Crumbs

By Cheri Cowell –

“Cheri, even the dog deserves your crumbs,” my mother would warn when I was being stingy and judgemental. Once again, unbeknownst to me, she was delivering a biblical truth. The first indictment in this statment is the division in my own mind of people into categories. We all do this, but it isn’t biblical. The second indictment was even more stinging. Without saying it outright, my mother was calling my attitude into question. I was judging some to be lowly like a dog, and therefore undeserving of my respect, love, and compassion. Jesus used these same points in this parable lesson.

The Gentiles were looked upon by the Jews with great contempt. They were called and counted as dogs. But see how the tables are turned. After the bringing of the Gentiles into the church, the Jewish zealots for the law are here called dogs. This parable cautions us to beware of our own tendencies to divide people into categories and to label some as worthy and some as unworthy. God has a way of turning tables on us and we may be the ones begging for crumbs from His table.
“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment” (Matthew 15:21-28 NIV).
PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive me for the times when I’ve bowed to the tendency to categorize people and thus label some as more worthy of my love, respect, and compassion. Help me to respond more like Jesus who views all as worthy and valuable children of God.