The Children´s Bread

“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”  Mark 7:27 (NIV)

The children of the Lord are sitting up at their Heavenly Father´s table each week.  The churches of the world are filled in each service of young souls seeking to be fed.  The Lord looks out fondly upon those humble souls who would come looking to feed at His table.  Eagerly He calls them His sons and daughters.  Like a protective Father He sees their need and yearns to provide for them.

What a beautiful image we have of the love of our God.  It comes directly from the mouth of the First Born.  The weight of truth in our Savior´s word is left for us to grasp as the Spirit enables us.  It fits in perfect harmony with the slant of all Jesus´ teachings.  He always points us upwards to the Father.  Jesus lifts our attention to spiritual goals.  He shows us how much importance to put and where to place it.

Jesus offers us a personal connection to our Heavenly Father.  He places us innocently looking to our True Parent to provide us with His care.  Christ draws our attention to the fact that the morsels we depend on will not be thrown out to be devoured by others.  It is ours first.  It is for those needy children of the Father.  His provisions are for those blessed little souls who come to Him as their Father.  It is for the simple-hearted who snuggles in closer to Him.  These are the ones He calls His children.  These are the ones who hold the right to sit at His table.

However beautiful the image, there are some who do not hold the right.  There are those who are not rightful children of the Lord.  There are individuals under the table near the feet of the children of the Lord.  These creatures would gobble up the morsels intended for the infants of God.  Jesus states that His Father respects first the hunger of His children.  What He prepared for them is theirs for the taking.

But hunger is there.  It is felt by the children of the Lord and it is felt by those not seated at the table.  If the hunger of those who are not seated increases, perhaps scraps may fall to them as well.  This story shows how one woman correctly saw where our real food comes from.  She saw and came to the source to receive.  She knew that there were others who had more right to the scraps of grace than she did.  But she was hungry with need and she knew the hand that feeds us.

Jesus responded to her show of faith.  The great heart of the Lord goes out to genuine need and genuine seeking.  Even if those who would receive, are not seated at their rightful place at His table. The Father sees hungry souls who recognize that they can only be fed from Him.  When they come to Him, His heart goes out to them.  God is good and God is kind.  He rewards faith, love and true seeking.  Anyone who comes truly seeking Him can receive plenty of food for their souls.  Scraps of grace are given even to the most dog-like soul who realizes its lack of worth but comes to Him.

Dear Lord, we come.  We hunger and thirst for You.  Some of us may be seated like true children at your table.  Others do not deserve to be called your children.  But we come.  We see our need for what You have to feed us.  The food you have will sustain us.  Please recognize that hunger we have and feel compassion that we have come to You.  Let the scraps of grace fall to all those who have come to You for feeding.  Provide as only You can do, for Your hungry children and those of us less deserving as well.

Amen