15th.: By How You Word It (Mark)
Yesterday covered Matthew's remembrance of how a Syro-Phoenician woman
came to Jesus to ask him to cast out a devil that had possessed her daughter.
Jesus' response to her was, “It is not suitable to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” (Matthew 15:26)
Mark gives her golden come-back.
“Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” (Mark 7:28)
She did not demand that Jesus treat her as one worthy of respect.
Instead, she went along with Jesus' analogy.
She placed herself as one of the dogs.
(according to my teachers, in that society, dogs were looked down upon).
And she reminded Jesus how a family dog often eats the crumbs, which kids drop.
All she needed was a 'crumb' from Jesus’ power.
Jesus answered her,
“For this saying, go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.” Mark 7:29.
And her daughter was cleansed of the devil.
By being humble - yet clever - she persuaded God.
“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” (Pr. 25:11)