Head Scratcher — The Canaanite Woman - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
Mark 7:25
But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. (ESV)
Today, we pick up our story from where we left off with the Canaanite woman. Just as Jesus and His disciples were seeking privacy and rest, this poor woman comes rushing in and falls to Jesus’ feet asking for His help, and man, she already has two (well, really, three) strikes going against her. First, she interrupted the group’s attempt to find rest. Second, she was a foreigner, one with whom Jews did not normally socialize. And third, did I mention she was a woman? As you probably know, women in their society received very little respect, but this mother was determined to humble herself in front of these men for the chance of having her daughter healed.
The Canaanite woman swallowed her embarrassment and continued to pursue Jesus even when the disciples tried to tell her to go away. Even when Jesus compared her to a dog by saying, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26), she was not deterred. She humbly took the comparison and responded, saying, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” (Matthew 15:27).
Tim Keller shared this observation about the interaction between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, “She does not take offense at the Lord’s words… She says, alright. I may not have a place at the table, but there’s more than enough on the table for everyone in the world, and I need mine now. She is wrestling with Jesus in the most respectful way, and she will not take no for an answer.”
The Canaanite woman was willing to eat just the mere “crumbs” from her Lord’s table in order for her daughter to be healed. She would do whatever it would take to save her girl, even if it meant embarrassing herself in front of a group of Jewish men. You see, she knew Jesus was the Messiah and that His “crumbs” could provide her with the help her family so desperately needed.
REFLECTION
Have you been there? Are you there right now? If you are desperate and need help or maybe just the compassion and support of another person, please contact our Care Team so that we can pray with you and assist you.