And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:26 – When read in context, this verse is a shocking one to hear come from Jesus’ mouth. A gentile woman came to Jesus on behalf of her daughter that was oppressed by a demon. She asked for Jesus’ help, and the above verse was His response to her. That He was sent to do His work within the house of Israel, and what she was asking of Him was beyond that. The bread was meant for Israel, not Gentiles. While this passage is difficult to read, we must see the bigger picture hear. Jesus purposely traveled about 50 miles to the district of Trye and Sidon for this one encounter with this woman, much like the trip across the sea to heal the one demon possessed man in Mark 5. We also see later in the chapter another massive, miraculous feeding and healing, and this time it was a gentile crowd getting to experience it. What then does this mean? It means that Jesus was willing to offer salvation and His blessing to the Gentiles, but like with the Jews He wanted to see if they would pursue Him of not. With the mother who came to Jesus in the verse above, I believe Jesus was saying what He did to see if she would still seek His mercy. The religious leaders and many Jews, the children who were supposed to get the bread, refused to eat what Jesus offered them. So now it was the dogs, the Gentile’s, turn for the bread if they wanted it. And because she continued to pursue Jesus she found the healing she was asking for. Certainly a passage difficult to fully understand without being there and hearing Jesus’ tone (much like talking in person vs reading a text), but the heart of Jesus for the Gentiles was clearly displayed in the chapter. He healed, fed, blessed, and gave one of His greatest compliments and is was given to a gentile woman. I’m just grateful today I was blessed enough to get one of those crumbs! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3337
Question To Ponder: Why might someone seek out Jesus today?
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