Send us Fan Mail INTRO: “And Jesus said, [F]or it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.But the woman said, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. Hello and welcome to Spiritual Warriors, The Caregivers. This is Episode 19 in our series on Spiritual Warfare. If you are a caregiver, you are a spiritual warrior. Be encouraged in this new season of your life, and remember that He is with you, for He said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b My name is Dr. Stephanie Wright, and today’s episode is about a woman who was a caregiver to her daughter. We do not know this woman’s name, but we do know her wisdom and humility were key to her daughter’s healing. The podcast is entitled “Give Me the Crumbs.” Our scripture reading is from Mark 7:24-30, also found in Matthew 15:21-28. Let’s begin. Mark 7:24-25 tells us Jesus was in the region of Tire and Sidon when a Syrophoenician woman entered a home and fell to His feet, and asked Jesus to cast an unclean spirit out of her daughter. Reading: verses 24-25 And 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. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: In verse 26, we learn the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation. Now this is pointed out because the Jews and the Syrophoenicians were enemies. But, this mother did not care that Jews looked down on Syrophoenicians. Reading: verses 26-27 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him [Jesus] that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Think about what this mother must have been going through. Like many caregivers, she likely had the responsibility of caring for her child every day. But she also had to watch her child being tormented by an evil spirit. The scripture does not give details about how long the child suffered with this evil spirit or even what kind of spirit it was. As I have said in past podcasts, that's God's wisdom: not to reveal every detail in a Bible account, because then we might limit his ability to heal to that one situation. But regardless of what kind of spirit it was, we know this mother was determined to see her child set free. 27 But 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. Jesus sounded harsh when 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.” Basically, Jesus was saying, “Jews first, everyone else after.” But this woman would not be denied her daughter’s healing. She didn’t get upset and walk away; instead, she got humble and said to Jesus, in verse 28, “. . . Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” This woman was wise because she recognized that the same power in the whole loaf of bread was in the crumbs that fell from it. Armed with this knowledge and knowing Jesus as a healer, she was compelled in her love for her daughter to be humble. She did not take offense at Jesus’ words, “yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs”; instead, she reminded Jesus, there is still healing in the crumbs because He is the Bread of Life. What’s in the loaf is in the crumbs. Give me the crumbs. Her wisdom, humility, and love for her daughter led Jesus to tell her in verse 29, . . . For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. This woman taught us about wisdom, humility, and love as a mother and caregiver. She sought healing for her daughter, resisting those who would scorn her, a Syrophoenician, for going to a Jew for help. For this, she was rewarded. Mark 7:30 says that when she returned home, she found her daughter lying on the bed, and the evil spirit was gone. In other words, her daughter was healed. Our prayer is that you will have the wisdom, humility and love of the Syrophoenician woman to be the caregiver God has called you to be. Let me close by reminding every caregiver, whether you are a parent or caring for your parents or others, what you do matters. Your prayers, your concern, your assistance, great or small, all matter. You may not get the recognition you deserve; indeed, you may not feel appreciated at all. Nevertheless, God is watching, and He has your rewards — all of them. “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared for [you].” I Corinthians 2:9. And remember, if you know someone who does not know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they need your prayers for salvation through Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today. We hope that this series will be a blessing to you, especially because you are a caregiver. Now stay tuned for Dr. Apostle Charles, who will tell you how to contact us and listen to past podcasts on spiritual warfare, fasting, prayer, and other topics. If you want to contact us or comment on this podcast, please visit our website and select www.cgmissions.com/podcasts, where all episodes are available by category in series format. You can see some video and audio podcasts at: www.youtube.com/@cgmissionsinc then select from the video or podcast"Playlist." CGM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations may be made on our website: https://www.cgmissions.com/donate-here-general-and-wecare/
