Small faith leads to cold feet. Ask Peter with his soggy socks after he tried to walk on the water. So how do we recognize large faith? Twice now we have seen Jesus commend the faith of foreigners. A centurion recognized his authority in chapter 8. Now a foreign woman receives Jesus’ commendation for “great faith.” What did Jesus see in her?
By now we know that Jesus was surrounded by needy people, everywhere he went. When he left the historic bounds of Israel and went up to present day Lebanon, he encountered a woman who evinced desperation in her appeal for Jesus to help her son. At first, Jesus seems to rebuff her. He compared her to a dog. I know. “What?” Jesus told her that he had come to help the Jews, not the Gentile dogs. She, however, was quick on her feet. “Even the dogs get the crumbs.” “Great faith,” said Jesus, granting her request. Faith holds on tight and refuses to let go. Jesus saw it in her. Does he see it in us?
I sat in a college worship service on sabbatical at Oxford. As I sat awaiting the bread and cup, I saw a prayer on the screen. “We are not worthy to eat the crumbs that fall to the ground.” This is faith: knowing that we do not merit or deserve God’s grace, nevertheless we ask. Against all odds, we hold on to hope, believing that God is not only able, but willing to meet our needs. Perhaps we have not because we have asked not. Today, with great faith, ask God to meet your greatest need. Watch him work.
