This story always makes me stop and read it again. Jesus compares this lady to a dog and she, because she believes, didn’t care she still answers out of love for Christ and her daughter. What do we do to show our love and thankfulness? It is not our choosing to earn salvation; it is loving Jesus enough to believe who He is and surrender our will to do anything that He shows us. She didn’t care that she was a Gentile even after Jesus tells her He shouldn’t help the dogs. Her love helps her answer so Jesus sees her pure heart and heals the daughter. This reminds me of what it says in Psalm chapter 37 verse 4, “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your hearts desires.” It goes on in verse 5 to add a key step for us to remember. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.”
It’s not about us living for the world and then asking for help; it’s living for Jesus and knowing He has already helped. I love that Jesus says in verse 29, “Good answer!” then said, “Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.” The same faith is seen in the solder that asks for his servant to be healed. They didn’t need to see Jesus do anything they believed He could and it happened. The religious leaders and Pharisees always demanded miraculous signs and Jesus rebuked them.
He wants our hearts and our love and He wants us to desire and commit to living like Him. If we are willing to open up and ask He is willing to answer and shine. He is the hope of the world and we should have joy every day because we know Him. As we surrender our lives and trust in Him nothing can take that joy but our own thoughts so we need to fill our thoughts with God’s word and live out all that we learn so people see our pure hearts and our actions show that we love God. Amen