May 25, 2016
JUST GIVE ME THE CRUMBS!
Mark 7:24–37
Randi Wideman
Central Truth
A little of Jesus is more than enough for all of me!
Key Verse | Mark 7:28
But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." (Mark 7:28)
Mark 7:24–37
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 1 7:24 Some manuscripts omit and Sidon And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus 2 7:36 Greek he charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Dive Deeper | Mark 7:24–37
I love this passage of Scripture! God used the humble faith of this woman to grow me in deep ways. Jesus had just entered Tyre, which was Gentile territory. Not His people . . . not His normal place.
This Syrophoenician woman runs to Him, begging Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus responds in an incredibly odd way, telling her that it's not right to take the children's bread and feed it to the dogs. I am sure this woman felt like the world was against her—she was a Gentile, a woman, her daughter was demon-possessed, and Jesus had just referred to her as a dog. I know if that was me, I would have said, "Jesus, you just called me A WHAT? A DOG?" But this woman humbly responds that even the dogs get the crumbs under the table. She got it! That even just a little of Jesus is enough! That His crumbs are sufficient for all of her!
I vividly remember reading this story when we were struggling through infertility. In 2011, after McKinley was born, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a year of treatment, we knew that it would be very difficult to ever have another biological baby. Matt and I clung to Jesus; we knew He was the answer to every bit of our sadness. Yet, I still wrestled with the feeling that because of all the trials we had faced that, of course, God would bless us with another biological child. As if I was entitled to a baby. I deeply loved Jesus, but truthfully, my flesh wanted a baby more than I wanted Him. In our waiting, God radically changed me. I came to know with every bit of me that a little of Jesus was better than a lifetime of anything or anyone else. Our prayers changed from, "Please, God, give us a baby" to "Thank you, Jesus, that You are enough." Yes, Jesus, just give me the crumbs! And by God's sweet grace, as you read this today, we will be snuggling our newborn, miracle baby.
Discussion Questions
1. In this entitled world we live in, we often fall into the lie of thinking that, if God doesn't answer our prayers right away and exactly how we want Him to, then either He is not listening to us, or He is withholding good things from us. Can you describe a time when you have felt this way?
2. Is there anything in your life that you want more than Jesus? Confess that to Him. Ask Him to help you want Him more! Read Mark 9:24.
3. Read 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. What does it mean that God's grace is sufficient? Meditate on the truth that Jesus alone is more than enough for all of you.
4. Listen to the song "Crumbs" by The Ambassador: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Y8lZCzeZM