Mark 7: 5-29 Right away a woman who had heard about Jesus came and feel at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by and evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children--my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."
She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."
"Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.
My Thoughts
Did you gasp when you read this?? Did you think Jesus was being so unkind? Did you think that Jesus was telling this woman she was no more important than dog? The first time I read it I did, then the next time I read it... I was still heart broken it really bothered me... last year when I read it I knew that there was something in there that I just didn't understand, my Jesus was, after all a loving Jesus. This time I had my ahh-haa moment!! Love when that happens!!
Jesus didn't think less of this woman... but the people did they saw her as a nobody. This woman may have even see herself as a nobody. This fact made this moment a perfect teaching moment. The Pharisee and the Religious leaders went around complaining about all that Jesus was doing...they were so busy complaining that they couldn't stop and notice the blessings of Jesus. They were so busy being jealous that they did not accept the blessings Jesus offered them because it might be less then somebody else got.
This woman could have walked away mad...but she didn't she pretty much said, "Jesus anything that you give me, no matter how small, even if it is a crumb, will be enough!! I would be glad just to have a crumb from your table!" When she accepted what Jesus offered her, she got all that she needed. If she had gotten mad and walked away, her daughter would not have been freed from the demon that possessed her. That woman got what she needed. It didn't matter to her what Jesus did for anybody else, or how much Jesus did for anybody else, Jesus did enough for her!! She choose to take a crumb if that was all she could have, she know that a crumb from Jesus was enough.
How often do we miss out on the blessings of Jesus because we are too busy feeling sorry for ourselves? Because we think we deserve more? How often do we walk away with nothing when Jesus is offering us all that we need? How often do we think the offer is a crumb when in fact is more than enough?
God tells us that when we love Him, He will supply all of our needs!! How often do we miss out on God's blessings because we don't take what we have now and feel blessed, send up thank yous. How often do we go out and demand more and get ourselves into trouble...when God gave us enough all along? How often does our jealousy of what we think God has given others get in the way of us enjoying the blessings, that are more than enough, that God gave us today.
We need to learn from this lady... she took what Jesus offered. When she got home Jesus had given her just what she needed. I imagine that she was shouting praises from the roof top!! Her little girl was her's again!!! I believe that even though we don't know the rest of the story...that her faith, her thankfulness, her total trust in Jesus' gift being enough, enriched her life beyond riches!!
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