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Crumbs For
Dogs
Matthew 15: 21-28
I don’t
ride on Airplanes much. It’s not that I hate to fly, I actually like
flying but there is something that always has given me trouble. It’s
this little curtain that separates us normal people with those in First
class.
The first class people are served gourmet food on china and crystal by
their own flight attendants; those of us in coach eat "snacks" served in
paper bags with plastic wrappers. The first class passengers have room
to stretch and sleep; those of us in coach have to sit in an area that
would make a poodle feel cramped. The first class passengers have flight
attendants bring them moist Towelettes for comfort and personal hygiene;
those of us in coach have to sit and stew in our facial sweat.
On almost every flight, once the plane is under way, a curtain gets
drawn to separate the two compartments. It is not to be violated; it is
like the veil that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the Holy of
Holies in the temple at Jerusalem. The curtain is a reminder throughout
the flight that some people are first class and some aren't.
I thought about my Airplane experiences the other day as I came across
C. S. Lewis’ essay called "The Inner Ring." In every society, in every
school and church and workplace, there are little groups of people who
are on the "inside." These groups are almost never formal; no one votes
on who gets in. Yet whether or not you're a member will be reflected in
subtle things - inside jokes, invitations to certain events. Once you
get inside, of course, you discover that there are further rings that
are even more inside. The further in the ring is, the more status and
prestige it bestows on the members.
Lewis writes, "I believe that in all men's lives. . . one of the most
dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the
terror of being left outside."
Jesus' disciples wrestled with this desire. How many times do we find
them wrestling over “Who’s the greatest” or asking to sit next to Jesus
in Heaven? Matthew tells one of the most striking stories about status.
Read Matthew 15: 21-28
This story used to be confusing to me. At first glance, it can make
Jesus look almost mean. But this is actually a passage about a master
teacher trying to help his students understand God's desire to include
everyone.
It might help to grasp the point of this passage if we look at it as
Jesus is giving a test for two sets of people. He is testing the
disciples, and he is testing the woman. One group aces the test, and the
other gets an incomplete.
The story takes place in Tyre and Sidon, two Phoenician cities located
on the coast. The Jews hated the people who lived there. So the
disciples would have regarded this woman as an outcast. She was a member
of the most spiritually corrupted people they knew. Her people were
their enemies.
But the woman comes to Jesus with the traditional cry of a beggar: "Have
mercy on me, Lord." She humbles herself and is deeply respectful. Her
desperation causes her to cross ethnic and gender boundaries that were
plainly not crossed in her day.
At first Jesus does not say a word. This woman's daughter is suffering
terribly, she appeals to Jesus with humility and reverence, and he acts
as if he didn't hear. He responds with apparent silence, indifference,
and rejection.
Now Matthew doesn't try to hide this. He deliberately draws our
attention to this fact. Matthew knows something we don't know yet. He
knows this is a test. He knows how this story will end. For now, he
wants us to have to grapple with whatever it is that Jesus is up to.
Jesus has just ignored this woman and it probably would have been a good
time to walk away. But she has to decide, How deeply do I want healing
for my daughter? How much am I willing to trust this man?
This is part one of the Canaanite woman's exam. But now let's turn our
attention to the disciples, Jesus is giving the disciples a test as
well. They are not surprised Jesus doesn't talk with her. What rabbi
would?
As Jesus deliberately ignores the woman He watches the disciples to see
what they will do. Do they get it yet? Do they understand what he's
about?
They respond strongly, and they are quite confident their rebuke will
meet with his approval: "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after
us, You send her away."
This is a lot like the time the Disciples rebuked the little children.
They thought they were pretty clear about the kind of people Jesus did
and did not have time for. They knew who was in the Inner Ring, and they
didn't want to let anyone else in. They had erected their own little
curtain to separate first class passengers from coach; and they weren't
about to allow an enemy through it.
The Test: Part Two
Jesus goes on to part two of the exam. His next words are addressed to
the disciples in response to their question. Jesus says, "I was sent
only to the lost sheep of Israel."
Why would Jesus tell the disciples he's not going to respond to this
woman, when in fact later on that is precisely what he does?
Jesus is testing. Great teachers don't just give lectures and hand out
information. They know that experience is more powerful than just
presentation. So Jesus doesn't give his disciples a lecture about their
smug, exclusive attitudes. He tried that after his disciples shooed the
children away, and the lecture approach did not work very well.
The disciples need some remedial help. The disciples don't know it, but
they need something stronger than a lecture. So Jesus appears to agree
with them: "Of course, I'll get rid of her. I'm sent to Israel-God's
favorites! We have no time for gentile female second-rate riffraff. Good
call, guys! I'll send her away."
But Jesus doesn't send the woman away. He watches to see how the
disciples will respond. Will anybody disagree? Will anyone get it?
No. They all nod their heads: "That's right. Send her away."
At the same time, the woman goes through part two of the test. Although
Jesus is talking to and facing his disciples, the woman hears all that
is said. Jesus' words say to her in effect: "You are an outsider. I am
the Son of David. You are not my mission. Why should I serve you?"
Is her concern for her child so deep, her confidence in Jesus'
compassion and power so strong, that she will continue in her petition
despite the obstacles? Even when he seems unwilling to help her?
In her mind she can hear her daughter's screams. She has no one else to
turn to, nowhere else to go. The woman kneels on the ground and utters a
single phrase from the depths of her soul: "Lord, help me!"
Now the tension starts to build very strong inside the disciples, as
Jesus knew it would. Their theology tells them this woman is to be
shunned, rejected, ignored, and turned away. They themselves would say
just the same thing Jesus said.
And yet, something inside them is deeply moved. This is the cry of a
desperate mother for a beloved daughter who is in physical and spiritual
agony. Could it possibly be that God is better than their theology? This
is at the very core of their identity, prejudices and beliefs about
their own dominance and who it is God really loves.
The disciples still don't get it, so Jesus speaks again. He has been
speaking to his disciples, and we are not told that he turns around. So
picture Jesus saying this next line still looking at his disciples,
still watching their faces, still testing: “It is not right to take
Children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
The meaning is clear. The children are Israel and the Dogs would be
Gentiles-including this woman.
In effect, Jesus says to them, "You want me to get rid of this woman?
Limit my ministry to Israel? Okay, I will do what you ask. But before I
do, take a moment to watch her. Listen to her daughter's screams."
Jesus gives a voice to their theology. It is one thing to have hatred
for someone behind their back. It is another thing to hear the ugliness
of our thoughts and feelings expressed out loud to a real human being.
The test is, will any of them speak up for this woman? Will one of them
love her?
Unfortunately no. Not one. Not today. This is the end of the disciples'
test. There will be other tests in days to come, and they will do
better. They are still learning. But not today.
Jesus names as sin what often passes for virtue, especially in religious
circles. The religious leaders in Jesus' day believed that their refusal
to associate with people who did not live up to their religious
standards was the highest proof of their devotion to God. The righteous
had to separate themselves from the outcasts. The more spiritual you
tried to be, the bigger the category of outcasts got:
People were excluded based on ethnic background (Gentiles),
Gender (women),
Physical problems (lepers),
Or practicing what were called "despised trades" (the rabbis' list
included tax collectors, and pigeon keepers).
The outcasts were considered defiled, and to associate with them would
defile the righteous. The righteous believed that the essence of
spiritual maturity came from excluding people.
Jesus, who was sinless and innocent, embraced the outcasts. He did not
condone their sin, but he clarified the labels that had made people
outcasts, and he offered the possibility of redemption for those who had
truly fallen. He associated with the outcasts; he spoke with them,
touched them, ate with them, loved them. By embracing the outcast Jesus
underscored the sinfulness of the people and systems that cast them out.
When people truly begin to follow Jesus, they find themselves becoming
Embracers.
The Woman Who Wouldn't Give Up
Jesus uses very harsh language about dogs to force the disciples to face
themselves. At the same time, he softens it slightly for the woman.
There are two main words available for dogs, and Jesus uses the word
that means a puppy, not an attack dog.
This is the hardest part of the test for the woman.
Will she run away? She could. She could decide it's not worth the effort
and give up.
Will she insult Jesus back? He and his people have been enemies to her
and hers for a long time. She might think, Who do you think you are?
Where do you get off talking to me like this?
Or is her love for her daughter so intense, is her trust in Jesus' power
to heal so deep that she will keep going?
The woman's response is unbelievable. "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat
the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
She comes back at Jesus with grit, grace, and even wit. "You are still
my lord and master. Go ahead and make it look like you're pushing me
away I know your heart. I'm not going anywhere. By all means, feed the
kids. But I am sure that there is a crumb for even me."
The woman just won't give up. She is a foreigner, a pagan, a enemy but
to Jesus she is worthy of Heaven.
The funny thing about exclusion, it causes us to think that merely to
associate with those we consider an outsider is doing them a favor. We
forget that wherever exclusion reigns, it marks those farthest from
Fellowship with Christ.
When we exclude, we don't just hurt those we keep outside; we damage our
own souls and the Body of Christ. And when we embrace, we receive the
greatest gift. In the end the only ones the Excluders can keep away from
God's community are themselves.
Finally, Jesus turns away from them to face the Canaanite woman. For a
moment Jesus concealed the great goodness of his heart because he had a
purpose. Now that purpose is fulfilled. The woman sees his face; she
feels his love. Now the test is over.
It is time for the grades to be given out.
Jesus' heart is full. Maybe his eyes are as well. He turns to the woman
and expresses his admiration:
"Woman great is your faith."
Jesus' word great is the same as our word mega. Jesus says this Gentile
woman has mega-faith. He doesn't use that word for his disciples.
It turns out those who thought they were in the exclusive Inner Ring are
Pigeon keepers group and this woman ¬is one of the inner circle of
Christ. The woman understands what they do not. That the most desirable
society in the universe turns out also to be the humblest and the least
exclusive.
Jesus is determined His circle of inclusiveness is open for all who want
to come and be a part of it, and it’s not full yet. He invites anyone
who will to join Him. No one is left out except those who refuse to
enter.
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