Faith at the Feet of Jesus
Bible Verse for Today
“But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.”
Mark 7:25
Devotion for Today
Faith at the Feet of Jesus
The story of the Syrophoenician woman in Mark seven is one I’ve always been troubled by. Jesus basically calls the woman a dog because she isn’t Jewish. Which is an enormous change from who Jesus was with the woman at the well (John 4). And it probably bothers me so much, because the Syrophoenician woman is me. It’s all of us who come to Jesus, not as Jews, but as gentiles. We have no claim on the God of Israel.
But that’s also the reason I love the story of the Syrophoenician woman. It wasn’t who she was that Jesus loved. It wasn’t the family she was born into, where she lived, or anything else she could boast about. No, it was solely the faith she placed in Jesus.
Paul wrote the following words to the church in Ephesus: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (vv. 2:8-9). That’s how we all come to Jesus. Nothing in us or about us could earn anything God could give us. But when we place our faith in Jesus, we become children of God and heirs to His kingdom (Romans 8:16-17).
That’s why, when the Syrophoenician woman fell at the feet of Jesus, He granted her request. The only thing special about her was her faith. And that’s the only thing He wants from us. When we come to the feet of Jesus, we don’t have to bring a theology degree. We aren’t required to memorize the books of the Bible or follow the 613 commandments in the Old Testament. No, when we come to the feet of Jesus, all we need is a little faith.
In Mark 11:24, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (v. 24). The Syrophoenician woman believed Jesus could cast the demon out of her daughter, so that’s just what He did. Jesus isn’t a genie in a bottle waiting to give us everything we’ve asked for, but when we fall at His feet with faith, we can trust that He hears our prayers (Psalm 139:4).
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
Featured Book
At the Feet of Jesus
Join Heather at the feet of Jesus in this new devotional book.
