Discover His heart: He responds to a courageous heart of faith
I’ve had some great friends in my life. In fact, I had a friend that came and cleaned my kitchen floor for 14 years. No matter what was dropped or spilled while cooking or eating, the mess was cleaned up by this faithful friend for all those years. When my friend passed away several years ago, I grieved for quite some time; and even today, I miss that extra help in the kitchen. Yes, Toby, my Miniature Schnauzer was a great friend and a good little floor cleaner. He never missed a crumb! I have to admit that sometimes I intentionally dropped a scrap or two just because I loved him. It’s hard to believe, but Jesus had a discussion with a woman about this very thing!
@ Matthew 15
“Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there 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.’” (21-22) Right from the beginning of this story, I liked this woman. First of all, she was a mother on a mission to save her daughter. I understand the heart of a mother whose child is sick. We will do just about anything to save our children. She had a mother’s heart. Secondly, I admire her courage. It was courageous for a woman, a Gentile woman nonetheless, to approach a Jewish man she did not know to ask a favor. She was brave.
The woman was a Canaanite whose ancestors had been the bane of Israel’s existence, but she had obviously heard about the miracles of Jesus, disregarded her heritage and came to Jesus. When Jesus informed this dear woman that He was sent only to help the Jews, she was undaunted by His response, “But she came and worshiped Him, pleading again, ‘Lord, help me!’”(25) She was tenacious.
Strangely, Jesus again resisted her, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (26) Jesus was reiterating the mindset of a majority of the Jews of His day. They knew themselves to be children of God, and all others, well….were not. However, Jesus, in His only trip outside of Palestine, was about to prove that His message was for everyone, and this courageous, tenacious mother was assisting Him whether she knew it or not.
The woman replied to Jesus, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.” (27) What a clever response! Evidently, she had a Toby or two in her life, canine friends who were only too happy to take whatever would come their way in order to satisfy their needs. And this woman was not too proud to receive whatever the Lord would do for her, scraps and all. She was humble.
“Dear woman,’ Jesus said to her, ‘your faith is great. Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was instantly healed.” (28) No doubt through the faith of this woman, news spread throughout this Gentile region about Jesus, the healer of Jew and Gentile alike. She had great faith.
It’s easy to allow hindrances to keep us from receiving the miracles that God has for us. Are we willing to walk down the aisle at church for prayer, admitting we have a need? Are we brave? Will we ask again and again from the Lord until we receive? Are we tenacious? Will we humble ourselves and receive whatever the Lord has for us, however He chooses to give it? Are we humble? Will we believe that God is able to do anything we ask? Have we great faith? Apparently, these are things that grab the heart of God and cause Him to grant our requests.
Moving Forward: I believe the Lord has set a banquet for me today; but even if He offered only a scrap, only a crumb, it would be just what I needed for my miracle.
Tomorrow @ Romans 13-14
Phyllis Benigas 