More Than Crumbs

"God blesses everyone except me.” “Maybe I am more of a sinner than they are.” “They are the favoured ones. Who am I, just a nobody. Why should God consider me above others?" "Perhaps God is trying to teach me a lesson." Sounds familiar? Have you or someone you know murmured like this against God when things did not go the way you thought they ought to? If you have ever wondered at such seeming injustice then this is for you, my friend.

The scripture passage in Matthew 15:21-28 and its parallel in Mark 7. 24-30 tells us how we also can be part of the in-group that receives the Kingdom gifts.

The incident these two passages portrays is a Greek- Syrian Phoenician woman's indomitable faith in Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter.

Jesus leaves Gennesaret and enters the area near Tyre and Sidon, two gentile towns. He enters a house and remains there not wanting to publicise His whereabouts. He had recently fed over 5000 thousand miraculously and He knew people would follow Him where ever He went. Nevertheless, a gentile woman hears that He is in the vicinity and came to Him. Her persistent crying out disturbed the disciples and they asked Jesus to sent this woman away. What happened next is one of the two longest recorded conversations that Jesus had with a woman.

This Cannanite woman addressed Jesus as "Son 0f David", one of His Jewish Messianic title. Despite her confidence that this Jewish person could heal her daughter, she approached Jesus as an outsider. Jesus’ says, “I was sent to the lost sheep of Israel”. Now interestingly the woman kneels (a word in the Bible that denotes the act of worship) and cries out, “Lord (Master – a word that denoted relationship), help me”.

In a matter of seconds she identifies herself as part of the ‘lost sheep of Israel’. She does this by changing her attitude (from supplicant to a worshiper) and in her relationship to Jesus from ‘Son of David’ to ‘Master’. The Jews understood the ‘lost sheep of Israel’ to be the exiled Jews but Jesus ministered to the despised, broken in spirit, tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners, Samaritans, poor, handicapped, the Temple outcasts, lepers – sheep without a shepherd.

This time Jesus replied a lot more harshly. He said, "First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” In effect He says she has to wait her turn till the children had their fill (of Kingdom blessings which includes healing) and adds insult to injury by calling her a dog. (This was in concurrence with the then Jewish rational.)

Hmm.. So is Jesus – God incarnate- racist? Is not God Love? How can Love speak so harshly? Surely the woman despite her urgent need may be excused when she takes offence in Jesus words.

Let us take a moment here to study the word offence. Offense is the act of provoking, annoying, irritating, or causing pain or injury. It is also the feeling of resentment, anger, or indignation of the reaction the offense produces, which can lead to breach in a relationship. In short offense is a hurt held onto.

Those who remain offended at Jesus remain in their sin and will be lost. This is why Jesus said "Blessed is the one who is not offended by me (Jesus in Matt. 11:6).

It is interesting to note Jesus’ response regarding the Pharisees who were offended at his words in Matthew 15:12-13 ‘Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.”

So according to Jesus, one recognizes who belongs to God and who does not, by their reaction to the Word. Obviously this woman though a gentile ‘dog’ was a plant planted by the heavenly Father. So instead of taking offence at Jesus’ reply she answered Him, “ Yes Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

Her answer was a classic example of faith that overcomes all obstacles. Her answer revealed her humility and her readiness to accept Jesus as her master. She was not offended by His words instead His words prompted her to scale greater heights of faith. The faith that says “though He slayeth me I will follow Him”. Jesus response is equally grand. This is one of the few instances Jesus lauds an individual’s great faith.

The gospel writer mentions the healing of the woman’s daughter as a mere after thought for the focus here is what this gentile woman needed to receive the blessing of the Kingdom of God in Jesus. In hindsight we can see that Jesus had a specific one woman mission for entering the gentile area. Soon after this incident the Bible tells us that He left and ‘went along the sea of Galilee’ and there He feeds the four thousand. This is so reminiscent of the ‘lost sheep’ parable of Jesus. We are not told why this woman of great faith could not go in search of Jesus to neighbouring towns but obviously she could not. So Jesus goes in search of this ‘lost sheep’. Like salvation that is freely available for anyone who asks, Jesus waits till the woman asks and receives her miracle and then moves on to resume his preaching ministry. (Revelations 3.20)

The Bible teaches us repeatedly that even in the OT times ‘when people lived under the supervision of the Law’, men and women were justified only by faith. The Law was ‘put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.’ The gentile woman in the incident above teaches us the same message of justification by faith.

Jesus died for the sins of ‘all men’, however, salvation is only for those who are willing to humble themselves before Jesus and receive it freely.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—(offended at the message) which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:7-8