“Grandpa, why doesn’t God make Mama well?” Edward asked. “We pray and pray and nothing happens. Does God hear us?”

Grandpa looked thoughtfully at his grandchildren. “Sometimes we need to learn better how to ask,” he said. “Shall I tell you a story?” The children nodded, and so Grandpa began.

Asking for Crumbs

(From Matthew 15:21-28)

There once was a Syrophoenician girl that was in great trouble. Evil thoughts filled her mind and made her life so dark and miserable that her mother didn’t know what to do with her. So the poor woman went searching for help, but all was in vain. No one could cure a devil-possessed girl.

One day she heard of Jesus, a healer from Judah that was coming through their area. But could this man help her daughter? Was there any power stronger than the devil’s? “Oh, yes! He has such power that he can even cast out devils,” someone said.

“I must speak to him,” the mother decided. “This man’s power must be the greatest there is.” She left her house and quickly joined the crowds that followed the healer. “They call him the Son of David and a prophet of God. He is an important man, but surely he will show mercy to my poor daughter,” she told herself. But no matter how earnestly she cried after him, Jesus never answered her at all. What a terrible disappointment!

“I can’t give up now,” the poor mother said to herself. “If I have to beg all day, I will, because he is my only hope.” As she pressed in closer, she could hear the man’s followers complaining about the racket she was making. What did Jesus tell them? It didn’t matter, because now she was close enough to kneel before him. “Lord, help me,” she prayed, looking up at the one who had the power to make her daughter well.

His answer seemed quite rude. “It’s not right for me to throw the children’s bread to the dogs,” he said. She knew what he meant. He had more worthy people than her to help. She was just a poor Syrophoenician woman, and he was a man of God.

“That is true, Lord,” she said, humbly, “but even dogs eat crumbs that fall off of their masters’ table.” It was all she could really ask for. But she wanted those crumbs.

Suddenly a smile broke across Jesus’ face. “O woman, you have great faith,” he said. “You shall have what you want.” Her daughter made well and happy once more? Tears of joy filled the mother’s eyes as she thanked him and hurried home. And do you not believe that her daughter was well from that day on?

The children nodded. “But why did Jesus ignore her at first?” Alice asked. “I thought it wasn’t right to ignore people.”

Grandpa smiled. “And to call her a dog?” he asked.

“That’s mean!” Edward exclaimed.

“Doesn’t Daddy sometimes say that you gobble like a turkey?” Grandpa asked. Edward nodded slowly. “Why do you suppose he says that?”

“Because I’m eating too fast.”

“Maybe Jesus was trying to teach this woman something, too,” said Grandpa.

“Maybe He didn’t answer because she was kind of proud,” Alice suggested.

“Maybe at first,” Grandpa agreed, “but she wasn’t proud by the time she asked for the crumbs, was she?”

“Why did she want crumbs?” asked Edward. “I don’t get it.”

“When she asked Jesus to help her, He said He couldn’t toss the children’s bread to the dogs. That meant that God had sent Him to help the people of Israel, not her people,” explained Grandpa. “It was like the neighbor boy coming over and asking your mom for clothes, and she says that she buys clothes for her own children, not for everyone. But then the neighbor boy says, ‘But if you have something you don’t need any more, could I have it?’ What would she say then?”

“Mama is nice. She’d give him some of my extra clothes,” Edward said.

“And that is the way Jesus is,” said Grandpa. “When she said she just wanted crumbs, she was willing to have any help He could spare to give her. Jesus answered her prayer and healed her daughter. That was pretty good crumbs, don’t you think?”

“And so when we pray for Mama, maybe we should ask for crumbs, too,” said Alice thoughtfully.

“Cookie crumbs?” asked little Sammy. “I like it when Mama gives me cookie crumbs.”

Everyone laughed.