Crumbs, Please!

Where there is a strong need there must also be strong determination.

There was a woman whose daughter was grievously ill and she came to Jesus asking for mercy. Why "mercy?" For two reasons: she was a woman (in that culture, she should not be approaching a man) and she was an outsider (a non-Jew). The biblical account actually states that she "cried unto him" meaning that she had volume and passion in her voice. 

Initially, Jesus did not answer her cries. The disciples also heard the woman and pleaded with Jesus to "send her away" because the woman had been following them around, while loudly begging for their help. Jesus responds to the pleading of the disciples by saying "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He is letting everyone know that he sees the woman's nationality. In spite of the words that seemed to say she was not going to be considered, the woman came close to Jesus and bowed in worship. The opportunity presented itself for her to demonstrate what was in her heart: a reverence for who Jesus was. "Lord, help me!" were the next words out of her mouth.

Jesus' then says something that on the surface sounds shockingly offensive: "It is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs." Most folks would be completely turned off by those words but the woman knew what Jesus could do and she had a strong need. "Truth, Lord" she said, "yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." The woman, in great humility, acknowledged that she was an outsider and, at the same time, showed her belief that Jesus could choose to grant her request. What she was saying was "Lord, what I am asking for is just a crumb compared to what you can do!" Needless to say, Jesus granted the woman's request. The woman's daughter was healed!

Do you have a strong need? Perhaps adding strong determination to seek God about your need may be the solution. 

Bible reference: Matthew 15: 22-28