ADVENT WEEK THREE: JOY
December 18 Rev. Jenny Wynn
More than Crumbs
Matthew 15:21-28
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their
masters’ table.” Matthew 15: 27
Mary Oliver wrote in her poem “Don’t Hesitate,” “Joy is not meant to be a
crumb.” This wisdom echoes Matthew 15:21–28, where a Canaanite woman
seeks mercy for herself and her daughter, who is tormented by a demon. She
cries out loudly to Jesus. Her cries are met by Jesus’ silence. Annoyed the
disciples urge him to send her away for being too loud.
Jesus finally speaks, saying, “I was sent only for the lost sheep of the house
of Israel.” Undeterred, she kneels and pleads. His reply is harsh and cuts
deep, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
Nevertheless, she persisted. This outsider refused silencing, even by Jesus.
With an expansive vision of God’s household, she fought for her and her
daughter’s place in it. Her bold reply, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall
from their masters’ table.” opened his eyes. He praised her faith. Her daughter
was healed. This woman helps Jesus to see how wide God’s welcome ex-
tends.
In Advent, this brave woman teaches us. Standing between what was and
what could be, she joined the endless chorus crying out to Emmanuel. She
clung to a crumb of hope, believing her world and her daughter’s world could
change.
Her voice joins countless others still crying for a different way, namely the way
of justice. She reminds us never to settle for crumbs. God’s welcome, mercy,
and joy were never meant to be mere crumbs for anyone.
","author_name":"Phillips Seminary"}