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 came to Him and worshiped the passage states.
“Lord, help me!”
It doesn’t take much imagination to see the woman begin to shake and convulse with tears streaming down her face, looking up expectantly at Jesus.
He appeared to object.
“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Quick on her feet, even in her emotional agony, the Gentile woman replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Suddenly, it was if a veil was lifted and Jesus’ countenance to her changed.
“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
And Matthew records that her daughter was healed “from that very hour.”
What struck me from this passage was the power of crumbs. We often ask God to do great things in our lives. Move the mountains, dispel the darkness, bring a miraculous healing. Always grand requests leave our lips and our hearts with the idea that God works very hard to do what we ask.
What is so great about this woman’s faith is that she expected very little from our Lord and Master. It would be a small favor from His end but in her life it would be huge. Wow, that is indeed a great faith!
So, today, I will similarly ask for crumbs, believing that God is so amazing that they are more than enough to meet any need that comes my way. The great works of God from our perspective are the expressions of the smallest effort from the Creator and Sustainer of this great Universe. Wow! This woman’s faith is much greater than the faith that I have had much of my life.
The crumbs are sufficient! Glory be to God!
Thank you God for the crumbs from your table that fill my plate to overflowing. Give me a faith that understands your great desire to work in my life and through it. Help me to see that you can take the loaf of your provision and give answers to prayer, spreading the crumbs around the world, meeting every need with little effort because you are great and awesome.
“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 came to Him and worshiped the passage states.
“Lord, help me!”
It doesn’t take much imagination to see the woman begin to shake and convulse with tears streaming down her face, looking up expectantly at Jesus.
He appeared to object.
“It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
Quick on her feet, even in her emotional agony, the Gentile woman replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
Suddenly, it was if a veil was lifted and Jesus’ countenance to her changed.
“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”
And Matthew records that her daughter was healed “from that very hour.”
What struck me from this passage was the power of crumbs. We often ask God to do great things in our lives. Move the mountains, dispel the darkness, bring a miraculous healing. Always grand requests leave our lips and our hearts with the idea that God works very hard to do what we ask.
What is so great about this woman’s faith is that she expected very little from our Lord and Master. It would be a small favor from His end but in her life it would be huge. Wow, that is indeed a great faith!
So, today, I will similarly ask for crumbs, believing that God is so amazing that they are more than enough to meet any need that comes my way. The great works of God from our perspective are the expressions of the smallest effort from the Creator and Sustainer of this great Universe. Wow! This woman’s faith is much greater than the faith that I have had much of my life.
The crumbs are sufficient! Glory be to God!
Thank you God for the crumbs from your table that fill my plate to overflowing. Give me a faith that understands your great desire to work in my life and through it. Help me to see that you can take the loaf of your provision and give answers to prayer, spreading the crumbs around the world, meeting every need with little effort because you are great and awesome.
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