The Dog Woman

Friday, August 3, 2007 -- Week of Proper 12

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
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Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 976)
Psalms 69:1-23 (24-30) 31-38 (morning) 73 (evening)
2 Samuel 5:1-12
Acts 17:1-15
Mark 7:24-37

The story of the healing of the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman is a significant one. Up to this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus has been a Jew talking to Jews. He has acted like a Rabbi who has a gift to heal. He teaches and feeds the people. He argues over points of scripture. He appears to be one who is calling the Jewish people to repentance and reform. He appears as one who might be the hoped for Jewish Messiah.

But then he leaves Israel and goes into the foreign region of Tyre on the Mediterranian coast of Phoenecia. His reputation as wonder worker and healer has preceded him. A Gentile woman comes to ask Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus sets a natural boundary. "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

To our ears it sounds like an unkind statement. Dogs were unclean animals, scavengers. In the scriptures Gentiles are occasionally called dogs. It would have been part of the cultural world view of Jesus' upbringing to refer to them as dogs. He was a Jew. His mission was to God's chosen, the Jews. Let them be fed first. It is a reasonable statement of a boundary. We hear similar things today. Let our children be fed first. It's not fair to take our children's food and give it to illegals. It's not fair to take our children's food and waste in on foreign aid.

The dog-woman answers, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."

That changed everything. Why? She didn't convert and become Jewish. She didn't acknowledge Jesus as the Lord and promise to follow him. She's still a Gentile.

But Jesus hears her words. They are words of cleverness. They are words of love. Jesus hears a kind of wisdom and love that is self-authenticating. These are not the words of a dog. These are words of one of God's children. Despite everything he has been taught since childhood and the testimony of scripture about the unclean foreigners, Jesus recognizes her as a fellow child of God. He gives to her as he has given to his own, God's chosen people.

From this point on in Mark's gospel, there will be no distinction. What Jesus does in Israel for Jews he does in other regions for Gentiles. He heals and teaches. He will feed a multitude of Gentiles just like he fed the multitude of Jews. He makes no distinction in his ministry. And he does not expect them to convert from their religion to his.

How much safer a planet might we have if all Christians had adopted Jesus' stance toward foreigners and those of other religions.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
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