It is not right to take the children’s meat and give it to the puppies

Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon likely to rest, and a local women had come asking Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. The title of this post from Matthew 15:26 is Jesus answer to her. Her response was “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” The woman’s faith had touched Jesus’s heart come and He agreed to her request.

I am seeing this story as validating the teachings of Cloud and Townsend on boundaries (Google it!). The teaching has a lot to do with helping us to know when to say yes, and when to say no. In the exchange we are discussing, Jesus had clearly stated that His ministry was to the Jew. It’s tempting to think that we can minister to everybody. With this incident, Jesus is telling us no! And if we try, we will likely burn out and not have sufficient energy etc. to fulfil the calling to which we are called. It is of course important to know our calling, our destiny. It’s not a short conversation, but one clue is to be found in the joy we find in doing certain things. In particular it is my observation that people come alive when doing certain things.

We are not told specifically that Jesus had gone to Tyre and Sidon to rest. But it’s not too much of a leap to believe so. We do need rest, and the saying “Man was not made for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath for man” (Mark 2:27) comes to mind. It’s an important point in our hectic world, and we do need to take time out to rest! But I think the incident also shows that Jesus was not legalistic about this, that his boundaries were not rigid, but that he left room for the Holy Spirit to move. Don’t you just love the balance in this man?

Lord Jesus, most of us need help in these two areas, knowing knowing our calling, and knowing our boundaries. Thank You for your amazing example Lord, You are so real, so authentic and so worthy of imitating. Thank You that You have promised to show us the way moment by moment, day by day as we choose to follow You. Thank You that You have promised to continue Your work in us. And l give You all the honour all the glory and all the praise again this morning, in Your precious Name Amen