Mark 7:24-37
From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go--the demon has left your daughter."So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. ……………………………………………………………………………
There are so many researchers, scholars even theologians who think that the reply that Jesus gave to the Syro-Phoenician woman's request was racist by saying that "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."
It is an interesting point, but it is a bit intriguing that some people think that they know better than Jesus. They suggest that Jesus held a profoundly racist position toward non-Jews, and his encounter with the Syro-Phoenician woman taught him to reconsider his views, and improve them for the better.
However, this is not only a ridiculous accusation, but it is also repeating the very mistake of some Pharisees and Scribes, who thought that Jesus was committing blasphemy when he told the lame man on the stretcher that son, your sins are forgiven.
The scribes were very certain that they knew the Bible well enough and God close enough to have their wise enough judgment over anything, however they were cowards enough to grunt murmuring silently in the presence of a mighty prophet, that Jesus committed an open blasphemy with his words because sins can be forgiven only by God. It is written in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9: that Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Get up, and walk?' But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins... (then he said to the paralytic), Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house."
If somebody is able to heal a paralytic on the spot, by faith ( he saw the faith of the friends of the paralytic) and by his own merits, then that healer, aka Jesus will not need to be taught of religious wisdom and doctrines by scribes, scholars and Pharisees. Same way, if somebody is able to heal a Gentile girl instantly by will, who is not even present in that place, then that person will not need to be lectured of racism by scribes, scholars, Pharisees or anybody.
When he met a Samaritan woman at the famous well, he said to her that “Go, call your husband, and come here.” Without knowing the context the accusers of Jesus may have a laugh at him again, that how on Earth, as the Son of God he did not know that the woman had no husband.
However, we know that the conversation continued in the Gospel of John chapter 4 that “The woman answered, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.”
We can see that Jesus knew in advance what was the exact situation of the woman, and what was in her heart. Being a Jewish teacher it was forbidden to him by Law to talk to a woman alone, let alone to a Gentile. It is clear from the Gospel. In the middle of this conversation his disciples arrived to the well as well, and “ They marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What are you looking for?’ or, ‘Why do you speak with her?’
Because Jesus was the Master, and they were the students.
Today, the students dare the question and accuse the Master.
When his disciples wanted to burn an unwelcoming and hostile Samaritan village down to ashes, Jesus told them, rebuking them, saying in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9, that "You don't know what kind of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."
Then, how was he capable to say to the Syrian woman practically, that her request can not be granted because she is a Phoenician gentile, aka a dog?, by saying that “it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs”.
In the Bible everything has a context, even the dogs, having a long history of being unclean and barely domesticated animals. God says in the book of Exodus, chapter 22 that “You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.”
Very early the dogs became the synonym of the wicked and the idolaters as we can see it in the 22 Psalm which reads in the verse 16 that “For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. Like lions they maul my hands and feet.”
Jesus warns the disciples that “Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. The Apostle Paul repeats it to the Philippians, in chapter 3 that “Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; ” .
The children obviously are the children of Israel, commissioned by God to keep the Holy Commandments and strive to be holy to God. This is clearly outlined when Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that “You worship that which you don’t know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews.”
The idolaters, technically all the nations of the world, were Biblically considered unholy, in a permanent animosity toward God, committing unspeakable sins of idolatry, adultery, bloodshed and so on. In general speech dogs became the metaphor of the idolaters, the enemies of God. However Jesus stated to the Samaritan woman that “But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshipers.”
Thus, when Jesus said to the Syrian woman that "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.”, he said it in order to test her heart, and to give a lecture to the disciples who all held that the Gentiles are like dogs, unclean and unholy.
When she humbly answered him, " ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go--the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.”
Thus, the Master says that being clean or unclean is not an external condition. It is the state of the heart, as he said: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8)
May the Lord help us to have no doubts in our hearts toward the King of the Universe. May our faith be clean of self-righteousness and pride,
AMEN.
