“A Gentile woman . . . came to him, pleading, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely’” (Matthew 15:22, NLT). This woman had approached Jesus with a big need—her daughter was tormented by a demonic spirit. Yet Christ wasn’t stirred to act: “Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away . . . ‘She is bothering us with all her begging’” (15:23). But the woman stayed and kept bothering them, pressing in with her request, refusing to go away. If you are familiar with Scripture, you know that Jesus told several parables applauding that kind of persistence: “Keep knocking. Keep seeking. Keep asking. God will reward your faith.” It would have been easy for this woman to give up. But she kept persisting, and finally Jesus told her, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs” (15:26), referring to Israel’s priority over Gentiles. I find her response amazing: “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table” (15:27). She was saying, “Jesus, if we’re talking about the power of heaven, then even a scrap is sufficient.” She was right: The scraps that fall from God’s table are sufficient to meet any need on this earth. And she had faith that even the smallest measure would deliver her daughter completely. Friend, that is true faith! This woman didn’t ask timidly. She asked believing in God’s goodness, knowing that even the smallest scrap of His glory was enough to perform a miraculous deliverance. Gary Wilkerson
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 20:00:01 +0000
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