WHY SETTLE FOR THE CRUMBS

For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.  Mark 7:25-30

This Syrophenician woman should not have received a miracle because she did not qualify for one. According to Jesus, she was not one of the children. However, she did not know it and if she did, she did not let that stop her. Even when Jesus said that healing was the children’s bread and that the bread should not be given to dogs. She could have been offended because He called her a dog. However, instead of being offended she was bold and pled her case. She said to Jesus, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs!” And Jesus replied, “Because of this saying, you have what you requested.”

Now, many people would look at this woman’s example and say, “Well I will just settle for the crumbs that fall from the table.” However, you and I—as born-again children of God, washed in the blood—are not dogs. We are God’s children and therefore the loaf—not the crumbs—belongs to us. This is all because of Calvary and the finished work of the cross. Take a look at what Isaiah 53: 1-5 says in the Living Bible.

But, oh, how few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal his saving power? In God’s eyes he was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want him. We despised him and rejected him—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we didn’t care. Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed!

Because of Calvary, God has to honor the cross. There are different methods of healing and there are conditions to fulfill in order for us to receive our healing. However, the cross has to work! By grace, through faith, the price was paid. Who has believed our report? Who will believe? Will you believe today? You have to make the decision that you believe the report of the Lord. You are not a dog you are a child. Step up and grab a loaf of healing.

If this woman’s daughter could get healed under the Old Covenant, when she was not even eligible, how much more can we be healed us under our new covenant—based upon better promises—signed and sealed by the shed blood of Jesus.

Healing is the children’s bread. Why should we settle for the crumbs when we can have the whole loaf?

Tags: Rodney Howard-Browne