Mark 7: 24And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 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. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
We’ve all probably been thinking about Christmas since August. We’ve all seen our families grow and see the need to buy more gifts. The kids play a while and then forget about them. Thanks is so quickly forgotten. The decline on the importance of Thanksgiving began 15-20 years ago and the importance of Christmas increased. When this nation was founded, the Pilgrims celebrated Christmas but it was not to the extent it is now. In 1621 they found a country here leaving organized religion in England. Maybe I should call is disorganized religion. The first thing they did was thank the Lord. According to accounts they spent longer thanking God than eating. That’s how America started.
You might ask where is Thanksgiving is this scripture. The woman didn’t say it but Jesus saw her heart. He showed mercy because of her faith. She let him know she knew the value of crumbs. A crumb from one table is enough.
The sin of sins is trying to hide the one who saved us. Crumbs happen: kids…and the kid in us. I’ve cleaned them up many times after eating. The woman wasn’t asking for a plate full. Maybe we ask too much. We want a plate full that has sideboards and barely say thank you. We don’t deserve even a crumb but we keep asking.
Jesus took two biscuits and five fish and fed thousands. When it was over Jesus told his disciples to take up the leftovers. There were 12 baskets full. We can’t out-give God and we can’t thank him enough. If we would thank him more there might not be the need for requests. The Bible tells us he knows what we have need of.
This woman’s young daughter was vexed by demons. She left her at home and came to see Jesus. She found him and begged him to take the devil from the girl. We will not be devil free. We’ll not get close enough to God that the devil will leave us alone. The devil is working. If you let down your guard the devil will work on you. We can all backslide on the Lord. I’ve done it. There are things we need to ask his forgiveness for. Every day we must keep the Lord in and the devil out.
People are demon possessed—sin possessed—as if a legion of demons was in them. This woman held tight even though Jesus said to 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. She told him that even the dogs were glad to get crumbs from the table. Whatever we throw out, the animals would love to have. She could have said she had a right to have her daughter healed. After all he had healed others. Have you ever gotten mad because some have been healed and others haven’t? Jesus knew she understood and said for this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. That’s not all. Verse 30 says when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. Finally the little girl found rest.
Wouldn’t you like to have a devil-free house and family? Don’t tell God how to do it. Trust what he does. He never gives us not enough. We may not get everything we want but we can’t accuse him of being slack. We need a new heart afresh with gratitude. People have stopped being grateful. They feel entitled. What we’re entitled to is a place in hell but Jesus saved us. Be thankful for the crumbs. If we have little to eat, be thankful. If we get no presents at Christmas, be thankful.
Be thankful for the crumbs.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 