Too Busy to See the Need
Too busy for “little dogs”.
The Canaanites were considered “little dogs”. They were a mixed-breed of people and descendants of Canaan, one of Noah’s descendants. They didn’t fit anywhere and were rejected by the Jewish people. Some people referred to them as “half-breed”, which was just as bad as being called a little dog.
One day a Canaanite woman approached Jesus as he was surrounded by a crowd of people. She wanted healing for her daughter, and she told Jesu so. The disciples were impatient with the interruption by the woman, but Jesus did not brush her aside. The disciples wanted Jesus to send her away, because she would not leave them alone. Jesus didn’t send her away. He simply told her that it wasn’t good to give food to dogs. You can read the story here.
She replied, “True. But even little dogs can benefit from crumbs.”
Persistence pays off
All she wanted was some crumbs for her child. She wasn’t about to leave until she got some answers. This mother cared so much for her child that she was willing to experience ridicule and shunning. She also hoped for the best for her child, which is why she went to Jesus. She knew where to go for help! This story teaches us three things.
- Persistence pays off. This mother was persistent. She did not give up. She knew where the answer was and didn’t stop until she got to the Source of the answer.
- Faith is rewarded. This mother had faith – so much so that Jesus elevated her faith. She knew she got to the right place and she was rewarded.
- We must not be so busy with the things of God that we lose sight of the needs right in front of us. The disciples had an opportunity to meet the need of this woman, but they were so impatient with her interruption that they failed to see the opportunity.
Too busy or not?
Serving and ministering to others can keep us so busy that we fail to see the true needs of others. We tend to want to meet those needs the way we think they should be met – instead of asking God for wisdom to know how to best help someone. If the disciples had been about the Kingdom, they would have seen the need. Instead, it seems they were so entrenched with the crowds that they couldn’t see the opportunity for the interruption.
Serving in the Kingdom has nothing to do with checking things off a list. It has everything to do with building and maintaining relationships. That’s what Jesus was doing. He understood this woman’s heart and answered her plea after her faith was exhibited in her response. He took the time to learn her heart, and He wasn’t too busy to see her need.
*Photo credits go to freebibleimages.org
