Dogs Eat the Children's Crumbs - Mark 7:28

Mark wrote how, “a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of” Jesus “and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-eight of his book, Mark wrote how the woman told Jesus, “yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs” where we read:

And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord:

yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

The verse reads, “And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord:” Mark began with the words, “and she answered” which means “the woman with the demon possessed daughter responded and began to speak” “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “to him” which refers to “Jesus”, “Yes, Lord” or “verily, truly, assuredly and even so One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”. Mark shared how the woman responded to Jesus in agreement with what He said as she referred to Him as “master”.

The verse goes on to say, “yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” Mark continued with the words, “yet the dogs” which means “even so and indeed the puppies” “under the table” or “beneath the place where food is put” “eat of the children's crumbs” which means “consume and devour from the offspring and descendants' little bits and morsels”. Mark shared how the woman referred Jesus to the way “little puppies” are able to eat of the little “bits and morsels” of food which “children” drop from their “table”.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see the persistence and persuasiveness of this woman. Though Jesus seemed to present her with an obstacle or objection, she continued in her pursuit to have Him help her daughter. God loves persistence, and His desire is for everyone to come to Him through His Son Jesus in this manner. Those who are wise will examine this woman's statement closely and realize her “desperation” convinced her to keep asking even when presented with obstacles in her way.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus tells the woman, “for this saying go your way; the devil is gone out of your daughter”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".