May 26


‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she said, ‘Yes Lord…’ Matthew 15:26-27


This Gentile woman’s great quality lay in her entire submission to the Saviour’s diagnosis.  When He stated that she was not worthy to receive the blessing she craved, she immediately agreed.  The wonderful simplicity of faith lies in its estimation of the word and power of the One to whom we pray, and our entire agreement with our own unworthiness.  ‘Yes’, said the woman, ‘I am just a little dog, but You love even little dogs and will let us eat the crumbs that fall from Your table’.  We modern Christians see ourselves all too easily as the special object of God’s grace because of some inherent goodness in us.  The truth is that the blessing we receive is all because of Him.  That should make us laugh with confidence, because although we have no grounds of appeal in ourselves, yet we have unshakeable grounds of appeal in Him.  The Lord’s heart leapt for joy at her declaration: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”  The woman had a deep burden, but at the same time a careless disregard for self.  She cast herself on Him; in the light of His love and mercy, she was confident of His answer.  If we approach God in any other way we will end up doubting whether He will hear our prayer with favour.  Cast yourself on Him in joyous abandon.  If the woman could hope to benefit as a mere dog, how great her surprise to discover that, through the cross, she too was included in the covenant family and could sit at the table and eat the loaf, not just the crumbs.