Sometimes, it is easy for us to read the Bible through our modern lens and forget that it was written in a very different time than we live in now. The passage found in Mark 7:24-30 is one of those passages that, if we read it without considering the context, we end up thinking that Jesus is a racist jerk. For a long time, I had struggled with this passage and had not read it for awhile until recently. Upon reading it this time, I have come to realize that Jesus is not a jerk at all (not that I had actually ever seriously entertained that thought). Rather, he is a man on a mission of compassion who loves using parables that we sometimes, in all our Western wisdom, fail to understand.
Mark 7:24-30 “And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.”
Wow, Jesus, don’t be such a jerk! Right?
There are a lot of commentaries out there with a lot of different theories about what caused Jesus to respond in such a way to this clearly desperate woman. Some suggest that Jesus has come to this area hoping that he is less known and can get some rest from all the work he has been doing–and that when this woman obviously disrupts that plan, his response is a bit abrasive. Others completely disregard the harshness of his response and simply say that in this passage Jesus is showing that there is mercy for both Jews and Gentiles. There are a whole slew of other opinions out there…so I thought I might throw my thoughts among them. I would love to hear your comments and theories about this passage as well–I am just seeking to reconcile this seeming “contradictory” passage with my own beliefs about the character of Christ.
The first thing that I would like to address is the parallel that seems to be made between Jews and Gentiles, children and dogs, respectively. At first glance, it seems as though Jesus’ comment to the woman is a very rude one and that she is the more noble one for disregarding it and still seeking healing for her daughter. Instead of viewing this as an insulting comment–or completely disregarding what is going on here, it is important to take this in context of what has been happening so far in the book of Mark. Jesus had spoken in parables to the people many times thus far–this was a very common practice in that culture and at that time. Also, we see the undeniable compassion that Jesus had for all who sought him with a pure heart. Instead of seeing this as a parallel of values, I prefer to view it as a parallel of situation.
Jesus’ overarching purpose for coming to Earth was to redeem sinners from all nations, tribes, and tongues. However, Jesus’ specific purpose for this time was to preach the good news to the Jewish people convincing them of his identity so that later they would play an important role in the salvation of the rest of the world. We have read many times in the Old Testament that salvation would come through the line of the Jews. I do not think that Jesus was telling this woman that she was not worth his time and that helping her would be a waste of resources. Instead, I think he is simply making the point that his purpose right now is to give the good new to the Jewish people–it is not her time as a Gentile to be fed. She responds to this correctly then–even though it may not be her time to be fed, she still asks to receive benefit from Jesus’ coming and healing and teaching.
So, what can we learn from this? First, Christ is compassionate. He does not bless based on worth. God’s timing is supreme. We may not understand at the time, but God’s way is always the better way. In all times, when we do not understand, we must remain humble and keep in mind that all things have their time and purpose, and the God who has created, loved and redeemed us will never leave us wanting. He alone satisfies. We are all invited to feast together as brothers and sisters with Christ. He offers this, not reluctantly, but with arms open wide accepting all who come to him in humility.