Friends in Fellowship – PtP Prayer letter – April 2025

Dear Friends,

Very rarely Jesus changed His mind (relented would be a more appropriate word). In the second chapter of John, we read that Jesus did not want to perform that miracle of turning water into wine as His time had not yet come. But he relented and saved the day.

There is another instance where He changed His mind. It was when the Syro-Phoenician woman fell at the feet of Jesus and pleaded for her daughter’s healing, to free her from an unclean spirit (Mark 7:24-30). In response, Jesus used some strong language – He said, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the

little dogs.” Most people would have taken offense to be called little dogs. Not the devoted

mother; she had faith and she persisted. But she persisted in remarkable humility.

She answered, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” Jesus was talking about sharing the bread from the table but she was willing to accept the crumbs that the children would drop. She did not want anything that was meant for God’s children but only the crumbs they may drop. This powerful combination of faith, humility and persistence impressed Jesus so much that He relented and healed her daughter.

Importantly, she was not offended by Jesus’ words. That attitude helped her to exercise her faith and persist in humility. You may be exercising faith, but holding anything against God? It may be blocking God’s goodness from reaching you. Exercising your faith in humility and persisting in it can be rewarding.

Yours in Christ,

Dr. Samson Gandhi