The Power of Crumbs (Matthew 15:21-28)
In Matthew 15 , Jesus traveled to the area of Tyre and Sidon. While there, a woman of that region, a non-Jewish woman, began to yell. It wasn’t a taunt. It wasn’t a mockery or anti-Semitic in nature. Instead, it was a cry for help. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” Jesus’ reaction was as dumb-founding as her cry for help. He seemed to ignore her. Not a word of reply came from him as He journeyed on. And she was hard to ignore. Disgusted, the disciples pleaded with Jesus to say something. “Send that annoying Gentile woman away,” they urged (my expanded translation). Perhaps Jesus chuckled on the inside as a private conversation went on between our Heavenly Father and our Lord. “Son, you know what to do.” “Yes, Father, I cannot wait to see the expression on the disciples’ faces. To you be the glory, Father.” So Jesus finally did answer her: “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Desperately, the woman c...