Under the Table

A Gentile woman travels far to find Jesus.  She hears that He is the One who can help her demon-possessed daughter.  She has a few things against her.  She’s a woman. She’s a pagan. She’s a peasant.

The disciples are annoyed and demand that she be sent away.  Jesus ignores her.

But, she has an expectation of the One she is looking for and for the healing of her child.

She cries out, “Son of David, have pity on me and my child.”

Yeshua then replies, “I was sent only to help the lost sheep of Israel.”

Hmmm . . . she blushes and begs.  “Lord, help me!”

He answers, “It’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs.”

She didn’t give up.  She bowed and worshipped Him.

“Even the dogs eat the crumbs from the master’s table” was her radical response.

Have you ever felt thrown under the table?  I have.  But, she (and I) had an expectation of the One she (and I) were looking for and for the healing of a child.

The result.  Jesus looked into the once idol worshipper’s eyes and said, “O woman, great is your faith.  May it be done as you have asked.”

Some would say this was rebellious and bold, but Jesus named it faith and rewarded her.  I believe her faith put the disciples to shame.  Yeshua commended her for her faith and yet the Bible says He reprimanded the disciples for having little faith.

This story tells me that the Lord honors tenacious faith.  He is as eloquent in silence as He is in speech.  He knows how to heal within the crucible of our soul as we wait and believe.  He breaks through the human barrier of culture, religion and gender.

Father, may we have enough faith in You to boldly seek and ask.  May we believe that You can help, no matter how impossible it appears to us or others.  May we trust in the result before it becomes reality.

The story of the Canaanite woman in the 15th chapter of Matthew has helped me to pray faithfully for years for my son’s healing when others said it was unlikely.

They were wrong.