquerading as Christian - turns the sinner back to trust in their own good deeds. Such false thinking is often heard at a funeral home trying to find comfort in the good life the deceased lived. It is a devilish lie that we can free ourselves from sin, save ourselves from hell by good deeds, or celebrate life when death has swallowed up our loved ones.
Comfort is to be found only in God’s everlasting mercy in Jesus. The Holy Spirit comforts the grief stricken with the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Those who believe and live in Jesus - the only Resurrection and the Life - will never die. Those who reject God’s mercy in Jesus freely given them every Sunday in Christ’s Church by the Holy Spirit - choose death and hell - not God’s gracious gift of life.
Remember God’s mercy today! Today cry out: “Lord, Help Me!” I. Preserve My Faith Under The Cross! (Vs.21-23a) II. Keep Me In Your Word! (Vs.23b-25) III. Open My Lips To Pray Your Word!(vs.26-28)
I. Opposition to Jesus was growing. 5,000 men and their families had been fed by Him in the wilderness. They wanted to take Him to Jerusalem at that Passover and force Him to be their “Bread King.” He could provide them free food, healing from sicknesses, and release from demon possession. They could have it all, but they really didn’t want Jesus. They took offense when He claimed to be the living Bread of Heaven. They didn’t want to eat His flesh and drink His blood. All, except the twelve abandoned Him.
After that Passover the Pharisees from Jerusalem came out accusing Him of being in league with Satan. We’ll hear more of their accusations in next Sunday’s gospel lesson.
Time is growing short - judgment day is drawing near. By the next spring the Passover will forever find its fulfillment. On the altar of Golgotha the Lamb of God will be laid upon the wood - His blood will be poured out to atone for the sins of the world.
Jesus and His disciples need rest. Our Lord needs to prepare the twelve for His passion and resurrection the next spring. History records (vs.21) Jesus leads His disciples westward toward Gentile territory. He strengthens them with His Word.
Their peaceful journey is shattered. (Vs.22) A Gentile woman, a descendant of the perverse Canaanite tribes, comes out from that region. She continually cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
A real mother’s heart never forgets the children of her womb. When they suffer - she suffers. This mother’s daughter wasn’t suffering from an eating disorder, a body dysphoria, depression, or cancer. Her child was possessed by a demon. Satan prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour humanity. Demon possession is real. Areas that have been blessed by Gospel preaching often are shielded from demonic possession. Christian missionaries bringing the light of the Gospel to lands held captive in satanic spiritualities report the reality of demon possession. They also report the power of the Gospel to deliver and save.
Resist the devil by confessing the Faith with the Church every Sunday. Beware of the books you read, the reels or tic tocs you watch. If they are promoting breaking God’s Ten Commandments - they are doors to invite the evil spirits into your minds and hearts. Don’t play with demons - Satan loves to pretend to be a white-devil a spiritual devil taking your eyes and ears off of Jesus. God’s will is our sanctification to posses our bodies in holiness reserving the gift of sex for lifelong marriage.
All the false spiritualities of the world couldn’t rescue this mother’s demon possessed daughter. Then she hears word. Perhaps from the Gadarene man from which Jesus had driven the demonic Legion. Jesus had told him to go and tell others of God’s mercy.
Hope reached her ears. Was what this formerly demon possessed man saying true? She sought to know more of the Jewish religious writings and the reports of Jesus. Perhaps she too had read and prayed the 25th Psalm of David.
The greatest news comes - Jesus is drawing near to her territory. She leaves her demon possessed daughter at home in the care of others. She tirelessly seeks out Jesus. Finding Him she cries, “Have mercy on me, O Lord Son of David!” She doesn’t plead her blood line or merit - only the everlasting mercy of the only true God. She calls Jesus - Yahweh - God in our skin. She confesses Jesus is Messiah - the Son of David! He alone can help her demon possessed daughter.
We would do well to learn from this mother to constantly pray for our children - to bring them to Jesus’ mercy in daily prayer.
What does Jesus do? (Vs.23a) He is silent. He answers her not a word. What do you do when God is silent to your pleas? In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul pleads earnestly with Jesus to remove the messenger of Satan that buffeted him. Again and again he cried out to Jesus for mercy. The Lord seemed to silently ignore his prayer. In the school of suffering He was teaching Paul to cling only to His mercy. Finally our Lord spoke, “My grace is sufficient unto you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” From Jesus’ silence Paul learn to boast in his weakness that the power of Christ rest upon him.
II. The Canaanite mother is persistent. She will not let go of the Word of God. She clung to the Father’s mercy in His only begotten Son Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Vs.23b) The twelve are embarrassed at Jesus’ seemingly stubbornness. They ask Jesus to send her away. He had healed the Roman centurion’s ailing servant and the Roman official’s son by merely speaking His healing Word. Won’t He do the same for this grieving Canaanite mother?
Truly as the Lord preaches through Isaiah, Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (8) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. (9) "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Jesus now turns to His disciples to teach them of His mission. (Vs24) The Messiah had come as promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to seek the lost sheep of Israel. His ministry would first reclaim God’s people for Himself, then it would shine forth to all the Gentiles.
Was there no hope for this Gentile mother? (Vs.25) She worships Jesus as the Lord God of all nations. Was not God’s promise to Abraham to bless all nations through His single Male Seed born of the Virgin alone - the Christ? Didn’t Moses preach that Gentiles too could be brought into the nation of Israel by faith in God’s Promise? Didn’t Isaiah proclaim that Jesus was the Light of the Gentiles? God’s promise in His Son is grace and mercy. It is not a blood line promise, but to the true descendants of Abraham - children of Faith in God’s Word of promise - faith in Jesus.
The True Israel isn’t a political state in Palestine - Paul preaches Romans 9:6-8 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED." (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. The one Holy Christian Apostolic Church is the True Israel born of the Jerusalem above by grace through Holy Spirit given Word breathed faith.
The true faith and worship of Jesus is shown here - fall down at Jesus’ feet with nothing to offer Him but your sin and unworthiness - pray, “Lord, help me!” True worship isn’t to bring your good works to God, but to receive everything from Christ Jesus by the Father’s mercy through His Word spoken as the Holy Spirit comforts us with blood washed forgiveness.
III. Finally Jesus speaks to this distressed mother. Mark’s gospel tells us that she had followed Jesus into the house where they sought refuge. She would not let her Lord out of her sight. It was unheard of a woman following Jewish men into a house crying out after them, but she will not let Jesus go. (Vs.26a)
The Pharisees called the Gentiles “dogs.” Unlike our pet crazed culture, the Jews didn’t have house dogs. The dogs ran untamed in the streets scavenging garbage to survive. To be called a “dog” is to be thrown out of the house - no claim at all on the house or the children.
“A dog” she hears - then she lays hold of God’s Word - Wisdom teaches, “ Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” Jesus is not only the Son of David - He is the Lord of creation. Would not the Creator regard the life of such a “little dog” as her? (Vs.26b) She doesn’t beg to be a child, but only a dog - only a scrap of God’s mercy will be enough for her and her demon possessed daughter.
She has caught Jesus in His Word. Just as Jesus allowed Jacob to beat Him as they wrestled near the waters of the Jabbok. He became weak to bless Jacob with a new name - Israel. Now He praises this “little dog of a mother” (vs.28)
She isn’t a “little dog” she is a woman blessed with a great faith - like that of the Virgin Mary who clung only to the Angel Gabriel’s promise that the Messiah would be born of her Virgin womb. This mother only wanted to be remembered by God’s mercy - according to His Word.
Her prayer is answered - her daughter freed from the demon - to become a child of the Faith clinging to Jesus alone!
Learn from David and this mother to cling to God’s mercy alone in Jesus. You will struggle with your sins. You will wrestle with God’s promises to see you safely Home. You will fight with the lusts of your flesh in this adulterous and sinful generation.
Never cease crying out to Jesus! “ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Amen.
Sermon Text: Matthew 15:21-28
Sermon Theme: “Lord, Help Me!” I. Preserve My Faith Under The Cross! (Vs.21-23a) II. Keep Me In Your Word! (Vs.23b-25) III. Open My Lips To Pray Your Word!(vs.26-28) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
I.N.R.I. Psa 25:6-7 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. (7) Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Reminiscere is the Sunday in Lent to remember. On Ash Wednesday we remembered that we are dust and to will return to the dust of death. The only wages our good works pay out are death. Sinful from our conception and birth. All we think, do, and say is tainted by our sin. As the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah testifies, Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. All of our good deeds - our righteousness - are nothing but filthy bloody rags of human waste - they have no bartering power before the only living and holy God. Our life fades as a leaf - our iniquities like the wind blow us from one fire of sin to the next - until we are consumed in hell. Scripture is clear, 1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Lent calls us to remember our sinfulness and repent - but not this Sunday. In the 25th Psalm the sinner David pleads with God to “Remember His everlasting tender mercies and lovingkindnesses” towards us sinners. We are sinful from our infant years. David pleads for the Lord in His mercy to forgive him his trespasses. God’s mercy remembers us sinners for His goodness sake - not ours.
False spiritualities whispered by the devil and often masquerading as Christian - turns the sinner back to trust in their own good deeds. Such false thinking is often heard at a funeral home trying to find comfort in the good life the deceased lived. It is a devilish lie that we can free ourselves from sin, save ourselves from hell by good deeds, or celebrate life when death has swallowed up our loved ones.
Comfort is to be found only in God’s everlasting mercy in Jesus. The Holy Spirit comforts the grief stricken with the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Those who believe and live in Jesus - the only Resurrection and the Life - will never die. Those who reject God’s mercy in Jesus freely given them every Sunday in Christ’s Church by the Holy Spirit - choose death and hell - not God’s gracious gift of life.
Remember God’s mercy today! Today cry out: “Lord, Help Me!” I. Preserve My Faith Under The Cross! (Vs.21-23a) II. Keep Me In Your Word! (Vs.23b-25) III. Open My Lips To Pray Your Word!(vs.26-28)
I. Opposition to Jesus was growing. 5,000 men and their families had been fed by Him in the wilderness. They wanted to take Him to Jerusalem at that Passover and force Him to be their “Bread King.” He could provide them free food, healing from sicknesses, and release from demon possession. They could have it all, but they really didn’t want Jesus. They took offense when He claimed to be the living Bread of Heaven. They didn’t want to eat His flesh and drink His blood. All, except the twelve abandoned Him.
After that Passover the Pharisees from Jerusalem came out accusing Him of being in league with Satan. We’ll hear more of their accusations in next Sunday’s gospel lesson.
Time is growing short - judgment day is drawing near. By the next spring the Passover will forever find its fulfillment. On the altar of Golgotha the Lamb of God will be laid upon the wood - His blood will be poured out to atone for the sins of the world.
Jesus and His disciples need rest. Our Lord needs to prepare the twelve for His passion and resurrection the next spring. History records (vs.21) Jesus leads His disciples westward toward Gentile territory. He strengthens them with His Word.
Their peaceful journey is shattered. (Vs.22) A Gentile woman, a descendant of the perverse Canaanite tribes, comes out from that region. She continually cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
A real mother’s heart never forgets the children of her womb. When they suffer - she suffers. This mother’s daughter wasn’t suffering from an eating disorder, a body dysphoria, depression, or cancer. Her child was possessed by a demon. Satan prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour humanity. Demon possession is real. Areas that have been blessed by Gospel preaching often are shielded from demonic possession. Christian missionaries bringing the light of the Gospel to lands held captive in satanic spiritualities report the reality of demon possession. They also report the power of the Gospel to deliver and save.
Resist the devil by confessing the Faith with the Church every Sunday. Beware of the books you read, the reels or tic tocs you watch. If they are promoting breaking God’s Ten Commandments - they are doors to invite the evil spirits into your minds and hearts. Don’t play with demons - Satan loves to pretend to be a white-devil a spiritual devil taking your eyes and ears off of Jesus. God’s will is our sanctification to posses our bodies in holiness reserving the gift of sex for lifelong marriage.
All the false spiritualities of the world couldn’t rescue this mother’s demon possessed daughter. Then she hears word. Perhaps from the Gadarene man from which Jesus had driven the demonic Legion. Jesus had told him to go and tell others of God’s mercy.
Hope reached her ears. Was what this formerly demon possessed man saying true? She sought to know more of the Jewish religious writings and the reports of Jesus. Perhaps she too had read and prayed the 25th Psalm of David.
The greatest news comes - Jesus is drawing near to her territory. She leaves her demon possessed daughter at home in the care of others. She tirelessly seeks out Jesus. Finding Him she cries, “Have mercy on me, O Lord Son of David!” She doesn’t plead her blood line or merit - only the everlasting mercy of the only true God. She calls Jesus - Yahweh - God in our skin. She confesses Jesus is Messiah - the Son of David! He alone can help her demon possessed daughter.
We would do well to learn from this mother to constantly pray for our children - to bring them to Jesus’ mercy in daily prayer.
What does Jesus do? (Vs.23a) He is silent. He answers her not a word. What do you do when God is silent to your pleas? In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul pleads earnestly with Jesus to remove the messenger of Satan that buffeted him. Again and again he cried out to Jesus for mercy. The Lord seemed to silently ignore his prayer. In the school of suffering He was teaching Paul to cling only to His mercy. Finally our Lord spoke, “My grace is sufficient unto you, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.” From Jesus’ silence Paul learn to boast in his weakness that the power of Christ rest upon him.
II. The Canaanite mother is persistent. She will not let go of the Word of God. She clung to the Father’s mercy in His only begotten Son Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Vs.23b) The twelve are embarrassed at Jesus’ seemingly stubbornness. They ask Jesus to send her away. He had healed the Roman centurion’s ailing servant and the Roman official’s son by merely speaking His healing Word. Won’t He do the same for this grieving Canaanite mother?
Truly as the Lord preaches through Isaiah, Isaiah 55:6-9 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. (7) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (8) "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. (9) "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
Jesus now turns to His disciples to teach them of His mission. (Vs24) The Messiah had come as promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to seek the lost sheep of Israel. His ministry would first reclaim God’s people for Himself, then it would shine forth to all the Gentiles.
Was there no hope for this Gentile mother? (Vs.25) She worships Jesus as the Lord God of all nations. Was not God’s promise to Abraham to bless all nations through His single Male Seed born of the Virgin alone - the Christ? Didn’t Moses preach that Gentiles too could be brought into the nation of Israel by faith in God’s Promise? Didn’t Isaiah proclaim that Jesus was the Light of the Gentiles? God’s promise in His Son is grace and mercy. It is not a blood line promise, but to the true descendants of Abraham - children of Faith in God’s Word of promise - faith in Jesus.
The True Israel isn’t a political state in Palestine - Paul preaches Romans 9:6-8 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED." (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. The one Holy Christian Apostolic Church is the True Israel born of the Jerusalem above by grace through Holy Spirit given Word breathed faith.
The true faith and worship of Jesus is shown here - fall down at Jesus’ feet with nothing to offer Him but your sin and unworthiness - pray, “Lord, help me!” True worship isn’t to bring your good works to God, but to receive everything from Christ Jesus by the Father’s mercy through His Word spoken as the Holy Spirit comforts us with blood washed forgiveness.
III. Finally Jesus speaks to this distressed mother. Mark’s gospel tells us that she had followed Jesus into the house where they sought refuge. She would not let her Lord out of her sight. It was unheard of a woman following Jewish men into a house crying out after them, but she will not let Jesus go. (Vs.26a)
The Pharisees called the Gentiles “dogs.” Unlike our pet crazed culture, the Jews didn’t have house dogs. The dogs ran untamed in the streets scavenging garbage to survive. To be called a “dog” is to be thrown out of the house - no claim at all on the house or the children.
“A dog” she hears - then she lays hold of God’s Word - Wisdom teaches, “ Proverbs 12:10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” Jesus is not only the Son of David - He is the Lord of creation. Would not the Creator regard the life of such a “little dog” as her? (Vs.26b) She doesn’t beg to be a child, but only a dog - only a scrap of God’s mercy will be enough for her and her demon possessed daughter.
She has caught Jesus in His Word. Just as Jesus allowed Jacob to beat Him as they wrestled near the waters of the Jabbok. He became weak to bless Jacob with a new name - Israel. Now He praises this “little dog of a mother” (vs.28)
She isn’t a “little dog” she is a woman blessed with a great faith - like that of the Virgin Mary who clung only to the Angel Gabriel’s promise that the Messiah would be born of her Virgin womb. This mother only wanted to be remembered by God’s mercy - according to His Word.
Her prayer is answered - her daughter freed from the demon - to become a child of the Faith clinging to Jesus alone!
Learn from David and this mother to cling to God’s mercy alone in Jesus. You will struggle with your sins. You will wrestle with God’s promises to see you safely Home. You will fight with the lusts of your flesh in this adulterous and sinful generation.
Never cease crying out to Jesus! “ Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Amen.
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