“Getting through, anyway”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Monday, June 10, 2024
Matthew 15: 21-28 (Forward, p. 43) CEV p. 1002
Critics of Jesus have a field day with this passage. They allege that Jesus was racist, misogynist, xenophobic, and uncaring, that He was blind to the will and purposes of God, and that He needed to be ‘taught a lesson’—by this woman, this foreigner, of all people. They pick up on two things that Jesus said in support of this negative assessment, these negative ideas about Jesus:
“I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep” (verse 24).
“It isn’t right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs” (verse 26).
Several things can be said in response to these allegations. Firstly, the written text that we have in front of us fails to convey the tone of Jesus’ voice, or where He placed the emphasis, or even His facial expression or body language as He said these things. All of these can make all the difference in the world.
Secondly, our modern, English translation fails to pick up on subtle differences in the words used, dogs vs. puppies. That too, puts the entire conversation in a different light. What could be seen as wildly insulting and disrespectful might well be seen otherwise in light of these.
Thirdly, Jesus’ words about the people of Israel cannot be construed as meaning that He never ‘broke this rule’, and went beyond them, not in the least. His feeding of the 5,000 took place in Gentle territory, for instance.
And later, we hear of Jesus curing the demoniac, and healing the centurion’s servant. So, even though His ‘job description’, at least initially, was primarily to the people of Israel, He refused to be limited to ministering just to them. In fact, I think that He was merely trying to maintain some boundaries and not allow His time and attention to be frittered away by responding to every need that arose. And indeed, His mission had to go first to Israel if His salvation of the world was to be achieved, for it was through them that it would go forth and success.
Finally, I think that Jesus’ words to the woman were something of a test, a test of her faith and of her love for her daughter. And, with both, she came through ‘with flying colours’. She was simply not willing to give up, not on Jesus, and not on her daughter, either. And, not just these, but there was also her wisdom, perception, and sense of humour.
To me, this says that we, no matter who we are or what our situation might be, can always go to Jesus for help—and, even if He seems to be slow in responding, to stay with Him and stay with our requests.
Forward notes: “Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith!’” (verse 28a).
“I struggle with this passage. A desperate Canaanite woman pleads with Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Jesus shuns her, comparing her ancestry to dogs, and refuses to heal her child. In modern medical terms, it is like Jesus saying, ‘You’re out of network (Canaanite); I only treat in-network patients (Israelites).’ Whoa! This is not the Jesus I know! Undeterred, the woman persists, verbally grappling with Jesus until he relents, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’
“My take on this passage is that the Matthew writer, fully aware of God’s salvation history, uses this encounter to point to things to come: Easter, where through Jesus, God’s salvation is for all, where no one is out of network, where all are healed.
“A courageous, marginalized woman, on bended knee, empties herself before Jesus. Jesus, the divine healer, has compassion for her. I am part of God’s ever-evolving salvation for all. And the Jesus I know, the one I sometimes wrestle with, has compassion on me. All I need to do is ask.”
Moving Forward: “Do you ever grapple with Jesus? If so, about what and to what result?”