February 23, 2010
A FALLING crumble to the humble
Matthew 15:21-28
Brooke Mauritzen
Central Truth
When we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will exalt us at the proper time. (See also 1 Peter 5:5-6.)
Key Verse | Matthew 15:27
But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." (Matthew 15:27)
Matthew 15:21-28
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. 1 15:28 Greek from that hour
Dive Deeper | Matthew 15:21-28
While I was growing up, my family had a precious Scottish terrier named Smitty. Like most dogs, Smitty was a regular fixture underneath the dinner table when the Mauritzens gathered to break bread. This required a certain degree of both persistence and deference on Smitty’s part as he panhandled for our “people food.” He particularly stayed close to my father, whose consistent affections towards dogs increased Smitty’s likelihood of receiving a spare morsel.
The Canaanite woman in today’s passage could identify with Smitty’s desire for “crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” After she pursued Jesus multiple times, He recognized her faith and humility.
Similar to the way my old family pet knew my dad to be full of kindness and generosity, our devoted friend on the Journey today was convinced of Jesus’ essential benevolence and goodness. The most striking aspect of the woman’s faith was her perspective of Christ. She was not Jewish; yet, she knew Him to be her master. From watching His life, she was confident that anything He could give her would be worth her humble pursuit. She was so assured of His greatness that she even professed to be satisfied with receiving scraps from His table like a dog.
These days, it would be rare for anyone to be willing to be compared to a dog being forced to beg. We are inundated with media and advertisements encouraging us to be self-reliant and get ahead in the game, and I know I certainly have difficulty putting myself in any position of need or reliance. Scripture tells us, however, that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5-6) As the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 was surely the recipient of grace, in addition to her daughter’s healing, I pray that, as believers in Christ, we all are aware of our fallen nature, His awesome character, and the grace that is being extended to bridge the gap when we humble ourselves in faith.
Discussion Questions
1. What does your worldview tell you about your position before God? Are you humble before Him? Or do you feel entitled to His grace and blessings?
2. Do you have the Canaanite woman's same confidence in Christ?
3. We are told to imitate Jesus in 1 Corinthians 11:1, so put yourself in His position. Would the crumbs falling from your table be as desirable as His, or would the scraps be characterized by selfishness, bitterness, anger, control, or other struggles?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Is there anything that you are praying for that seems impossible?
2. What did the woman have that made Jesus heal her daughter?
3. Are you praying with great faith?