“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. [Mark 7:28-30 NIV]
The background to this story is as follows. A woman has a daughter who is possessed by a demon (described as an impure spirit). The woman is desperate for Jesus to intervene and cast out the evil spirit from her daughter. She is completely convinced that Jesus has the power to heal her daughter and to set her free from the bondage she was enduring. However, the lady was not a Jew: she was from Syrian Phoenicia and the text describes her as a Greek woman.
We might find it difficult to appreciate the statement which Jesus made.
“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” [Mark 7:27 NIV]
This is a typically Jewish way of reasoning. Jesus is conveying his message by means of a short parable. He is saying that this woman cannot expect to receive priority treatment before the Jewish nation. Jesus had come to witness to His own people who, in fact, rejected Him and the message of the Gospel was then conveyed to the Gentiles (non-Jews) mainly by Paul as described in the book of the Acts. Here is how the writer of the fourth Gospel sums up the issue of Jesus prioritising the Jews and then widening the scope of the Gospel to include both Jews and Gentiles.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [John 1:11-12 NIV]
John is telling us that Jesus came to His own country (that which was his own) but the Jewish people (his own) did not receive him. But the invitation was extended to the other nations (all who did receive him). This Greek woman is included in this.
Notice that the Greek woman continued with the parable. She followed on with the comparison between the children and the dogs. She pointed out that the family pet dogs were allowed to eat the crumbs which fell to the ground during the meal.
It was common for Jews to refer to Gentiles as dogs. It might seem offensive to us. The woman was not standing on her dignity and insisting on her rights. She was humble enough to recognise that she had no claim on God's grace in her life. She was content to take the place of the dogs eating the crumbs falling from the table. And the mother's faith in the Son of God resulted in her daughter being blessed.
She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. [Mark 7: 30 NIV]
We normally stress the need for each individual to exercise personal faith in Jesus Christ and that it true. However, Jesus asks us to commit our families to him. This is especially relevant for those of us who have family members who have never accepted Jesus as their Saviour. We need to pray regularly and earnestly for them but then we commit their future into God's hands.
[Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash.] Even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from the table.
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