When Faith and Humility Collide
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. 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. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. “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.” “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. - Mark 7: 24-30
Jesus works in people who have faith and humble heart. What He saw in the Syrophoenician woman pushed Him to perform miracles. From the passage above, we can learn two important things from the heart of the woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit:
- She humbly accepted who she was.
When Jesus said that it was not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dog, the woman didn’t argue against His accusations. Jesus was referring to her as a dog, and that’s something that could possibly hurt her feelings. At that time, the Jews called the Gentiles dogs. And that’s what Jesus used to describe her. But instead of feeling disappointed by what Jesus said, the woman chose to stay and accept it with all her heart. She didn’t fight for her right or even prove to Jesus that He was wrong. Her humble heart deeply touched our Savior.
2. The woman kept her faith.
Even if she knew that Jesus saw her as a dog, still she answered Him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She chose to keep her faith. She acknowledged that she was one of the dogs that Jesus referred. She knows her place, and because of that, she was able to think of ways on how she can convince Jesus to help her. It’s like our Savior is testing this woman’s intention and faith. She believed that Jesus could still perform miracles despite her status in society. She didn’t take pity on herself. Instead, she claimed God’s goodness in her life despite her difficult situation. She firmly believes that even she’s a gentile, she can still take part in the miracles that Jesus is doing. And because of that faith, Jesus miraculously healed her daughter.
The woman’s faith is a wonderful reminder for us to trust Jesus despite our limitations. We need to learn how to come as we are. We don’t have to pretend in His presence. We can expose to Him our imperfections, and we need to keep our faith despite our weaknesses. Just like the gentile woman, we need to learn how to accept our position in the eyes of God. We must not think highly of ourselves. Instead, we need to humbly come before His throne and ask for His grace. We need to believe even when we feel inadequate. That’s where miracles start to happen.
