Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. --
Jesus was on vacation in the seaside community of Tyre when a Gentile woman heard that he was nearby. So she came, threw herself at his feet, and begged him to cast the evil spirit out of her daughter. Our expectation is that Jesus will surely have compassion on this woman and heal her daughter even though they are Gentiles. Instead, he says, "It is not fair to take the childrenšs food and throw it to the dogs." We are stunned by such harsh words.
Trying to get Jesus off the hook, some have claimed that he was tired and this woman was violating his boundaries. Others do gymnastics with the Greek, and still others say he was just testing her. Let me suggest another interpretation -- Jesus meant what he said. This woman and her daughter do not deserve Jesus' mercy. Neither do you or I.
We have gone a little crazy over the concept of deserving. Living in a society that has taught us to fight for our rights, we easily assume that anything we want, we deserve. But what you deserve is actually the last thing you want from the Son of God.
The woman at Jesus' feet didn't demand to be called a child of God or to have a place at the table. She just asked for a crumb of mercy. Jesus got so excited that he had found someone who was more committed to his mercy than to her rights that he couldn't resist casting out the demon.
-- Craig Barnes