Mark 7:28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Mark 7:28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
With Missions Month coming to a close, I thought I would look at Jesus’ interactions with Gentiles as he walked on this earth. To be honest I was quite surprised and a bit taken aback at my discoveries, initially.
We know from John 10:16 that Jesus told His disciples He had “sheep” not of this pen that He needed to bring also. That they would listen to His voice and there would be one flock and one shepherd…yet there are few accounts of Jesus’s interactions with them. The first being the Roman Centurion with the paralyzed servant in Matthew 8:5-13 and Mark 7:1-10. The other was the Canaanite woman with the demon possessed daughter in Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30. In both accounts Jesus is amazed at their great expressions of faith. He granted their requests and brought healing and change to their lives.
There were a couple things that stood out to me in studying these passages. The first most obvious is that both these individuals would be considered bitter enemies of God’s Chosen people the nation of Israel. The ruling Roman class occupied, oppressed, and heavily taxed the Jews. They were swift and brutal in maintaining order. Not ones a Jew would make friends with. The other represented the ancient pagan, idolatrous enemy of Israel, who more than once was influential in drawing Israel’s heart away from God.
The centurion, expressing incredible humility and faith, acknowledged Jesus was a man of authority who with the very utterance of His word could bring healing to the centurions highly valued servant. Consider the context of this in Jesus’ day where the Roman’s looked down on the Jewish people and considered them as dogs.
The Canaanite, or Syrophoenician woman, engages in one of the lengthiest non-Jewish interactions with Jesus recorded in scripture. She is determined, extremely tenacious and not easily put off. I really like her!! Let’s explore this interaction at greater depth and see what may speak to our hearts and relationship with Jesus today.
We read that she came to Him crying, “Lord, son of David, have mercy on me”, acknowledging what many of the religious leaders had failed to acknowledge. Jesus was the “Anointed” leader promised to God’s people. The “One” they had been waiting for. The disciples want to brush her off, asking Jesus to send her away. He does not reject her but rather engages in this interesting dialogue with her.
Jesus’ response initially sounds like a rebuff, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel”, yet, as we know in Jesus’ genealogy, we see Gentiles included through Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth, indicating He does have a heart for Gentiles. The woman is not deterred and instead of walking away defeated she falls to her knees, worshiping the Lord, crying, “Lord, help me!!”
Again, Jesus’ response seems like a rebuff, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs!!” Did he just call her a dog?!! This is where understanding of the culture, context, and original text helps us. In Jesus’s day, gentiles were referred to as dogs, rabid, stray, street mongrels. Often used in object lessons by Jesus in his teachings such as Matthew 18:17 warning not to interact with them and in Matthew 5:47, and Matthew 6:7 where he uses them to contrast how his disciples were to act “do not even the gentiles do the same”. But here he uses the term for dog which translates to a “cared for pet, part of a household where both children and pets are fed and cared for.”
She understands and takes the bone or crumb given acknowledging what He says is true but adding even a family pet will clean up the children’s crumbs from under the table. How great is that? Honest, humble, respectful, and not deterred. Her response acknowledges her shortcomings but also acknowledges God’s abundance and that merely a few crumbs are enough to meet her needs.
Jesus again is amazed by the response of a Gentile, grants her request based on her “great faith”. I notice too that from this point forward in the gospels, there were increased interactions between Jesus, His disciples and the Gentiles. Travelling through the Decapolis, Gerasene’s and through Samaria - regions considered to be predominately Gentile areas.
Although Jesus first came to redeem His Chosen People, Israel, through His earthly ministry, He gave many clues that His salvation was intended for all the people, Jew or Gentile, and though not seeking out Gentiles, He is more than willing to meet them at their need when they humbly come to Him with faith. Later in the book of Acts the disciples, with the power of the Holy Spirit, are commanded to go out and make disciples of all the nations, thus fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant of a great nation made up of a multiethnic family, blessing and redeeming the lost. We my friends are the fruit of that great commission and as God’s Chosen people are commissioned to do the same. Go out to the far reaches of our communities, country, world and make disciples. We at Encounter have a special event coming up to invite you to reflect on Jesus’ life and ministry to both Jew and Gentile.
Encounter ministry invites you to "Journey of Faith" - Lenten Reflections, intentionally preparing our hearts for return and renewal as we consider pilgrimage with Jesus to the cross through inspirational music and scripture and times of reflection. Resources will be available for you to continue your pilgrimage through the Lenten season.
Meet in the chapel March 9 at 7pm. Looking forward to beginning this pilgrimage with you.
