Even the Dogs?

 

The Gospel Reading today was the story of Christ and the Syro-Phoenician Woman. The passage is preceded by Jesus teaching that it is the things of the heart that defile not the things we put into our bodies in terms of food and so on….

So I started wondering if the woman receiving crumbs found her daughter healed what am I doing with the very bread itself?? Am I fully appreciating it and using it? Or am I only nibbling at it and throwing away the crust?

And too if we are to be like Christ and even a tiny bit of his presence and blessing was desirable, am I offering only dried up left-overs to those around me, or am I presenting them with fresh wholesome bread? Does what is in my heart defile what I offer, or am I living the Gospel clearly and fully?

Questions for pondering this week. Thinking in particular of James Chapter Three.

 

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14 Responses to Even the Dogs?

  1. Jean Wise says:

    coming over from Michelle’s site and think the questions you pose was very thought provoking and ones I will carry with me this week. too often I only offer bread crumbs or even just ask for them. God is so gracious and loving and would give us loaves after loaves if only we would ask, then share with others. Good thoughts

    • K_Steinmann says:

      The Gospel we believe and the God we serve is proclaimed in what we say, do and the way we live. If we proclaim a God who only gives crumbs by either only giving crumbs ourselves or by only receiving crumbs we are lying about God and Gospel both. It is a sobering thought….K

  2. Shelly says:

    I, too, am visiting from Michelle’s and find myself challenged by this question: “Does what is in my heart defile what I offer, or am I living the Gospel clearly and fully?” I will be thinking on this all day…and looking within. Thank you for inspiring a personal (and probably much needed) self evaluation today.

    • K_Steinmann says:

      It’s something I really struggle with. As I live with husband and children and neighbors, am I living what I say I believe or not? Just simple things like how easily do I get frustrated with poor behavior are a challenge: because it is how I interact with these things that give them a picture of God and his Grace…K

  3. Jen says:

    We heard this Gospel today and our priest focused on the message of hope — how we cannot lose hope, lest we die. One really profound thing he said was that man can live longer without bread than he can without hope.

    You have posed some very thought-provoking questions here that I am going to ponder in my quiet time.

    • K_Steinmann says:

      Indeed. We are people of hope “always being ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you” comes to mind. So often though we do not live as if we had any more hope than our lifestyle, husband’s paycheck, children’s good grades or sports etc. We know that these things are really no hope at all, yet how many of our lives would make that clear?…K

  4. Irene says:

    Thank you for this thought-provoking post, Kyndra. I realized that I needed to reflect on this. At times I do feel like I am only being a “left-over.”

    God bless. 🙂

  5. So grateful to have you and your honest questions as part of the Hear It, Use It community this week, Kyndra. And this, too, that I noticed in your comments: “And God can use us as left-overs too?but how much more if we would allow him to make us more?” Yes…how much more if we would let him into our hearts fully!

  6. Patti says:

    Some very thought provoking questions. God so freely gives to us. Do we freely give His bread to others?

  7. Thank you so much for linking up! And thank you for seeking to truly reflect our Father! 🙂

  8. kd sullivan says:

    Some very interesting questions here….you’ve got me thinking…:D

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