“And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28).
TEXT — Mark 7:24-30
Message
J. F. Clarke said, “All the strength and force of man comes from his faith in things unseen. He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions”. For instance, Prophet Elijah did not have to wait to see a large cloud to be assured his prayer for “a great rain” had been answered. Just a small cloud, the size of “a man’s hand,” was enough signal.
This logic of faith played out in the case of the Syrophenician woman in her encounter with Jesus Christ. Desperate to have the Lord deliver her demon- afflicted daughter, she was told by the Lord Himself that such benefit of the gospel (at that time) was the “children’s bread,” meaning that it was meant for God’s covenant people, the Jews and not for dogs (other races). The woman did not object to Christ’s observation. She meekly answered, “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs”. At that point, Christ acknowledged her faith and healed her child.
Many people miss great opportunities for divine intervention simply because they come to God with an unwarranted attitude of entitlement and are unwilling to accept by faith the crumbs that God places on their path. Some have missed their calling because they cannot start small. God honours the faith of those who submit to His prerogative and do not mind the “crumbs.”
We must constantly go to God with an attitude of faith and humility; always rest assured that He has our best interests at heart. The Lord granted the request of the Syrophenician woman instantly. If you act like she did, the Lord will meet your needs beyond your expectations.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
DEEPLY inspiring. An expository study indeed.