This is the fifth in the series of five messages looking at Mark chapters 6-8. In the previous messages I pointed out that there is a pattern that happens twice in these chapters. In this scene however we are not in that pattern. The story of Jesus healing the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter is perhaps the most troublesome story the Bible about Jesus. You probably know it well. Here it is again:
Mark
7:24-30
24From
there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and
did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25but
a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about
him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26Now the woman
was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out
of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed
first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the
dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the
table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For
saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So
she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Questions immediately begin to jump
in our minds. Does Jesus intend to
reject this woman’s request? Did he
really just call her a dog? And when
Jesus can easily out debate the most learned Jewish religious scholars, did
this poor uneducated foreign woman just best Jesus in an argument?
Biblical commentators go all over
the place interpreting this. I’ve
encountered feminist theologians (especially Sharon Ringe) who say the woman
did indeed best Jesus in an argument, and even more. They claim that this woman became the vehicle
that freed Jesus from his sexism and racism.
And I’ve encountered more traditional theologians who make
interpretations that I consider to be nothing short of idiotic. I’ve heard it said that what was really going
on is that Jesus was actually testing this woman’s faith. Nope.
That’s definitely not what’s happening.
First, if that is the case then would God really play games with us and
“test” us when we are desperate for help?
Of course not! That goes against
everything else we find in Mark’s gospel – and the entire New Testament. Second – and this should be abundantly
obvious to anyone who claims themselves to be a biblical expert – NOWHERE in
the text does the word faith appear!
It’s just not there. This is NOT
a story about faith! (It must be noted
that there is a parallel account of this in Matthew’s gospel where faith does
play a part. [Matthew 15:21-28] But this is Mark’s account, not Matthew’s.)
I do not promise any solid answers
as to what is going on here. But I do
want to point out a few things.
Remember that there were lots of
stories about Jesus floating around at the time Mark wrote his gospel. Mark was not an eyewitness to Jesus’
ministry. He has selected from the oral accounts
of Jesus ministry and written them down.
Mark did not have to include this scene.
But he did it deliberately, and for reasons we do not understand. Jesus is Mark’s hero. Mark would not have included a scene that
would put Jesus in a negative light.
Also remember from earlier in the
gospel (e.g. 2:8) that Jesus is capable of perceiving the thoughts of
people. Jesus certainly knew what was in
this woman’s mind. He knew how the
conversation would go. There is no
reason for us to conclude that she somehow bested him in an argument.
We have seen several times before
where Jesus has cured foreigners.
There’s nothing new about that.
He’s also performed miracles for women – and even unclean ones. (5:24-34)
I don’t see any reason to interpret this passage as one where Jesus was
limited by sexist or racist thinking.
With those things pointed out, what
do we do with this scene? Despite the
fact that I just said Jesus wasn’t limited by sexist or racist thinking, I do
believe this story is mostly about sexism and racism. It is yet another scene in Mark’s gospel
where God refuses to be limited by any sort of human category. Before God your gender or you race – or just
about anything about you – simply doesn’t matter. God loves you. Period.
No debate.
While I don’t believe this woman
caught Jesus with his compassion down, I do think it reveals something of
Jesus’ humanity. At the time this woman
approaches Jesus he is desperately tired.
People have been coming to him asking for help. He’s wiped out. He has gone out of Jewish territory for a
much needed rest. Realize that Jesus is
not out on the road or in the countryside when this woman comes to him. Jesus is in a house and wants to be left
alone. She barges in, bows down at his
feet, and begs him to help her daughter.
She is being a real pest! She is
anything but respectful of Jesus or his needs.
Inasmuch as I can make sense of this
passage here is where I find it. This
woman has no compassion for Jesus’ needs.
She does not respect his space or his privacy. She pushes herself into his presence and puts
him in an awkward situation. In other
words, she does not treat Jesus with dignity and decency. Nevertheless, and in spite of being a
foreigner and a woman (which is about as low as you could go in the eyes of
Jews of the day) Jesus grants her request.
He cures her daughter!
From this passage I learn that God’s
love is not weak or tentative. God’s
love is strong. You will not weary God
by begging. You will not wear out God’s
love. You will not get a rejection by
God just because you treat him with unfair tactics. No, God’s love is there for you.
May we have the tenacity and
cleverness of this woman in our lives of faith.
All too often people quit when the path looks unclear. People will quit at a faith task when the path
looks like it may not be acceptable in “polite society.” But God does not have such limits.
Accept that you are wildly loved by
God. And accept that God’s wild love may
embrace you in wild ways as well.
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