The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-23

! this woman felt that her only
hope was ready to perish: shs needed but three
| condensed, she had improved her prayer. The
| Jewish title. "Sor of David" proper only on
| jewish lips, was omitted She saw that she had
nothing 10 do with gsnealogies. She stood out
/ side the household of Israel and came Jesus
| on the higher, broader plane, as Lord, Lord of
| universal humanity. and therefore her Lord. If
| Him here. She no longer crept along pro-
| phetic lines, but she came mp boldly to Him as
| the divine helper
Jesus could not repsl such approach. And
| yet the woman's faith has gone too far. He
| would not have her ignore His present circum-
| scribed ministry. And so He answered. Let
| the children first be filled II is not meet to
take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs"
| Thus He recalled her to the fact already an
| nounced 20 His disciples that His mission was
| to the chosen people alone. Was this unkinoi
Was the language employed harshf Some
have thought so. Call this woman a dog! Is 1t
| not enough to deny her petition because she is
outside the covenant of prom1seF Must con-
| tempt be heaped upon herf Has Jesus exchanged
the graciousness of His spirit for coarseness and
| rudeness2 Will He offend an honest and earn
est seeker in time of distressl No, no. 1mpossi-
| Bile! The word here employed by the Saviour
| and translated dog not that word which me
Jews applied to the heather. de dld not COM
| pare the woman to the great wild dog wnicn IN
| the East infested towns and villages and which
therefore out to be feared and summed out TO the
little dog which is attached to the household ana
| which ought to be treated with kindness he
| made her know that the Jews were especially
| near, but that the gentiles were not wholly re-
moved from his regard.
However it is not meet to take that which
was particularly designed for Jews, and give
| it to genties, even though the latter In
a. lesser degree were ooJects OF tne
to know that he not only prevented from
helping her by an original purpose but also by
the property and fitness of that purpose. This
thought He illustrated to her by very familiar
domestic scene, the force of which che per-
ceived There were some profound truths which
she could have not understood, but which we do
well to consider If at that time He turned
from the Jews to the gentiles, wrought miracles
and gained disciples serious consequences might
have been expected Jhe Jewish hope of the
Messiah not having been met the people of the
old covenant would have held together under
their elaborate and expensive ritualism. Then
there would have grown up, side by side. in the
same country, two rival sisters of religion, Juda-
ism and Christianity, and the latter would not
have been what 1t intended to be-the out
growth and complement of the other. Besides,
Jewish and gentile converts, blended at that
early day, would have been inharmonious, and
faction and schism would have resulted
LET the children frat be filed" Let my
work go forward in the direction at first planned
Let me WIN many possible from among the
posterity of Abraham. They are best prepared
to receive and proclaim my gospel Let me
absorb into the new dispensation the spirituality
and whatever else ithere may be of value in the
old. As the seed, deposited in the earth dies to
nourish the plant that springs from it, so Juda-
ism must pass away, and all its strength go to
build up and establish the glorious kingdom that
shall follow in which all the sons OF men may
be included. So might the Savior's words be
interpreted in their fullest application The
bring ng of the children first q most merci-
full provision for the highest good of all.
See what series of obstacles bad been
thrown in the way of this woman's faith. At
the outset she distant and was compelled to
make a tedious journey. Arrived at the place,
she was a total stranger, woman, with no
mode of introduction and nothing but her
to commend her to favor. Her first cry for
help was received with utter silence, which
might have been interpreted indifference
aversion. Her subseuuent pleadings with the
disciples were treated as annoyauces Her half.
hearted advocates were governed by salfshness.
Their application in her behalf divulged the
fact that the one she sought had a mission and
work which did not Immediately include her.
The last heart rending cry In deepest abase-
rnent only liz tensified the difficulty by showing
that help to her at this time would be a manifest
improperly. At every stage in pressing this
suit there was sufficient to discourage the stout
est heart. At the end what remains but despair
But no, the womans faith is mistaken. 1t
will be summoned to another effort. There
two sides to every event. dark and bright
withstanding all the obstacles which
she had to meet there many
reasons for confidence and those reasons SO re.
had given the woman ground to believe in His
power. She felt assured that He needed only
to speak and her daughter would be healed.
There remained only the question of His dispo-
sition. In tina also she had cause for hope in
the reputation of HIS good will toward the UNI
tablished by her belief that He the Mes
siah, the Son of God. This the sheet
anchor of her soul. She never spoke to Him
without applying His appropriate name, Lord.
Moreover, while Jesus seemed to repel her.
He did. in fact, at every step that which, if she
were true believer, was calculated to encour-
He who listens without speaking may be con-
sidering the matter, and may give a favorable
decision. The words TO the disciples. ST
am not sent" while seemingly exclusive
hat
work might be done, out of pure
gratuity. over and above what was named in the
applied to her. denoting not the ugly brute of
reproach. but the family pet of love and care,
opened the very Heart OF Jesus and showed the
woman that He was kindly disposed toward her.
And So she had come to point where every
thing hung on that word first. the children first
filed.
At every step the woman had mastered the
obstacles by clingng to the hope, which, like
ray of light, glimmered through the circum-
stances and the words She was therefore we'll
prepared by the Savior's last remark for
other and final plea She adopts His figure, ac-
cepts the place He assigns her, not member
of the family, but domestic animal the
family, and exclaims, Truth, Lord. yet these
little dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their
Masters table" She has solved the problem.
The Savior need not depart from His mission.
He need not turn aside from Jews to gentiles.
He need not take anything from the Jews to
give to the gentiies Let the children
be filled Just as if there we're
partaking of that which has been prepared for
them. let me, gentle woman, taking eentile's
place. have the surplus, the few crumbs that
the children do not want.
That the grandest answer that ever fell
from human lips. a compound OF wit and
wisdom, of humility and assurance:
The work is done. Faith has gained the vic
tory. And the Master exclaimed, 20 woman,
great is thy faith" It great in its quality
humble. reflective, confidine, persevering. 1t
was q propelling force within her, grasp upon
infinite power It had awakened her mental
powers and penetrated through difficulties. 1t
preserved her steadfast to her purpose, like the
needle to the pole Henceforth. she must be
entered upon the roll with those worthless of by
gone ages ''who through faith, subdued king
doms, wrought righteousness, obtained prom
Uses, out of weakness were made strong
Hence, discover that the struggles through
which this woman passed were for
her good By them her faith had
been gradually developed. Jesus. in