Like Steak for the Dog

The Bible is a ready feast laid before us every day yet how often do we take it for granted or refuse to come to the table. Today I had this image in my head of feeding my dog steak.
My dog never refuses food - she wolfs down most anything so quickly that she hardly tastes it. To give her steak would probably be a waste of good meat. Yet Jesus lays before us a lavish feast of His word every day. I wonder how often do we settle for the scraps from someone else table.
Do we leave our Bibles gathering dust, and depend on someone else to feed us?

A story from Matthew 15 came to mind as I was pondering this image today.

22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

I suppose there are a number ways one could go from this verse. Like who are the lost sheep of Israel and why was this woman not one of them. I will leave that for another time post.
What I want to focus on today is on the powerful effect of even the crumbs or scraps from the masters table had upon this womans life. This woman was not a lost sheep, she had no understanding of the law and the prophets. She was a Canaanite someone not expected to even have an understanding of faith yet she recognized the power of Jesus to heal and wanted it for her daughter. Jesus granted her request not based on her linage or even her relationship to Israel or even her understanding of the scriptures. He granted her request because she believed He could do what she had asked even though she did not deserve even the crumbs.

I alway called this story the dog lady that believed. Some of us who are part of the family of Jesus are still living like the dog lady and begging for the scraps under the masters table. When we have been accepted as children at his table.
Some of us have become content with just the crumbs when we could have so much more. When we should be walking as sons and daughters, spiritual heirs to the promises of God are content to live like the dog lady. Content to eat scraps that fall from the tables of other believers. He invites us to his table let us hope we will not be like the guests invited in the following story.

The Parable of the Great Banquet

15When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."

16Jesus replied: "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'

18"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'

19"Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

20"Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

21"The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'

22" 'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.'

23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 24I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.' "

God has prepared a wonderful banquet for us in his Word. Like my dog I probably don't deserve a steak dinner, I probably won't appreciate the richness of that steak dinner or the price that has been paid to make that dinner possible. Yet for me and for you it has been provided. We have been invited like the banquet guest to partake in the feast.
Will you come and eat at the masters table or will you continue to be content with the scraps from the table. The message he is that even the scraps are powerful - how much more would be able to accomplish if we were fed from the table than from the scraps.
He has called us to come.

Are you living on crumbs when you could be eating at the table?

Are you to busy with the things of this world to come to the table?

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "