Crumbs or a Feast? By Joel M. Killion Email: joel@innerlifeministries.com Website: innerlifeministries.com
	As one who had the privilege of being born and raised in a Spirit-filled, Christian home, I was constantly exposed to the supernatural power of God. My mom and dad encouraged me and my younger brother to heal the sick and pray for miracles, prophetic words, words of knowledge and words of wisdom on the basis of the surety of Scripture. To say the least, they were years ahead of their time. I was “born from above” (Jn. 3:3, AMP) at the age of four and Spirit-filled some time later. This, by itself, set me apart from my peers who, in fact, knew nothing of the Life of the Spirit; my only “real friends” were three or four times my age. From day one, Christ filled me with an unsatisfied spirit, one that is always seeing something “higher” than what is on “the cutting edge.” Therefore, I not only had a high standard, I had a much “higher” standard. For example, one day I was watching a healing televangelist minister to the sick when all of a sudden a thought, which I knew was the Lord “in disguise”, popped into my head; it was an epiphany with a “voice” which said, “There is more”. Of course, this didn’t cause me to think less of healing in any way, but at that moment, I became very unsettled with it being “the best”. In response to the many questions in my mind, I whispered to the Lord, “Show me what You mean in Your Word.” As I progressed, I kept thinking, “What could be greater than healing?” I thought that I was perhaps “going crazy”. My mind could not fathom anything greater (I was a young teenager at this time). About a week later, He answered me as I was reading Matthew 15:21-28 (NIV): Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A 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." Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. After reading this short passage, I immediately correlated the crumbs that fall from the masters’ table with healing and deliverance. A Divine question entered my consciousness: “If the Canaanite woman received healing and deliverance for her daughter by simply eating “the crumbs”, what will be the result for those who sit at the masters’ table and partake of the feast?” This was, quite clearly, the answer I needed. However, my mind and heart began to race with thoughts of what “the feast” might be. I was very excited. Many are struggling in their faith, trying to believe that God can heal them. Their uncertainty brings them low. Their faith can hardly grasp “the crumbs” (healing & deliverance) let alone “the feast” (that which is BEYOND). I personally know of many who are battling within themselves. They are beating themselves up saying, “Who am I to be healed?” They look down on themselves saying things like, “I’m not worthy”, “I’m just a nobody”, “I’m just a sinner”. This kind of talk is foolishness. Sin-consciousness and false-humility are killers. Do we know what God sees when He looks at us? Does He see what we see? I know not! We who have seen and received the healing power of God (Even “in part”) are grateful for His wonderful gift. However, I cannot imagine settling for “crumbs” when Jesus has already invited us to sit with Him at “the table”. I really believe He has an “ultimate intention” - for those who are willing to “meet Him on His terms” - which is light-years beyond anything we could ever dream of or imagine. Truly, healing for the spirit, soul and body is just the beginning. Of course, those who believe in healing are not oblivious to those who protest it. I have personally known many who have written me off just because I believe in a God Who can and will miraculously heal and deliver His people. This doesn’t offend me or get me flustered; besides, a man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument. How can I dis-believe (doubt) what I have already seen with my very own eyes? Yet, in the midst of this, I have asked myself on more than one occasion: If they have a problem with believing in healing (“The crumbs”) what are they going to do when God unveils EVERYTHING He has for us (The feast at the Master’s table)? The prophet Jeremiah asked the same question: “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses?” (Jer. 12:5, NKJV). Selah. The Broader Scope Matthew 15:21-28 opens up a principle which can be applied to the whole of our Christian life. Will we settle for “a part” or go on to “the rest” of all that God has in His mind? In any and every aspect of our life in Christ, we must grow up into the place where we can forever see His highest and best which is unendingly greater than the greatest of the great (Can you measure that?). C.S. Lewis wrote with this same thought in mind: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.” Let us now examine ourselves very carefully: How are we settling for the good and deviating from the best? In what ways are we satisfied with “the mediocre”, thereby erring from the magnificent? Let us be truthful in this. In no way do we condemn those who are settling for less than the best; many just don’t know any better (Heb. 5:2). Instead, we choose to embrace and live out all that Christ has purchased for us. And as we walk the walk and talk the talk as those who are at the Master’s table, those who did not believe will catch on and catch up. Some are satisfied with, what I call, “mustard seed faith”, which is faith “in God” used for such things as “initial salvation”, water baptism, healing, prosperity, etc. But God is calling us into the faith “of God” (His own faith) which created the universe and all that is in it (Matt. 17:20; Lk. 17:6; Gal. 2:20; Rev. 12: 14). In other words: Why have “a” mustard seed when you can have both of your hands “full of them”? Unlike the Canaanite woman, who belonged to a heathen nation, we, who were born from above, have been made sons and daughters of the Most High God. Jesus no longer calls us servants but friends (Jn. 15:15). Do we dare to believe this? Do we have the guts? If the Father has called us kings and priests, why do we live like paupers or red-headed step children or second-class-citizens? Are we not heirs of God (Rom 8:17) and joint heirs with Christ (Rev. 3:21)? The Father is OUR father and we are HIS children. We are not “dogs”. Obviously Jesus has something for His people that is exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think (Eph. 3:20). I cannot say that I am fully aware of all that God has in store for His church, but I can say that Jesus’ finished work accomplished “far more than crumbs”. He has done it and it is marvelous (Ps. 22:31; Jn 19:30). And if we wait upon Him and seek His face, He will disclose His best. When the children of Israel sent spies into the Promised Land, they did so out of obedience and a pure desire to see their inheritance. They thought it was great when two men returned to camp carrying a large cluster of grapes on a stick between them. They never expected God to then say, “Now move forward and possess the WHOLE land” (Deut 1:8; Josh. 2:24; 11:23); to them, it was an impossible feat. They liked the grape stains on their shirts and loved picking the grape seeds out of their teeth. They liked the fruit of the Land (the crumbs) but refused the SOURCE of the fruit (the feast). Also, think about Ruth’s relationship to Boaz, who is a type of Jesus. He said to her, “Listen, my child…Stay right here with us to glean…Stay right behind my women workers…when you are thirsty, go and help yourself to the water” (Ruth 2:8, TLB). Ruth was grateful and took him up on his offer. In fact, on one particular day she gleaned in his field until evening, gaining one ephah of barley (Ruth 2:17).   However, something much greater than “one ephah” was later accepted – she received HIS HAND in marriage (Ruth 4:13). Now, she not only had all “the provision” she could desire, but was unified to “the one” who owned it ALL.         1 Corinthians 2:9-13, the Living Bible: That is what is meant by the Scriptures which say that no mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord. But we know about these things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us, and his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God's deepest secrets. No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like except that person himself. And no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. And God has actually given us his Spirit (not the world's spirit) to tell us about the wonderful free gifts of grace and blessing that God has given us. What God has for His people is so glorious, so utterly wonderful, that the greatest human intellect cannot plum its depths. God is about to do something so marvelous that many will not believe even if someone were to tell them plainly about it (Hab. 1:5). Only those who intimately know the Spirit can know all the wonderful things which God has ready for those who love Him (Prov. 1:23; 1 Cor. 2:10). So take it with BOTH hands and run with Him Who has made it all possible and don’t look back…remember Lot’s wife. John 21:12, KJV: …Come and dine… To have the privilege of sitting at the Master’s table is a deeply intimate picture of where God wants us in relation to Himself. He wants to share His spread – His continual feast (Prov. 15:15) – with those who love Him more than life. The invitation is clear. The table is spread. Will you sip or sup? Jesus is sitting at the table right now, waiting… Will you come? The possibilities are endless!!!