The Children's Bread

The Children’s Bread

“It is not meet to take the children's bread ,

and to cast it to dogs” (Matt 15:26)

The Church of Jesus Christ is essentially a Gentile (non-Jewish) church. The church is also characterized as female in the Bible, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you (the church) as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor 11:2). Therefore, whenever we come across any Gentile woman in the Scripture, our ears ought to perk up! The Scripture is consistent where miraculous events often follow Gentile women. Let’s consider just a few of the miraculous events surrounding Gentile women of the Bible, Rebekah (was selected by Eliezer to marry Isaac); the widow of Zarephath (with only a one day supply of oil and handful of grain sustained Elijah); the Samaritan woman at the well (brought out her whole town to hear Jesus). God’s heart has a special place for Gentile women.

One day Jesus came across a Gentile woman who simply could not be offended! No matter what He did, she did not get insulted! Let’s take a look at this specific instance, “a woman of Canaan (a Gentile) 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” (Matt 15:22). This woman obviously was well aware that Jesus had power to help and she sought deliverance for her daughter.

However, Jesus completely ignored the woman! It is recorded, “But he answered her not a word” (Matt 15:23). This woman had every reason to be offended at Jesus and to simply walk away from Him; however, she did not turn from her pursuit of His healing power! Even Jesus’ disciples got annoyed at the Gentile woman’s persistence, “And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us” (Matt 15:23). Now we arrive at Jesus’ first words about this situation, “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). Jesus was essentially saying here that He was not sent to minister to the Gentiles; instead, He was sent only to Israel! It appears that He didn’t even really talk directly to her He only seemed to respond in a general way to His disciples.

Instead of getting offended, notice how the woman responded, “Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me” (Matt 15:25). Finally Jesus spoke directly to the woman; however, it appears that even then He continued to put her down, “But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs” (Matt 15:26). Obviously, Jesus compared the woman and gentiles in general with dogs! Not only had He given her the cold shoulder, not only had His disciples scorned her, but now after she came and worshipped at Jesus’ feet, He essentially called her a dog! She had plenty reasons to walk away and seek a new Messiah!

There is so much that Christianity can learn from this woman! However, instead of getting off track on some message about offense, let’s focus on her words, “And she said, Truth, Lord:” (Matt 15:27). In essence, she was saying, “Yes, you are right; I am not one of the children of Israel; I do not have any claim to the covenant that they enjoy; True, it’s not my time and I am but a dog in their eyes! Nevertheless, this woman recognized that something extra special was taking place within the nation of Israel. She understood that Israel’s Messiah had come! All she wanted was just one little crumb! She replied, “yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table” (Matt 15:27). She knew that she did not have any covenant rights of what Jesus had to offer to the Jews! Therefore, she did not ask for the whole loaf; all she wanted was merely one little crumb! She believed that just one little fragment of Jesus’ power was sufficient to heal her daughter! She said even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table. And Jesus answered, “O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt” (Matt 15:28).

We can glean from the interaction between Jesus and certain Gentile women of the New Testament; these interactions actually convey prophetic messages to the church (the gentile bride of Christ)! The Gentile woman of Samaria who met Jesus by the well learned that Jesus provided the living waters of life, while the woman that we have been studying learned that Jesus’ healing was an actual element of the “children’s bread!”

Jesus essentially told this woman, “You are not receiving from me because you have a covenant right to receive; you are receiving from me based upon what you believe and based upon your will, ‘be it unto thee even as thou wilt!’” In another place He said, “According to your faith be it unto you!” (Matt 9:29). This ties faith with will! It is also according to your will! I ask you, “What is your will regarding the matter of healing? Through these words, Jesus prophesied that the future Gentile Church was free to partake of the “children’s bread” through their faith in conjunction with their will!

Like the Gentile woman, when we set our will in line with God’s will on any matter and begin to believe, we position ourselves to receive that desire of our heart, “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matt 15:28). God’s will is fixed, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Ps 119:89). His will on any matter is clearly outlined in the pages of the Bible; our only job is to seek out and find His promises and then align up our own belief system with His word on the matter!

Jesus’ words to the Gentile woman clearly indicate that the gift of supernatural health is definitely part of the children’s bread! We see this during the last supper (Jesus’ last Passover) He took the bread and, “gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. 23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. 24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many” (Mark 14:22-24). Essentially, the judgment that resulted in human sickness, which has overtaken mankind since the fall of man was being “passed over” because of Jesus’ body and blood!

Now remember, Jesus had told the woman, “It is not meet (right) to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs (Gentiles)” (Matt 15:26). When we look at 1^st Corinthians 11 we learn, “the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Cor 11:23-30). The lesson is that many who did not understand the powerful symbolism behind the bread and the wine ended up sickly and even dead!

Now, if we put on our spiritual “thinking cap” we can we can derive a great truth from this passage. If many people during Paul’s time who took the symbols of bread and wine did not properly understand their meaning and thereby became sickly and even died, then it follows that people today who do take the bread and wine and do properly understand the meaning, then these people will live strong and healthy lives!

Healing and healthy living today is part of the covenant life of the Christian! We have every right to be healed. We have as much right to healing today as we do to our eternal salvation! The scripture says, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities (eternal salvation); who healeth all thy diseases (healing) (Ps 103:3). Those two concepts are inextricably tied together in the Bible! Jesus brought salvation and healing, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Do not miss the important idea that Jesus paid for both salvation and healing! John wrote in 3 John 2, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Have you ever noticed that whatever you allow yourself to put-up with you will not change? Suppose your children are listening to the television too loudly and the excess noise has become an irritant. If you allow yourself to put-up with that excess sound, then you will not resolve the situation and insist that they lower the volume. Likewise, suppose that you are carrying several pounds beyond your natural weight to the point of discomfort; however, if you allow yourself to put-up with the added uneasiness then you will do nothing to lose that unnecessary weight.

This same reasoning is true concerning living in supernatural health! If you passively accept the scourge of illness in your body, then you will have to put-up with all of its ill affects. We need to learn that we can stand against illness just like we stand against sin! However, the devil will not just give up, we must actively resist, “Resist the devil , and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

Most people do not realize that we have authority over illness! Christians are mostly ignorant of the fact that they have the full right to healthy living which Jesus acknowledged to the Gentile woman as the “children’s bread.”

In order that we can all be better informed concerning living in supernatural health, we are going to focus upon seven specific reasons why we should believe that we have the right to supernatural healing (the children’s bread):

(1) God has declared Himself to be our healer, “I am the LORD that healeth thee (Ex 15:26; Moses used the Hebrew words (“Yahweh ropª'ek”) which could be expressed in English as, “Jehovah Raphe” meaning, “the Lord who heals you!” God does not change, “I am the LORD, I change not” (Mal 3:6). God does not decide to heal one day and then change His mind the next day! If we don’t get healed, that outcome is related to our lack of understanding of God’s provision for healing; any absence of a manifestation of healing is not because God has some how changed His mind on the subject of healing.

In the same way that Israel was separated from the Egyptians by the blood of the lamb, Christians are distinctive and separated from this world. Notice God’s promise to the Israelites in the forepart of the verse we have already observed, “I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee” (Ex 15:26). Those diseases are the result of God’s “Law of Sin and Death.” In a nutshell, the “Law of Sin and Death” was established at the time of Adam and requires that when an individual sins, he must subsequently suffer death, “and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). If you would like to learn more on this subject, you are invited to visit There is a way that seems right

God has already declared Himself to be “the Lord who heals us.” Since He does not change and is therefore the same God who made that declaration, it follows that He continues to be our healer today!

We are only left to conclude one of three things concerning the healing aspects of God; those three things are identified by A, B or C below:

The only honest; and more importantly, the only conclusion that can be backed up from the Scripture according to the list above is identified by letter C – “It is always God’s will to heal; sometimes Christians receive His miraculous healing and sometimes they don’t!”

(2) God’s word promises healing to His people, “I will take sickness away from the midst of thee” (Ex 23:25). We must understand that God takes sickness away from the midst of us! We have already looked at Psalm 103, “forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Ps 103:2-3). Psalm 107:20 says, “He sent his word, and healed them” (Ps 107:20). This reveals that God heals us by His word!

Whenever we get sick, we must stand on God’s word! His healing might not transpire immediately; nevertheless, we must continue to believe! The Lord is our protector; His word says, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling” (Ps 91:10). If we take a closer look just a few verses earlier we find a major secret that these (protected) people employ, “I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust” (Ps 91:2). We need to continually proclaim out of our mouth that God is our healer and He is our protector! Our words are heard by the beings who inhabit the spirit realm.

The devil and the elements of this world have instructed us that it is only natural to regularly get sick! We all have learned that the annual cold or allergies are supposed to adversely affect us. However, in the same way that we have walked away from the nature of sin, we too can move away from the expectation of recurring illness.

Once again, our ongoing words are critical to receiving this supernatural health, “by thy words thou shalt be justified, (set straight) and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt 12:37). We cannot expect to walk in supernatural health while we continually say, “I catch every flu or cold that comes along;” nor by saying, “I just cannot get thourgh the month of August without my allergies getting me down!” Instead of confessing illness and weakness over our lives, we must carefully watch over our words and instead be proclaiming, “I am the healed of the Lord and I walk in supernatural health!” To change our words in that fashion requires faith! Realize that Hananiah – Shadrach; and Mishael – Meshach; and Azariah – Abed-nego all voiced their faith before they went into the fiery furnace, “if it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Dan 3:17-18). They had faith prior to their trial; however, their faith was surely strengthened after the trial! In like fashion, if satan and the world tell us that we are supposed to naturally get sick once a year; while on the other hand God’s word claims that “the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5), then we must cast down the false idol of sickness that was set-up over us by the devil! Are we not supposed to influence (be the light of) the world? However, in most instances that influence works vis–versa?

Jesus does not force Himself or His healing on anybody. He tells the church, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: (He does not kick down the door rather, He waits for us to answer!) if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). Can you see that He completely allows us our own free will and private choice?

(3) The devil is the author of sickness and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil! Jesus said, “ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years” (Luke 13:16). Jesus essentially revealed in that passage that all sickness comes from the devil! John wrote, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal , and to kill , and to destroy” (John 10:10). Therefore, Jesus came to destroy the devil’s works, “for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Acts 10:38 says, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him!”

Notice that it was ignorance based upon religious doctrine that rose up in an attempt to stop Jesus from His healing ministry, “the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day” (Luke 13:14). They only used the Sabbath as their excuse; however, notice the real issue, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance” (Matt 21:38). It is not surprising that today, religious teaching insists that the miraculous healing manifest by Jesus and His apostles is no longer applicable to the church! On the other hand, notice the reaction of the people who had been touched by Jesus, “And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him” (Luke 13:17).

(4) Jesus healed them all! Something like fourteen different times in the New Testament it says that He healed them all! Notice in the Scriptures that follow that there is a specific or implied emphasis upon all!

(5) Jesus bore our sins and diseases upon His Cross! Notice what Isaiah 53 says, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: (Jesus bore our sins; this is just as if He had put our griefs in a suitcase and carrying them away! The Hebrew word for grief, “kho lee” is elsewhere translated as disease, grief, or sickness) yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:4-5).

We are the providential participants of the great exchange; He took upon Himself what we deserve and He gave unto us what He deserves, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal 3:13). We were sinners by nature; but he has given us His righteousness! Notice how God instructed Moses to put a brazen serpent on the pole (the meaning of which is “sin judged”) and the people were forgiven and healed, “the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (Num 21:7-9). In the same fashion, when we look to and receive the free gift of the righteousness of Jesus Christ we are healed. Divine healing from God takes place not only in our inner spirits, but also in our bodies!

(6) We have a better covenant established upon better promises, “he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second” (Heb 8:6-7). If Israel received healing as a promise through that inferior covenant; should we not also have the promise of healing in the superior covenant? The new covenant is better because Jesus is the guarantor or of the New Covenant!

(7) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! He healed them all during His ministry; we have a record that His apostles healed them; and, we too can be healed when we believe upon Him and in His promises! Further, we can minister healing to others; notice what Mark records concerning those that believe on Him, “shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18). This means that all believers have the anointing (unction) to heal! Notice how Paul displayed this same power, “Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him” (Acts 28:8).

Given these seven major arguments (there certainly are others) we should grow to believe in and even expect the divine healing that is taught throughout the scriptures. This healing is actually described by Jesus as part of the “bread of the children!” The Gentile woman only received a crumb and her daughter was delivered form an evil spirit. Notice that we observe an association between evil spirits and a form of illness tied to healing, “Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw” (Matt 12:22).

Like that individual out of whom came a devil that caused his blindness, lets take a look at the various other methods of healing that are revealed in the Bible. We need to realize that there are several reasons why people manifest illnesses; likewise, it is also true that there are many varying methods in which healing took place in the pages of the New Testament.

We can observe two different forms of healing in just one passage, “And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And he touched her hand, (He laid hands on her and she was healed.) and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: (Here, others were healed when an evil spirit was cast out.) 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses” (Matt 8:14-17).

On yet another occasion Jesus simply spoke to the infirmed, “Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other” (Matt 12:13). We also see Jesus speaking health into an individaul from a distance. The centurion came to him asking him to heal his servant, “And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” However, the centurion convinced Jesus that he knew that Jesus’ word would suffice to accomplish the healing, “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (Matt 8:13).

The Scripture literally identifies several varying methods in which supernatural healing was manifest. Notice one of the strangest methods that was employed with regard to the Apostle Peter, “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them” (Acts 5:15). The New Testament reveals that Paul prayed over anointed cloths and when he sent them to the sick they were made well.

Strange as it may seem, one woman was healed through her own faith without even asking Jesus for His assistance, “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (Mark 5:27-29). Notice Jesus’ reaction to this incredible act of faith, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30).

Healing is a large topic and there are many ways that one can be supernaturally healed! The point is that we should never try to limit God! His word reveals to us several methods in which supernatural healing was manifest. Obviously, it is the heart of God to relieve all those that are oppressed of the devil; even today, Jesus wants to confirm the Gospel through miraculous healing. In this wise, Paul said that he came in the demonstration of power, “my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor 2:4). That same power is available to us if we will but believe and then step out in faith on that belief!

We already noticed that Jesus laid His hands on Peter’s wife. The laying on of hands is yet another major method through which healing is released. Another form of laying on of hands is accomplished through the act of anointing with oil, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). There are many methods employed in supernatural healing; however, there is always the required element of faith on the part of someone in order to bring the healing to manifestation. Sadly, it is true that if an individual does not believe in supernatural healing, he need not be afraid, he simply will not receive that form of healing! After all, Jesus Himself said, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt 9:29).

Today, a far too large segment of the Christian community does not believe in “faith healing.” This is unfortunate because in a very real sense, unlike the Gentile woman whom we have been studying, these people are somehow offended at the “faith message!” However, nobody can deny that the “faith message” originates in Jesus’ own words, therefore these individuals have become a sort of Gentile woman who has gotten offended and turns away from Jesus. Instead, they should be pressing in and receiving the healing that God has delivered to all of Christianity by way of His son Jesus Christ!

Notice that there is healing present in the very last chapter of the book of Acts, “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed” (Acts 28:8-9). Perhaps the most significant aspect is that all of this healing came about as a supernatural spiritual gift and not through the use of the physician Luke's medicine kit; instead, God used a physician to record many of these events!

Sure, today we can rely on doctors to exercise their best efforts and help speed up the natural healing process in our bodies. This is perfectly okay and a Christian who chooses to use the doctor has in no way denied the faith. However, on the other hand, we Christians have the right to exercise and even stretch our faith as we extend beyond the natural and rely upon the supernatural in order to receive our healing! Why not? Healing is part of the “Children’s Bread!” There was a very special Gentile woman of great faith who discovered this during the days of Our Lord Jesus Christ!