POWER IN THE CRUMBS

POWER IN THE CRUMBS
 
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs
which fall from their masters’ table.”
Matthew 15:27

This magnificent story is registered in Matthew 15:21-28, in one of the times when Jesus was going into foreign territory. Tyre and Sidon were important port cities by the Mediterranean Sea, but the Jews considered their inhabitants worthless “dogs”, completely excluded and undeserving of the favor of the God of Israel, because of their idolatry, immorality and religious syncretism. Even being considered foreign nations, Tyre and Sidon had large Jewish Communities.
 
Throughout His ministry, Jesus commuted frequently from Galilee to Judea (Jerusalem), but this time He chose a different route. Putting it into perspective, the distance from Galilee - where Jesus lived, to Tyre, was about 35 miles and 15 more miles until Sidon. So 50 miles total was quite a journey on foot! But Jesus was willing to go, because He knew there was a special mission ahead.
 
Upon arrival, a woman gets into the scene, who came seeking for the Master’s mercy: she had a daughter who was demon-possessed, and she was desperate for help. Let’s remember that a woman was never allowed to talk to a Rabbi, therefore her approach was culturally unacceptable and historically inappropriate, but this woman was resiliency in person and she would try anything to help her daughter.
 
The term “severely demon-possessed” here means a very unusual, cruel and evil form of demon manifestation. The Gospels tell us how those appearances could be terrifying sometimes, as we see in Mark 9:14-29, when a boy, after delivered by Jesus from a deaf and dumb spirit (right after His transfiguration), was so badly injured that he was considered dead.
The story we have here is an account of persistence, tenacity, and faith, once Jesus tested the woman several times, and on each time, she passed with flying colors. 
Those tests are the same ones we have to endure in our spiritual journey, and I would like to examine them:
 
1. The test of Silence
Verse 22 reads:
And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
The use of the expression “Son of David” shows her respect and the recognition that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. She also says “have mercy” - not as we casually do all the time, for any reason, but with a profound respect and hopeful reverence.
That was an intriguing fact: while His own nation did not understand His mission as we see in John 1:12, here we have a foreigner confessing publicly her recognition of the deity of the Anointed One.  Later on in the text, that would be translated into worship.
Impressively, Jesus’ answer was simply silence. Verse 23 says that “Jesus answered her not a word”.
The test of silence is a very difficult evaluation. It’s when Jesus decides to keep voiceless and quiet about our needs; not indifferent, not inactive, not far away, but silent. Job had this experience, and Jesus Himself went through it, at the cross. Many times God has chosen silence. The book of 1 Samuel states that “the Word of the Lord was rare in those days”, that is, when the young Samuel was just about to be called as a prophet. Also, from the end of the Old Testament to the beginning of the New Testament, God kept a silence of about 400 years! God can and will use silence to deal with His people.
When Lazarus was sick, Jesus seemed to wait forever to go and help him! He seemed late… He didn’t explain a lot to Mary and Martha, but He knew the why and the time He needed to be silent. While in silence, Jesus is still working! He always has a plan!!
But that Canaanite woman was tireless... and so she passed to the second test…

2. The test of Exclusivity/Priority
In verse 23 we read:
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
It’s important to notice here that the answer of the disciples implied in helping her, not dismissing her mercilessly without compassion.
In that moment Jesus’ answer was: “I was not sent to you, but to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Jesus’ answer was coherent with His “master plan.” In Matthew chapter 10 He had already sent disciples before Him and the instructions were to preach in Israel. Yet, as we know, the gentiles would be visited for salvation by the Holy Spirit later, after the resurrection of the Lord. Also in John 4 Jesus explains to another woman, the Samaritan, that salvation came indeed from the Jews!
So many times we hear: This is not for you, it’s for someone else… and we get frustrated.
Now, we have to understand order. God knows everything, and sometimes things will not follow our timeline of plan and events. That woman understood that! She realized that, although she was not exclusive, she wasn’t as well being excluded, she was just in a different order in God’s plan.
But Jesus was not done in testing her.
 
3. The test of Humility
Verses 25 and 26:
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
For these verses, it’s crucial to understand the cultural background. Jesus did not compare her to a dog, that was a cultural expression. The word in greek is “puppy”, and the use of that word was also part of the purpose that Jesus already knew He had for her. It was not also a question of prejudice, it was a question, again, of order! The children eat first, but the dogs also eat.
We also need to understand that the tone of voice of Jesus may have been completely different than what we think. Jesus would never treat anyone as an animal, He never did. He was testing her to the limit! That impressive woman, nevertheless, was willing to go to the last resource to get her daughter healed. As a matter of fact, she made the request after she had worshiped Him. At this point Jesus was almost there, because He cannot take adoration and be inactive!
So, when we think she is ready to give up… she enters her fourth and final test ...
 
4. The test of Faith
Observe verse 27:
And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
In other words, she was declaring: “Lord, the residue of your grace is enough! I am not a Jew, I don’t know Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but I have seen YOU!
She had done it, she had passed all the tests, and now, on verse 28 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.

Jesus rewarded the faith and persistence of that woman by healing her daughter by long distance - as He did in Matthew 8 with the servant of the centurion. She didn’t have to do anything, but to be persistent, humble, and believe. In healing that gentile daughter, He is saying: I am the Savior of the whole world!

God has an ORDER to do things, and His order is always perfect, His time is always punctual, and His plans are always the best for us.
Yes, there is power even in the crumbs!

As far as our salvation is concerned, even the crumbs of the Kingdom are far more efficient, sufficient and infinitely more abundant than all the banquets of the Devil. Trust the Lord, He has a perfect plan for your life.
 
Wishing peace, health and many blessings to your body and soul,

Pr. Joshua Mateíne