Faith, let her in

Matthew 15:21-26

 

Jesus tore tradition wide open when He healed the Canaanite woman's daughter. In the region of Tyre, a woman cries out "Lord, deliver my daughter who is demon-possessed." Jesus did not respond to the woman but was silent. His disciples wanted Jesus to just put this woman aside. I can imagine a mother's heart, watching her daughter day in and day out suffer the wiles of the enemy.

Yet, her love and care refused to leave, she pressed in.

Jesus answered her with stating, that what she was asking for didn't belong to her, but to the children of Israel. He said, " I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Still, she heard, but cried, "Jesus, help me." He responded again, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." Yet, again her heart spoke, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table."

This is profound. For here you have a woman of Canaan, crying out for deliverance for her daughter, her household. Yet, Jesus speaks to her that healing has been set apart for the children of Israel, and it wasn't good to give her what they should receive.

 

Yet, in that moment there were no children from Israel asking to be healed, delivered, or even set free.

 

She probably understood how things were for a person such as herself. Bewildered, she may have said in her heart, no doctor can heal her, I can't pay the Pharisees, or Sadducees to pray, surely, they had no power. But somewhere, a way off this woman heard of Jesus, news traveled to this woman's ear that there was one who could do what no one else could.

 

She pressed in to get her blessing!

 

And, even while it seemed that what Jesus said was to deter her, I don't believe it was. I believe Jesus was testing her further than the distance she traveled to have a moment with Him. For in humility, she said look...I get the feast is for the children of Israel, but even a morsel, a crumb, a speck of that feast can cure, heal and deliver my daughter.

Her faith correlated with the parable of the mustard seed. The crumb she was willing to eat off the masters table, was abundant enough to deliver her daughter from demon possession. Thus, proving that the mountain from having mustard seed faith was removed. There is so much to this story.

 

I consider how easily we give up when we hear no!

 

I’ve learned that we as the body of Christ won't humble ourselves for just a crumb from a feast, but will want the best seat at the table; yet this woman in the presence of God was willing to leave with a morsel, because with humility and meekness she arrived, and yet left with her daughter and household delivered!

What will we press in for when we too desire deliverance and will we relent and leave empty handed or will we knock until the King answers?

 

Until Next Time Beloved, Read the Word to Know Him and Keep Knocking!