Better Things

“Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” (Mark 7:26-29) 

The words of Thomas Boston reverberate in my ear more often than any other uninspired author - God cares more for our character than our condition. “What therefore betters the man is preferable to what betters only his condition. Who doubts but where two are sick, and the one gets himself transported from a coarse bed to a fine one, the sickness still remaining; the other lies still in the coarse bed, but the sickness is removed; that the case of the latter is preferable?” In our passage, we find this logic at work. Jesus could have simply solved the problem, cast out the demon, and made the woman’s condition better. But would that have been the best? The sign of Christian maturity is to discern between good and better. 

Let’s be honest – the healing of a beloved daughter is a good thing. How many times has the solitude of the sick man’s bedside been interrupted by prayers for their healing? The Gospels are littered with accounts of men who received good things from Christ, but only good things. Need I remind us of the 4,000 free meals or the 9 lepers who were released of their leprosy without the returning of thanks? Or what of all the prayers offered in our own day? God answered, but we fail to respond. These are all men who received good things, but not better things. 

For this mother, Jesus’ harsh reply drew forth from her a beautiful expression of faith. His hesitancy hallowed out time for her faith to blossom. Hasn’t this always been the case? “Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.” (Hebrews 6:15) “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope.” (Ps. 130:5) A fire will grow blazing hot, not by smothering it with logs, but by giving it time to breathe. So, it is with our faith. God may not give you all the good things when you ask for them, but He will give you the better things – “things that belong to salvation” (Heb. 6:9). His silence aims not to crush your spirit, but to increase your faith. Let us together seek these better things.