Matthew 15: 21-28
In the text we see a Greek woman who adopted the language and culture of the Canaanites, the people who should have been kicked out of the land by Joshua. She was not part of the Jewish race.
But what this woman had to face?
The fact of having a daughter "terribly demonized" take this woman to have enough courage to face a few things:
• HAD TO PLAY A BIG PART OF SILENCE OF JESUS
She cried, screamed, because he knew that Jesus had the power to do something, but apparently Jesus ignored her. Jesus did this to show contempt, he was not interested in humiliating someone who was already humiliated enough by Jewish society, perhaps Jesus was testing the faith and persistence that woman.
• HAD TO FACE THE OPPOSITION OF THE DISCIPLES
Apparently, the disciples were not concerned that this woman was heard by Jesus. They sent her to leave, but she insisted and followed the crowd screaming behind them. No opposition seemed to intimidate or frighten the woman.
• HAD TO FACE AN APPARENT OF JESUS NO
Even after having attracted the attention of Christ, she hears that he was not sent but unto the house of Israel. She was a Gentile woman. Did Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would have even been sent only to the Jews?
• HAD TO FACE ONE LAST TEST: SHE WAS NOT DAUGHTER
After all the insistence due to extreme despair when that woman was, Jesus also said that it was not good to get the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. That battle!
Great struggle of this woman, but she did not give up, even before the people, not by the opposition of the disciples, much less at the apparent contempt of Christ. She knew that Jesus could change the miserable picture of her daughter. The persistence of this woman has much to teach us.
When I look at the few words that the woman said to him, I see a great teaching.
LORD -> To call Jesus Lord, it demonstrates submission. He said acknowledge Christ as Lord, as its owner, as somebody superior to her. And I was right, because Jesus is all this.
SON OF DAVID -> When it says that Jesus was the son of David, it shows that he knows very well that there was not just any man, was not just a teacher who taught the streets. It recognizes that this man was the son of David, a royal descendant, the promised Messiah.
CALLS FOR MERCY -> When she cries for mercy, demonstrates recognize their status as miserable and know that Jesus is Lord and mercy could have her, even if she did not deserve. Mercy is granted by grace, it is something we do not deserve, is something we can not afford.
When Jesus says that was sent to the house of Israel, she responds with worship, with their faces in the dust. The adoration of her Jesus was the recognition of the divine nature of Jesus. With this attitude, she was saying, I know very well who you are the Christ, the Messiah who was to come, the Son of God.
When Jesus says that it was not good to play the children's bread to the dogs, she says that the table of Jesus, even a crumb was enough for her. What a wonderful answer! How much wisdom!
This woman teaches us that even though everyone thought that the Messiah would come to the house of Israel, other nations should also search it. It ignores the fact of being a woman and being a Gentile, not looking for the seated religious leadership in luxurious rooms, but go to a teacher in the desert. She does all this because he recognizes his condition miserable, but also to know that God does not turn his back on anyone who seeks him.
It also teaches us that even a crumb from the table of the Lord, can do wonders in our lives, something that many preachers seem to ignore, because they prefer to talk about prosperity, teach the people that they should eat the good of the land, the God's best is yet to come.
In comparison to the power of the message of a crumb that this woman tells us, prosperity preaching is disgusting. This woman recognizes that even a crumb that fell from the Lord's table was enough to it.
"Lord, I am nothing, I do not deserve anything, but you are my Lord." Screamed the woman. Psalm 23 verse 1 says the Lord is my shepherd, I do not need anything else. If you are our pastor, we will not need anything else because he just us, grace is sufficient for us. My grace is sufficient for thee, the Lord said to Paul. Forget your struggle, forget this thorn in the flesh, let him slap Satan, and then Paul? My grace is sufficient you. But the grace of Christ has not been enough to many in the church today. We are not content with the grace, we want the blessing. The church today does not want the crumbs, after all, we are children of the King and deserve to eat the good of the land. Bullshit!
We are just foster children, bastards who, by the mercy of God, we have the privilege to call him Father. Lord, help us, have mercy on your church today, forgive our sins, give us the pleasure of understanding like this woman, that your grace is sufficient for us and, if possible, drop something on your table, for even a crumb enough for us, even a crumb is enough to us a crumb in just until the wonderful day when, finally we assentaremos in at his desk in a great feast and rejoice in being all that you desire to be. But even in this day we have in mind that rather than sit at the table is prostrate with his face in the dust and worship you, because you are worthy, you are worthy and we are privileged with an indescribable grace. Even a crumb just us, but let us be close to the table, let us be close to you, even if we avoidance crumbs, because coming from your desk, even a crumb serves me.
I'm using hate poverty, I am saying that God has given us more than we deserve, because we deserve hell, but he loved us. Our flesh cries out for the sin, but the presence of his Spirit in our lives pushes us to live in holiness. Do not dream about things, dream of God's presence in your life. Do not cry for things, but cry for a holy and blameless life before God and one day, one day, you will no longer be under the table, picking up the crumbs, but if you sit table, next to the King of kings, feasting and partying that he was in the place it deserves and being worshiped as he is worthy. On this day, all present at the banquet will kneel before him and worship the slain and live and reign forever and ever.
You want to be part of this feast? Surrender your life to Him, cry out to him for mercy, tell him that even a crumb sufficient for you, a mere crumb is sufficient.
See you.
Elias Eloy
Restoring Paths Ministry