Carina Francke

Matthew 15:21-28 tells about Jesus' visit to the non-Jewish region of Tyre and Sydon where a woman from the vicinity, cried out to Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. The fact that the Jews hated her people and Jesus' disciples urged Him to send her away did not rattle her at all - her faith was in Him to heal her child.

Even when Jesus indifferently remarked that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, she did not back away. She came and knelt before Him and said, "Lord, help me!" (v25).For a second time Jesus communicated His apparent unwillingness, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs!" (v26). However, she understood the true meaning of what He said - the Jews referred to the heathens as dogs, implicating that they are not worthy of receiving God's blessing. She did not take "No" for an answer and responded with a surprising comment of faith, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table" (v21). This is what Jesus wanted to hear, His indifference towards her, evoked a confession of triumphant faith.

She realised that she could not lay claim on a loaf of bread from Jesus' hand, but crumbs from His hand, was a loaf to her. Her crumbs of faith was the kind of faith Jesus spoke about  in Luke 17:6, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted into the sea,' and it would obey you."

Brush-offs, the Jews' preferential treatment, or her heathen background did not influence her faith. She knew that abundance was available from Jesus and that He gladly distributed that. The outcome of her undaunted, faithful plea? Jesus answered her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed from that very hour" (Matthew 15:28).

If your faith is tried by ridicule, belittling, unfavourable circumstances, or with an apparent "no!", will you still trust in Him? Would you keep on asking, even though you know that your past, your present and your now, are against you? If you can honestly answer yes!, you may rest in knowing that He will praise your crumbs of faith as "great faith" and will answer your plea at the right time and in the right way.

Prayer: My Father, sometimes my faith stumbles if it seems that my call for help is not heard. Sometimes I wonder if there is even a crumb of faith left in me. In times like these, I call on your Word: "Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer" (Psalm 4:1).  Amen