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.

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