“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.” – Mark 7:28-29
The woman in this story was a Gentile, and her daughter was demon-possessed. She had come to Jesus to ask him to cast the evil out of her child, and He threw us all for a loop when he told her, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs,” which sounded like He was saying, “Nope, you’re a gentile, and my miracles are for the Jews.”
It seemed like God said no. It seemed like she had just hit a brick wall because she wasn’t worthy. But she wasn’t leaving until God answered her prayer. Dogs get the crumbs, she said. Give me the crumbs.
There was no reaction to being called a dog, and she didn’t hesitate at the apparent roadblock. She knew the Savior could redeem her daughter, and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.
That’s what Jesus was looking for. Don’t get discouraged when you hit that first brick wall. If you know Who Jesus is, you know He’s the answer. Keep asking. He may just be checking your faith — how much do you believe He’ll do it for YOU? He died for you, why wouldn’t He?
But in our humanity, we talk ourselves out of knowing that His sacrifice opens the door of His throne room to us forever. We don’t have to wait under the table for His blessings anymore.
It’s important to note that the woman’s prayer wasn’t for herself, it was for someone else. Those humble, whole-hearted prayers for God’s will have to come from a place of faith and selflessness, so arguing with God over why you should win the lottery probably isn’t going to pay off (not saying I’ve tried or anything 😂), but going to the altar seeking His face never goes unnoticed.
He’s not just here to give us crumbs. We are invited to the banquet. No matter how many times you’ve been told you’re worthless or broken or dirty or not enough, no matter how many times you’ve been rejected or cast aside, keep this in mind: A perfect God has redeemed you, warts and all.
We are no longer the dogs, we are the children. Let the miracles begin. ❤️
