"And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 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.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone."
-Mark 7:24
For me, this story is one of the most inspiring in the Bible perhaps because I can identify with this woman’s desperation in seeking the healing of her little girl. Having two daughters, I understand the mother’s love that would drive her to seek out every opportunity to see her daughter well and whole.
I also think her persistence is a lesson for us about our approach to God. Instead of giving up at the first challenge to her request, she pressed on, convinced that Jesus, before whom she stood, would have compassion on her and her little one, even though his words were not particularly encouraging. The closer we are to Jesus, the better we are able to discern his true desire for us. She was standing right in front of him, looking at his face. Though his words seem harsh when viewed as ink on a page, the look on his face must have given her the hope necessary to continue in her mission.
Then there is her humility and great faith. Being a Gentile, the fact that for all intents and purposes, Jesus called her a “dog” may have come as no great surprise to this woman, but it could not have been pleasant. She might have slinked away in embarrassment or humiliation, or turned away in anger, but it seems she almost embraced the insult in an effort to convince Jesus that she would take whatever he was giving. She was well aware of the fact that if Jesus answered her prayer, it would not be because of who she was. She was not making the request on the basis of who she was, but upon who Jesus was. Apparently, her faith in him was strong enough for her to be convinced that even the smallest demonstration of Jesus’ power was enough to meet her need.
As you come before the Lord today in prayer, do not be afraid to lay all of your needs at his feet. Look into his face and take comfort in the fact that he loves you and he feels compassion for you. You do not need to beg or convince him of the merit of your request—he is Lord of all. So make your request and open yourself to the possibility of receiving whatever he is giving.
Prayer
Lord, I know that you see everything about my life. You know my need even better than I do and you care about me and all those I love—even more than I do. Help me delight in you because of who you are and not only because of what you do for me. Meet my need Lord, according to your great power and mercy. Amen.
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