Crumbs of Mercy
"But she said, 'Yes, Lord; but even the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.'" (Matthew 15: 27)
The woman says that people allow the dogs under the table, where the crumbs fall. It is a blessed thing that the more crumbs there are, the more dogs there are also! The greater the duty! However, the people of God are perishing more and more.
The crumb is mercy. But where is it? It is under the table. It is not high above us; it is not in great spiritual experiences. God's benevolence reveals itself in the meeting of humility and mercy.
In Psalm 22 Jesus, the only one who was not a dog, cries and laments thus: "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has enclosed me." Everybody is a dog compared to holiness. But it matters whether I am a barking, snarling, cursing, scornful dog or whether I am one that slips under the table to get the crumbs. In the countries of the middle east, the tables are not as tall as in our country. Here, you can slip underneath one quite easily, but there the legs of the tables are much shorter. Slip underneath one like that, if you can! If I am a big dog, I will not be able to do it. But if I am a little dog, I will manage. If I cannot slip underneath that table, I will not be able to slip into heaven and under God's mercy either. Let us humble ourselves in order to receive the infinite mercy of God.
[FV, HFTR]
The woman says that people allow the dogs under the table, where the crumbs fall. It is a blessed thing that the more crumbs there are, the more dogs there are also! The greater the duty! However, the people of God are perishing more and more.
The crumb is mercy. But where is it? It is under the table. It is not high above us; it is not in great spiritual experiences. God's benevolence reveals itself in the meeting of humility and mercy.
In Psalm 22 Jesus, the only one who was not a dog, cries and laments thus: "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has enclosed me." Everybody is a dog compared to holiness. But it matters whether I am a barking, snarling, cursing, scornful dog or whether I am one that slips under the table to get the crumbs. In the countries of the middle east, the tables are not as tall as in our country. Here, you can slip underneath one quite easily, but there the legs of the tables are much shorter. Slip underneath one like that, if you can! If I am a big dog, I will not be able to do it. But if I am a little dog, I will manage. If I cannot slip underneath that table, I will not be able to slip into heaven and under God's mercy either. Let us humble ourselves in order to receive the infinite mercy of God.
[FV, HFTR]
posted by CS at 9:31 PM
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