Not Just Scraps!

This morning I felt like reading from Mark's gospel, and here are the verses I am reflecting upon - Mark 7:24-30 NIV:

[24] Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. [25] In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. [26] The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

[27] “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.”

[28] “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”

[29] Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” [30] She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone."

This is always such an interesting story, for the way Mark writes the account, it appears that Jesus is almost reluctant to do anything for her, just because she wasn't Jewish.  However, that whole line of conversation is not my focus this morning.  What i am thinking about is the fact that if we take the language in this story literally, that with the scraps from the banqueting table that would normally be fed to the dogs, Jesus has plenty to defeat the work of the enemy and cast the demon from the young girl's body.

As I was thinking about these scraps of bread, I was reminded of Jesus teaching on prayer (Matt 6:9-13), about asking for our daily bread from the Father.  So often I would be more than happy with just a little scrap of God's presence, and yet according to Jesus, it is the Father's will to provide us the whole of our daily provisions!  We just need to ask, just like this women!  She isn't concerned that she doesn't have relationship with Jesus, she has heard that he is capable to heal people of demonic possession and so she goes to Him and asks.  We, who have relationship with Him, how much more likely or willing is He to provide exactly what we need?  He is our Lord, our provider, our source of all life!  As Jesus tells us in Luke 11:13 NIV: "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I also like the fact that Jesus never leaves the house and yet casts the demon out from afar (at least that is the way it appears).  In other words, we don't need to feel His presence to know that He is capable of dealing with the situation!  What an awesome God we have.

So this morning I am encouraged to ask, for the Lord doesn't just want to give me the scraps for the dogs!  No, He wants to give me the whole of my provision, all that I want, my daily bread, and even more so the Holy Spirit!

Amen!