For The Response

Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me! But He answered and said, It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. And she said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that very hour. 

Matthew 15:25-28 

Christ often said and did things in order to elicit a response from the people with whom He was interacting. He, knowing all things, was aware beforehand of the people, their issues, and their character. We observe Him doing this on multiple occasions. When He first encountered Nathaniel, He made a remark that, by the nature of it, convinced Nathaniel that He was the Son of God and the King of Israel. When He told the woman at the well to go and call her husband, He knew what she would respond. In the account before us, we find Christ acting in such a way as to elicit a particular response from the Canaanite woman. He says to her, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread, and throw it to the dogs.’ He was well aware of what her response would be. Her argument was full of faith in Him. He responded to her with, ‘O woman great is your faith.’ We may learn from this that often Christ sets the circumstances of life before us in such a way as to reveal to us and to others the faith He has engendered in us for Him. We come to Him knowing that regardless of the situation, He will do us good.  

Our Wise and Gracious God, 
we rejoice that You know us better than we know ourselves. 
We praise You that You order and arrange the circumstances, 
to reveal the faith we have as You have given it to us. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning