It's All About the Crumbs

[HKHaugan]

It’s All About the Crumbs

 Every so often we run into a passage that seems to be contrary to the Jesus we have been taught is the presence of God’s love. Just such a passage is Mark 7:24-30, the request by a Gentile woman to deliver her daughter from a demon. The way Jesus responds to her request seems harsh at first glance. But therein lies the teaching. Our immediate reaction, that first glance, may not be an accurate read of the situation. We need to recover the way Jesus teaches us. His goal in all that He says is to bring the hearts of all people to Him. So, we start with everything from a spiritual perspective because God is Spirit, and everything is sourced through the Spirit. We look at the passage and ask, who are the subjects, what is the theme and the message it’s giving us?

 First this, like all of Jesus’ events, is spiritually grounded. Jesus is the Lord of healing by the Holy Spirit. His reputation has spread throughout the region. Any mention of where He is will spread fast.

 Second, the woman has an earthly identity but not a spiritual one. In the Jewish mindset she has three strikes against her. She is a Greek (unclean Gentile) woman (gender challenged) having been born in Syrian-Phoenicia (Canaanite in Matthew---enemy of the Jews) ethnically questionable). Thus, her surrounding world places her in a low social position. While she may have been Greek, she was born outside of Greece in another country, an alien. She speaks at least two languages based on the fact she can talk to Jesus. Also, there is no mention of a husband. None of this apparently phases her. She comes to the Jewish Jesus alone.

Third, her daughter is suffering from a demon within. There is no identification of the demon, but it is obviously an evil influence that has her in its control.

 The theme is the worldly condition of both the mother and the daughter. They are both alone and trapped, encased, entombed in the identity the world has given them. Add to that the demonic influence in the daughter which will determine her future. The mother grieves for her daughter as any mother would and must have been filled with fear as well. Their situation is hopeless. Keep in mind here this is a spiritual situation and what happens next is understood only in spiritual terms.

 The woman begs for Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus replies, “First let the children eat all they want for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Jesus is making a statement that the woman would understand. She comes to Him knowing full well He is a Jew and that the ‘children’s bread’ is the blessings designed for the Jewish people who were intended to be the bearers of the Gospel. Let them experience all that God desires for them spiritually, because it should not be shared with ‘dogs’, the unclean Gentiles who have no understanding of the One God.

 What follows is the gem of gems, her reply, which is God’s desire for all people everywhere, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Matthew records her as saying, “Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

First, note how she recognizes Jesus as Lord. Lord and Master tops it off. Then the ‘dogs’ reference indicates she might have known that was the Jewish term for Gentiles. But, as a mother, her daughter’s need rose beyond all that. It’s her recognition that clinches the picture. Doesn’t this ring familiarly in other Scriptures? Matt. 17:16, when Peter recognizes Jesus as “Christ, the Son of the living God.” John the Baptizer recognizes Jesus and says, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” A Gentile centurion, at the death of Jesus, declares, “Surely, this man was the Son of God (Mark 15:39).”

Second, the crumbs are pieces of the bread that inadvertently fall while the loaf is cut and eaten during a meal. ‘Crumbs’ are spiritually significant. They are the ‘crumbs’ of grace, truth, love, prayer, the gifts and fruit of the Spirit. They fall from the Lord’s table on the righteous and the unrighteous as well. They are blessings from the faithful work of Jesus’ disciples that fall on everyone regardless of who they are. There are many who will never appreciate the crumbs they have been given. And too, that God is maintaining them through His grace that they might one day come to Him. Yet, they are beneficiaries, of His love for them. Can we overlook the fallen condition of the disciples at the Lord’s Last Supper?

 If you carry the spiritual intent further, think of all the ministries that are taking place around the world that serve people regardless of what they believe or identity with. We don’t minister to people with the expectation they become believers. We minister to them because of the needs they have. We don’t put a label on anyone in need. Think of the founding of this country and the realization that its presence serves to make it the greatest anti-poverty, anti-war and pro-freedom machine in the world.

 The Lord Jesus speaks to our hearts through the non-Jewish Greek woman’s plea to illustrate His love for all people and to move their hearts to recognize just who He is. Then, for His disciples to reach out and minister to everyone with whom they come in contact along their daily way whether they respond in faith or not. Like Paul said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow (1Cor.3:6).”

However, the real theme here is the woman’s recognition of Jesus as Lord. He is the whole loaf. For those of us who are disciples the real mission is to love and minister to those with whom we come in contact. Their background, conditioning and attitudes are shaped by their past experiences both good and bad. Recognizing that, we trust the Holy Spirit to lead us through the complications those things present. It takes the fruit of the Spirit to do that. Since we have the whole loaf, the Bread of Life, as our Lord, there are two goals, ministry and salvation. The goal of the Lord is their salvation, but our goal is the ministry that paves the way for Him to do the saving. For us, it’s all about the crumbs, if you get what I mean.