The exact words of the title of this article are found only once in the Word of God, yet what significance they carry for us! The story in which they are found is given to us in Mark 7:24-30,24And 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. 25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27But 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. 28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. (Mark 7:24‑30) also Matthew 15:21-28,21Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. (Matthew 15:21‑28) and it concerns a visit that our Lord made to the borders of Tyre and Sidon, on the Mediterranean coast of the land of Israel. Although this territory was actually part of the land of Israel that Jehovah had given them, those cities were not conquered by Israel, and thus they remained famous Gentile trading centers. Their strong sea-faring people were often referred to as Phoenicians. Tyre was finally conquered by Alexander the Great, while Sidon submitted to him. Tyre eventually recovered, and both were important ports in the Roman Empire.
When our Lord visited there, He tried to hide Himself, but as usually happened, “He could not be hid.” A Greek woman approached Him, wanting Him to “cast forth the devil out of her daughter.” In the account in Matthew, she addressed Him as “Thou Son of David,” a title peculiar to Israel.
The Severity of the Lord
At first glance, the answer our Lord gave her seems rather harsh, and (we speak reverently) out of character for Him. He said, “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs” (Mark 7:2727But 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. (Mark 7:27)). This was indeed strong language, and it might easily have generated anger and resentment in her heart.
However, our blessed Lord and Master always acted in the perfect mind of the Spirit of God and never made a mistake. He never had to apologize for a remark that was not delivered in the right way. So it was here. Our Lord’s seeming severity only brought out a heart that was right with God and a heart that recognized the preeminent place of God’s earthly people. The nation of Israel had failed most seriously, to be sure, and was about to be rejected. But to the world at large they remained God’s people.
The woman’s response was, “Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:2828And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. (Mark 7:28)). She did not become offended, nor argue with the Lord. She simply accepted what He said and pleaded only for the crumbs that dogs were allowed to have. She got the blessing, when no doubt some in Israel missed it.
The Best for Us and for His Glory
All this has a good lesson for us, at any time. When the Lord seems to allow adverse circumstances in our life, and perhaps events that are hard to accept, is our first response to Him, “Yes, Lord”? It should be, for His will is not only always the best for us, but also for His honor and glory. His glory is paramount, and to appreciate this often requires us to take a long-range view. The experience of the man who was born blind (John 9:1-31And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (John 9:1‑3)) and the fatal sickness of Lazarus (John 11) were both very difficult at the time, but Scripture records that ultimately the case of the blind man was for “the works of God” to be “manifest in him,” and in the case of Lazarus, “that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Are we prepared for this? To give glory to our blessed Savior ought to be considered a high privilege for us, and especially in this time of His rejection. We must also remember that He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. He sends the grace for whatever He allows in our lives.
We cannot glorify Him in our own strength, but in saying, “Yes, Lord” first of all, we are opening the way for His grace to come in. As another has said, “It is worthwhile going through a trial with the Lord, for then we see what a Comforter He can be.”
W. J. Prost