Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre.
And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.
But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
Mark 7:24-30
There’s a short three-word phrase in this story that stopped me in my tracks recently while reading it.
It’s small, maybe even unnoticeable. But when you consider its implications, it’s entirely rich.
In verse 28, the woman says to Jesus, “Yes, Lord, but…”
Think about that. Is that a phrase you have ever used in prayer? “Yes, Lord, but…”
Say it out loud, even: “Yes, Lord, but.”
Let’s consider it for a moment.
A desperate mother—a Gentile—comes to Jesus. Her daughter is tormented by a demon, so she comes to Jesus desperate for help and healing.
Jesus responds, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
She could have given up, but she did not.
She replied, as if to say, “Yes, that is true, but….”
And her response resulted in the healing of her daughter. So I think it is wise for all of us to think about it a bit more. Because perhaps we could all benefit from studying her posture in prayer.
On one hand, she brought perfect humility:
“Yes, Lord.”
She didn’t correct Him. She humbly accepted His word and accepted His authority in this moment completely. In saying “Yes, Lord,” she symbolized, “You are right. Your will is wiser than my want. I trust you, even when I don’t understand.”
But on the other hand, she brought incredibly bold faith:
“…but…”
Even within this perfect posture of humility, she brought boldness. Holding onto a stunning confidence in His goodness, she believed that Jesus could heal her daughter and in His goodness would. So she continued to ask.
And then, something happened. Jesus honored her boldness. He said, “Because of this answer, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
Her reply—her faith—brought the miracle her family needed.
We often pray with only half of this posture. Sometimes we demand our will from God and overlook His wisdom, sure.
But more often, we fail to approach the throne with this boldness. We are not confident enough of God’s power or His love or His goodness. And so we are timid—accepting a reality that God could change if only we would continue to ask Him for it.
So, where do you need God to show up in your life today? A health crisis, a trial, a broken relationship, a wayward child, a recent loss, maybe there is an insurmountable mountain standing before you?
Whatever it is, God has the power to change it. Approach Him with both humility and boldness. Or maybe, even, for the first time concerning it.
He loves you and is both infinitely good and infinitely powerful. Take heart, be courageous, and find Him as you seek Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for this woman’s example of both humility and boldness. Make it true of me as it was true of her so that my prayer life may result in the same. Amen.