Why Do We Need Legitimacy?
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. Matthew 15:26-28 NIV
Why did Jesus say she had great faith? Because, while recognizing that dogs often do take what is not theirs, she boldly asserted that she had the right to ask for her daughter's healing. This is great faith. Legitimacy gives us legal validity before God and men so that we can act with boldness for our King.
Live big and live bold
Can Jesus trust us to not take what is not ours to take? Can we, with confident legitimacy, live big and live bold for the King of kings? Consider those who did:
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Even as a Moabite, Ruth boldly asked Boaz to redeem her adopted family land, inheritance and linage. Ruth 3
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Ezra confidently asked for and received from the king all he needed because he knew he had the favor of God. Ezra 7
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David, without flinching, asked Saul for the opportunity to kill Goliath. I Samuel 17
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Mephibosheth courageously gave up all his inheritance, knowing he would always have David's table. II Samuel 19 Learn more
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Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego defiantly refused to obey the king who demanded they worship other gods. Daniel 3
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Esther shrewdly asked her king for the ten sons of Haman to be hung on gallows to secure the resources that the king had promised her. Esther 8 and 9