Crumb Snatcher

Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matt 15:21-28

Recently, we have been looking at some unnamed women who had life changing encounters with Jesus. These were not people of renown or prestige but really the rejects of their society. One of them did not go looking for Jesus but was dragged to him under accusation of adultery with a suggested death sentence hanging over her head. As I stated then, if they had taken her outside the city and stoned her to death, they would have been within their rights according to Jewish law. However, when they brought her to Jesus, that encounter changed her life. Jesus showed her mercy and shamed her accusers. Then there was the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years who tried to sneak upon her a blessing. But Jesus wouldn’t allow her to sneak a blessing without giving a testimony. When he called her out, the bible says that she told all the truth. Some time ago we talked about the unnamed woman at the Samaritan well who had a problem establishing lasting relationships or marriage. But after one encounter with Jesus, she evangelized a whole city in Samaria. She was changed from a social failure into a successful missionary. All of these unnamed women had their lives redirected and changed after one encounter with Jesus. These were not people that followed Jesus but they just had a single encounter with him that turned out to be for them life changing.

In this passage of scripture that is before us today from Matthew’s account of the gospel, Jesus has entered into some coastal towns along the Mediterranean Sea. This is an area that was never settled by the Jews. This is distinctly Gentile territory but there are some Jews living in the region. Jesus has withdrawn from the area around the Sea of Galilee apparently for some rest. He entered into a house for some privacy but Mark records in his gospel account that he could not be hid for his reputation had preceded him and the citizens there knew of his arrival. It must be quite demanding to grow weary in ministry and not be able to back off for some down time. The encounter that takes place is best understood when Matthew’s account of it is studied in conjunction with Mark’s account. Mark lets us know that it took place in a house and Jesus was trying to have some down time since he did not want anyone to know he was there. As this Gentile woman cried unto Jesus for mercy, he did not respond to her at all. The text says that he answered her not a word. He didn’t even say hold on a minute and let me take a break or come back later today or tomorrow. He did not answer her a single word. Jesus’ disciples appear to have become irritated with this woman and requested that he not ignore her but instead send her away from them. It was at the disciples’ request that Jesus responded. His response was that his ministry did not involve or include her. His ministry was to the Jews. Now that she had Jesus’ attention, she came and fell down at his feet and worshiped him and again made her request for help known to him. Jesus now responded to her with a metaphor. Metaphorically speaking, he said it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Now when you compare a person to a dog, you are likely to start a fight. Jesus is suggesting that when something is purposely prepared for children that you should not overlook their needs and throw their blessing away where it can be devoured by the dogs. This woman did not come up with her own metaphor. But this woman was willing to work within the bounds of Jesus’ metaphor. So she says to Jesus you are right in what you said but even the dogs under the table are allowed the privilege of eating the crumbs that fall off the table onto the floor. If the children are not careful and appreciative of the blessings they receive, then what they waste will be gladly received by those who are underprivileged. Where children that are blessed with bread become unappreciative and allow some of it to crumble to the floor, then there are crumb snatchers waiting to receive the blessing that they don’t appreciate. This woman’s response settled the whole matter with Jesus. She did not see herself as a dog but she understood the analogy. She did not challenge Jesus’ right to focus only on the Jews but she did understand that many of them didn’t really know the blessing they were being offered. She didn’t ask to take away the Jews’ blessing. What she requested quite clearly was the blessing that they let slip from their hands and crumble to the floor. She accepted Jesus’ stated ministry target as being the Jews and she did not request to take their place. She wanted the blessing that they despised and didn’t appreciate.

As I close today, I want to warn you to watch out for crumb snatchers. When God blesses you with opportunity, if you don’t receive it and take action, there are crumb snatchers that will gladly have your blessing. When God blesses you with a job, receive it as a blessing from God and give him the glory by being the best employee you can be or the crumb snatchers will gladly accept that job. When God blesses you with finances, be obedient to his directions for there are crumb snatchers willing to accept those finances and do whatever God requires of them. Crumb snatchers don’t covet your blessings but instead they desire the blessings that you don’t appreciate. If you have a good wife or a good husband….there are crumb snatchers that know how to be good spouses. If you have a good church, or community, or friends, or homes or any other thing that God has blessed you with, the crumb snatchers are waiting for the crumbs to hit the floor. Can I remind you that Jesus is a mighty good Savior? He died just so that you can have the privilege of eternal life with God in heaven. But if you act like knowing Jesus doesn’t matter in your life, then there are crumb snatchers that would love to take your place. They want to sing in the choir. They want to stand on the usher’s post. They want to lead the church in prayer and devotion. They want to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. They want to be missionaries and visit the sick and shut-ins and witness to the unsaved. They don’t mind filling out a report so that those who follow them will know that they did their part. Jesus died and rose again and has promised that he’s coming back for the church. There are crumb snatchers willing to take your place.

Robert C. Hudson
August 23, 2009

Two Sons

And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! Luke 15:11-17 (KJV)

Our text from the gospel according to Luke is so familiar to us that one has to be careful not to overlook the details. It is part of a parable used by Jesus in a teaching moment to explain God’s view of those that are lost to some religious folks. There were some complaints among the religious community because Jesus chose to sit down and eat with publicans and known sinners. This made for a very difficult experience for those who made it their business to keep themselves separated from them. Jesus continuously reminded his critics that he came to seek and to save those that were lost. This portion of the parable presents a man and his two sons. This is not a historical sketch but the wisdom of this parable is played out every day and in every place where people can be found. The principles presented in this parable extend beyond culture, race, or religious affiliation.


I. The Youngest Son
A. Wanted to take Control of His Share of His Father’s Possession
B. Wanted the Possessions without His Father’s Oversight
C. Made some unwise Decisions
D. Realized the Wisdom of His Father

II. The Oldest Son
A. Stayed under His Father’s Guidance
B. Maintained the Rest of His Father’s Possession
C. Had to Share What He had with His Unwise Brother


God also had two sons. The bible sometimes refers to them by the same name. Paul, in his letter to the church at Corinth, said “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” God’s first son, Adam, was given possession of the earth with instructions as to how to manage it and what to avoid. Like the youngest son in Jesus’ parable, Adam decided that he could follow his own mind. Perhaps he felt that God’s rule was too restrictive for someone of his stature who was large and in charge of the whole world. Can you imagine being in charge of the entire world and being told that you could not eat from one particular tree? And so Adam ate from the forbidden tree and like the youngest son he loss all he had been given. But I thank God he had a second son, the last Adam. Now the first Adam was created as a physical body and given a spirit so that he could live. The second Adam is an eternal spirit that was given a body so that he could die. What the first Adam loss, the second Adam bought back. The first Adam wanted to be independent of God but the second Adam always desired to be dependent on God. The first Adam was given life but the second Adam gives life. The first Adam caused all of us to be separated from God but the second Adam says whosoever desire to can be reconciled with God through him. The first Adam caused me to run from God’s presence just like he did but the second Adam caused me to seek God’s face. In the past I lived according to the fall of the first Adam but today I celebrate the death and resurrection of the second Adam. God created a friend and companion for the first Adam that he named Eve. In the second Adam we all sing “What a friend we have in Jesus.” I thank God today that he had two sons. And now because of Jesus we are all made children of God through faith in his atoning blood. We celebrate because without the shedding of his blood there would be no remission for our sins that separate us from God.


Robert C. Hudson
August 2, 2009