The Bible is an extraordinary book. The concepts and points of emphasis in the Bible are often beyond what we can think and are even contrary to our natural concepts. Therefore, whenever we come to the Bible, we have to learn to completely drop our own concepts. When we read the Bible, we need to say to the Lord from our innermost being, “Lord, get rid of my concepts; remove my veils that I may see the pure light in Your Word and touch the pure feelings in You.”
Many of us have read the New Testament many times. I believe that in your reading you have picked up many teachings from the Bible. However, if you examine them closely, you will discover that most of them are concepts that already existed in your mind. We can almost say that you cannot get any concept out of your reading of the Bible unless that concept was already there in your mind.
Why is it that we often read the Bible as if it were a book on ethics and morality? This is because ethics and morality are in our concepts. Why is it that when we read the Bible, all we can see is that we need to serve the Lord, to labor for the Lord, to be zealous for the Lord, and to do this or that for the Lord? This also is because these notions already exist in us. Therefore, it is easy to see these items when we read the Bible.
I would like to say, yes, all these ethical concepts, moral concepts, and concepts such as serving the Lord and laboring for the Lord exist in the Bible. These items are found in the Bible, but they are the issues of the life that is in the Bible. This may be likened to a pot of flowers. They have their outward appearance, shape, and color. However, their outward shape and color are not something only external; they are the growth and expression of the life within the flowers. Every kind of life has the essence, the power, and the shape of that life. If you allow this life to develop, its shape and outward appearance will become manifested. Therefore, the outward appearance is the expression of the life within.
Today when we read the Bible, it is very easy for us to see the outward appearance and the shape, but it is not easy for us to touch the life within. This is the fundamental difficulty in our reading of the Bible. Now how do we see the life within the Bible? Simply put, it is in the matter of eating.
Let us use an illustration. Matthew 15 speaks about the Lord leaving the land of Judea and withdrawing to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman came forward and cried, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter suffers terribly from demon possession” (v. 22). Although she was a Gentile woman, she addressed the Lord Jesus as the Son of David according to the traditional concept of Judaism. However, the Lord replied, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” (v. 26). The woman used the religious title “Son of David”; Jesus’ answer was concerning a piece of bread. What a vast difference between the words they said to each other!
The Son of David as a royal descendant and an Heir to the throne was a great man. In man’s religious concept Christ was considered an incredibly great man and the Heir in the royal family. However, Jesus’ reply was that He was the children’s bread. Now let me ask you, “Who is greater, the Son of David or the children?” Everyone will agree that the Son of David is greater. Now let me ask you another question, “Which is greater, the children or the children’s bread?” Needless to say, the children are greater than the children’s bread. Therefore, consider this: Who is greater, you or the Lord Jesus? You have to boldly say, “I am greater because I am a child, and He is the bread.” However, you would dare not declare that you are greater because of the influence of the traditional concepts in religion. To say that we are greater than the Lord is not a blasphemy to the Lord but a genuine knowing of the Lord. With all sincerity of heart, you can say, “Lord, I thank You and praise You! Today You have become my food. The eater is always greater than the food. Lord, You have become the small food for me to eat!”
When the Lord Jesus withdrew to Tyre and Sidon, there appeared a Canaanite woman who was pitiful, lowly, and base. She regarded the Lord Jesus as the Son of David, a descendant of the royal household. However, the Lord was wise, and His response was wonderful-simple but profound. He said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” He wanted the Canaanite woman to know this: “If I were the Son of David, I would not have come to you. The Son of David should be on the throne, not in Tyre and Sidon. You have to know that I am the children’s bread. You have to also know your position. If I were the Son of David, you would not be qualified to cry out to Me. If I were the children’s bread, you would neither be qualified to eat Me. You are a Gentile dog. You do not know Me thoroughly, nor do you know yourself accurately.”
The Lord was truly wise, and the meaning of His answer was truly profound. Nevertheless, on that day the Holy Spirit worked in the Canaanite woman so that her understanding was opened immediately after hearing the Lord’s word. She did not argue or get angry. It is as if she said, “Lord, You are right. You are the children’s bread, and I am a heathen dog. However, You have to know that even dogs have their portion. The dogs’ portion is not on the table but under the table. The dogs cannot eat the bread on the table, but shouldn’t the crumbs under the table be their portion?” The response of this Canaanite woman was also very meaningful. It is tantamount to saying, “Lord, You have to know that even though You are the children’s bread, the bread is not on the table anymore because Your naughty children have dropped You off the table. As a heathen dog, I am under the table, but You are also under the table. I am in Tyre and Sidon, but You are also not in Jerusalem. Hence, You are now my portion.”
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