Wednesday 3 Aug 2022

August 3: Matthew 15:21-28

Key Verse: Matthew 15:27
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Devotion:
This Canaanite woman showed her faith in Christ to everyone, but it was Jesus who picked up on it and brought it to the surface. How solid is your faith? Not an easy question to answer truthfully because our faith will not show itself fully until it is tested in some way. I learned this just over twenty years ago when my faith too over when I literally did not know what to do.

This woman came forward and pleaded with Christ to rid her daughter of a demon because she was suffering terribly. The mother trusted in the power of the Lord even though she was not a Jew. Jesus turned round to her and said He was sent to cater for the lost sheep of Israel and not for the other people who were not the ‘chosen race!’ It may sound like Jesus was being harsh at the time, but He knew what was on this woman’s heart and knew how things would turn out – He wanted the disciples to see the truth!

Jesus compared her to being a dog and the Jews as being the children of God; we would normally feed our own family before we feed stray dogs… But the woman replied saying that even the stray dogs would wait patiently for crumbs to be dropped from the table so they could eat.

This was like saying she would wait patiently for any good things to be dropped by the children of God so she could gain something, no mater how small or insignificant it seemed at the time. This was the faith Jesus was looking for and this is what made Jesus rid the daughter of the demon right there and then!

Points to Ponder:
How much do you depend on God for?

Will you trust Him a little more today?