Matthew 15:25-28 Then she came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Once upon a time, Gentiles were called “dogs” by the Jews, and it wasn’t Jesus’ priority to minister to us. However, God’s will was always for the Gentiles to be saved and be part of His family. Therefore, He established the Abrahamic Covenant, which is an unconditional covenant to send forth the Messiah to redeem mankind from their sins. Today, if we confess with our mouths and believe that Jesus’s blood has redeemed us from our sins, we are God’s people and the children of the living God.
John 1:12-13 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Therefore, we needn’t be like the Syro-Phoenician woman in the passage who thought she could only eat the crumbs falling from the table. Instead, we can rightfully help ourselves to the loaves of bread from the table because we are the rightful children of the living God, even though we are Gentiles. God has always been faithful to His covenant with the Jews, His chosen people. Therefore, how much more will God be faithful to and care for His born-again children in this church age?
Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan, with whom David had a covenant relationship, but Mephibosheth was also King Saul’s descendant. King David was supposed to have him killed to eliminate the risk of future rebellion. Nevertheless, King David wanted to show God’s kindness to Mephibosheth because of his covenant with Jonathan. Therefore, King David sought Mephibosheth out and had everything that belonged to King Saul restored to him. King David went the extra mile to treat Mephibosheth as one of his sons by having him dine at the table with all the princes.
We were like Mephibosheth, living in sin without God and hope in this world, undeserving of His love. Nevertheless, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to search for us because of the Abrahamic Covenant, which included all Gentiles in His plan (Genesis 12:3). The heart of God, the Heavenly Father, is portrayed in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, where the father restored to the son his sonship, the signet ring that gave him access to everything and placed on him the best robe. Therefore, we must be bold to enjoy whatever is entitled to us as the children of the living God.
Sermon Series： We are entitled to Our Bread
我们如今成了祂的孩子!
马太福音15:25-28 那妇人来拜他，说，主啊，帮助我。 他回答说，不好拿儿女的饼，丢给狗吃。 妇人说，主啊，不错。但是狗也吃它主人桌子上掉下来的碎渣儿。 耶稣说，妇人，你的信心是大的。照你所要的，给你成全了吧。从那时候，她女儿就好了。
曾几何时，外邦人被犹太人称为“狗”，而耶稣的首要任务并不是服侍我们。然而，神的旨意始终是让外邦人得救并成为祂家庭的一部分。因此，祂立了亚伯拉罕之约，一个无条件的约，差遣弥赛亚将世人从罪中拯救出来。今天，如果我们口里承认，并相信耶稣的血已经把我们从罪中救赎出来，我们就是神的子民，是永生神的儿女。
约翰福音1:12-13 凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐他们权柄，作神的儿女。这等人不是从血气生的，不是从情欲生的，也不是从人意生的，乃是从神生的。
因此，我们不必像经文中的那个叙利亚腓尼基女人一样，认为自己只能吃从桌子上掉下来的面包屑。相反，我们可以理所当然地享用餐桌上的面包，因为我们是永生神的合法儿女，即使我们是外邦人。神始终信守与祂的选民犹太人所立的约。那么，在这个教会时代，神对重生的儿女们岂不是会更加信实、更加呵护！
米非波设是约拿单的儿子，大卫与约拿单有立约关系，但米非波设也是扫罗王的后裔。大卫王本应杀死他，以杜绝将来可能的叛乱。然而，因着祂与约拿单所立的约，大卫王希望向米非波设显明上帝的仁慈。因此，大卫王找到米非波设，将扫罗王的一切都归还给他。不止如此，大卫王甚至将米非波设视若己出，让他与所有的王子同席吃饭。
我们就像米非波设一样，没有上帝并且今生无望地活在罪中，不配得到祂的爱。然而，神派遣祂的儿子耶稣基督来寻找我们，因为亚伯拉罕之约将所有外邦人都纳入了祂的计划（创世记 12:3）。浪子的比喻描绘了天父上帝的心，父亲将儿子的身份归还给儿子，印章戒指使他能够动用一切，并给他穿上最好的袍子。因此，我们必须理直气壮地享受作为永生神的儿女所应得的一切。
讲章系列：我们可享用神的饼
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