The Children’s Bread

I started writing this on Thursday evening, God started dealing with me on the subject of physical healing several months ago but I have had no direction to write on it till earlier that day. By Friday morning I was faced with a situation of praying for a family member for healing. I believe God’s timing is not good. It is perfect. But let me share some thoughts with you.

According to Jesus, Healing is the Children’s bread. Should we give the children’s bread to the dogs?

During his ministry Jesus encountered distractions and one of them was a Canaanite woman who came to him to heal her daughter. Read with me.

Matt 15:21-28

• 21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
• 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
• 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
• 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
• 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
• 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
• 27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
• 28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

(NIV)

His disciples wanted to protect Him from this woman. After all, she was an inferior. She was from the region of Tyre and Sidon, one that the Jews despised.

Luke 10:14

• 14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

(KJV)

And she was annoying them when He was ministering. Their thrust was maintaining the “integrity of the ministry” and the “decorum”. They remind me so much of many ministers and church leaders of today. To many in church leadership, ministry is more important than people. But her response to Jesus got His attention. “…the dogs eat the crumbs…” What a statement. This woman perceived that the healing of her daughter was not taking the children’s bread from them, it was simply allowing her to take advantage of the crumbs that fell from the table, i.e. the bread that the children carelessly dropped to the floor. God’s people were allowing their daily bread to fall on the floor. This woman wanted to pick up some of the crumbs, the healing that God’s chosen people carelessly did not appropriate for themselves. She and her daughter would be the beneficiaries of their lack of faith in Him.

But what about us? Jesus told us to pray.

Matt 6:11

• 11 Give us today our daily bread.

(NIV)

Many look at that as asking for our physical food. But bread was viewed as that which sustained. Is our daily dread just the physical bread or does it include everything that God has for each of us, healing, peace, His presence, etc.? Look at what Jesus did. Wherever he went he healed the sick and cast out demons. There are only a couple instances where he provided physical food, the feeding of the multitudes and the bread and fish on the fire for the disciples along the lake. Remember that Luke says that Jesus did many more things than he wrote about and there are many healings he lists.

Luke 5:24-25

• 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”
• 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

(NIV)

But Jesus ascended to heaven about 34 AD. What about the 1970 years since? The scripture says He does not change.

Heb 13:8

• 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

(KJV)

So what about healing since He ascended? Look at what the disciples did.

Acts 3:4-7

• 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”
• 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
• 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
• 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.

(NIV)

Acts 5:15-18

• 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.
• 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
• 17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
• 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

(NIV)

The sick in the days of Jesus occupied His attention. The sick in the days of the disciples occupied their attention. Do the sick today occupy our attention? If so, why are we not bringing healing to them? If not. Why not?

Other Articles by Ralph Brandt

Churches That Get Government Money

Financial Help in These Trying Times

Anonymous and Irresponsible: the Radical Left

The Comparison of the Assassinations of Kennedy and Lincoln

Relationship of Church and State

I’m Going on
Compromise in the Church
Come Away My Beloved
Communion
Contradictions – Science and Religion