Mark 7:24–30, Psalm 2, Isaiah 26:1–6, Genesis 17:1–7
It’s been over a month since Epiphany. Within the time frame of the church “year”, we are halfway through the “season” of Epiphany. As a brief reminder, Epiphany is the observation day of the Wise Men coming to Jesus. It is a reminder that while Jesus was Jewish, his salvific work and kingship were for the Gentiles (non-Jews), too.
It is also a not-so-subtle jab at the Jewish religious leaders that they missed the coming of the king. While Jesus made it clear that the emphasis of his time on earth was for the salvation of and preaching the kingdom of God to the Jews, it was supposed to be only the beginning.
While Jesus emphasized the Jews, it was not that he was exclusionary. There is the Samaritan woman (almost worse than a normal Gentile to the Jews) at the well. There is also the Roman Centurion. Then there is today’s story of the Syrian Mother seeking the welfare of her daughter.
In Jesus’ initial response to the woman, note the emphasis on the “children”. Children is definitely a reference to Jews that have had a seat at the table of God since Abraham. In other words, Jesus tells the woman to wait until the Jews are “fed”.
The allusion to feeding on God is interesting, too. We could be offended at the appearance of Jesus calling the woman a dog, yet it would be a culturally relevant way for a Jew to refer to her (it doesn’t make it appropriate in our day and age). It is also an accurate reflection of the gap between the woman’s heritage and that of the Jews.
It does seem to be a test in some way. Jesus didn’t say no. In a way, Jesus was asking her what the most appropriate thing was, which makes her response even more amazing.
She does not dispute that Jesus is Jewish, and thus his priority is the Jews. It was entirely appropriate that she acknowledged and respected his avowed mission. Again, Jesus didn’t say no.
This mother took “the scraps” that Jesus tossed her, and gave a beautiful response.
Think about small children. When they eat, they are not the tidiest of eaters. Food ends up on the floor. Sometimes by accident, sometimes by being tossed. Small children often do not fully grasp the concept of food and its worth, just as the Jews were missing the beauty of God’s word incarnate.
The mother saw the worth of Jesus (food) and lunged for the crumbs that children ignored. Jesus healed her daughter. Just like the Centurion’s servant, the daughter was healed at a distance. The faith and trust of the Gentiles (the outsiders) exceeded the faith of the Jews (insiders).
- 1) While many Christians identify with the Gentiles and outsiders, it isn’t always the case. Are you able to see where you might be more like an insider rather than an outsider?
- 2) What does the word epiphany mean to you? How does that meaning apply to the Wise Men? How does that apply to your Christian walk?
- 3) Food is an important part of the story. What are some different ways food can be used to tell a story of faith?
- FD) We can become blind to the blessings we have (like the Jews were blind to Jesus). What blessings do you need to remember today?