“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
She had been ignored. Then it got worse – then the insults came. To call a woman a “little dog” was as much an insult back then as it is today. There Jesus was standing, acting so imperious, putting on airs before His disciples – and every single stereotype she had heard about those Jewish men was being reinforced right in front of her face. And I suppose some folks might have left in a huff, might have let the insult drive them away. Some might have reviled back in return – some “Messiah” you are pal!
But this woman doesn’t. Instead, she says something wondrous. “Yes.” Yes, I am a little dog, and frankly I could insult myself with many words that would be worse and even more accurate. I could fulfill every stereotype your disciples might think of a woman “like me.” But that’s not the point here – it’s not who I am, it’s who You are, Jesus – and I know that you take care of even the weak and lowly and the undeserving. Crumbs will fall from Your table, and my daughter will be healed.
Jesus then praises her faith – see here, disciples, this is what faith looks like! She’s not praising herself, she’s not using Me to make everyone go “ooo” and “ahhh” about how great she is. Nope – she’s simply looking at Me and knowing that I will provide what is good for what, provide even things she in no way could hope to earn.
Pride and faith are opposites. Pride looks at myself and tells me that everyone else ought to praise me. Faith looks at Jesus and says that He is great and loving even to someone as lousy as me. Pride elevates the self – faith looks to Jesus to come down and serve the lowly. Pride would kill your faith – twist it into some self-worshiping cult. Faith draws your eyes to Jesus, to where you see Him and Him alone.
This Lent Jesus draws our eyes to Him again, makes us to see who He is and what He does for us. Though we are little dogs, though we are poor, miserable sinners, He will come down from heaven and win us salvation by going to the Cross. Not because we deserve it, but simply because that is who He is. He is the God who saves, the God who isn’t interested in His own pride but rather in blessing and serving you.
