 |
| "The Syro-phonician Woman and Jesus" Etching by Pietro del Po (1650) (Note doggie in lower right corner) |
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.” (Mark 7:27)
I think we all get a bit uneasy when we hear the above passage. In our gospel reading for Pentecost 15, Year B (Mark 7:25-27) Jesus seems to be pretty rude to this poor Syro-phoenician lady who has come to him to beg for a healing for her demonically possessed daughter. But, let’s give the Lord a break here. He’s been trying to get a little R & R, so he’s travelling in Gentile territory—well away from his adoring fan base—and is staying incognito in an obscure location. But—wouldn’t you know it?—somebody must’ve spilled the beans about where the prophet and worker of miracles was hanging out, and some shiksa comes around looking for a healing for her kid.
I’ve never thought that Jesus’ calling this mother and her possessed child “dogs” was really said out of ire at having his personal time interrupted. Rather, I think that Jesus, being a good Jewish boy, was reminding the lady that he’d been sent by God to the people who had been set apart in order to be a blessing to the world. When God first cut a deal with Abraham, God intended that these folks would keep themselves from the ways of the world around them.[i] They needed to get their own act together first before they could be a blessing to the nations. Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell the Syro-phoenician woman her daughter won’t be healed, but foreigners just have to wait their turn.
I think a lot of folks in America can sign on to that sentiment. Some time ago, a former US president made the pronouncement that he was going to “put American first.” I’ll bet a whole horde of people went, “Yippee!” when he said that. They probably were thinking, “It’s about time! Why should we send good American money overseas when there’s plenty of need right here at home? What has the rest of the world ever done for us, huh? We deserve to keep what is ours, gosh darn it!”
There’s something in our human nature that just can’t stand the idea that someone might be getting something they’re not entitled to get. We’d much rather see the needy go hungry than see someone jump ahead in line. In this way, we sanctify the credo of “looking out for Number One.” It’s us first, and the rest of you can wait.
We hear this sentiment in the church, too. Even though no one’s said anything to me yet, I’m wondering if there are some in my parish who are wondering why Pastor is asking for donations to aid Haitian earthquake victims at a time when COVID-19 has decimated our worship attendance, we’re bleeding money like a ruptured artery, and we have to dip our fiscal bucket into reserve funds to pay an organist. They may be asking, “Shouldn’t we be putting our own needs first?”[ii]
But our ideas of “fairness” may only be an excuse to turn our backs on need. The Syro-phoenician woman isn’t willing to turn away when it’s her own child who is suffering. She’s willing to take the insult from Jesus. She’s even willing to kneel at his feet and beg. She’ll humble herself and do whatever it takes for her child. Wouldn’t you? She reminds Jesus that a sick Syro-phoenician child suffers just as much as a sick Israelite child. She’ll sacrifice her own dignity out of love for another.
Jesus will do exactly the same for us on the cross.
As Americans, we can shut our eyes to the world’s needs, but those needs won’t go away. It’s a very small planet we live on, and, one way or another, ignoring the pain of this world will not be possible. It will come back to haunt us somehow. Our eyes must be open to see it, our ears to hear the voices of others, and our speech must be plain and sincere. There is simply no other way to exist.
Similarly, we as Christians must always be looking outward to be a blessing and a source of hope and consolation to others. The church must be in mission even when that mission seems to be beyond our capabilities or contrary to our self-interest. From our most meagre of resources there will always be some crumbs left over. If we neglect to hand them out, we will divorce ourselves from the purpose for which the church exists.
Let’s keep our hands and our minds open. Thanks for reading my blog this week. Please come back.
[i]
See Deuteronomy 7:6-11
[ii]
The August 14th quake in Haiti has, so far, cost over 2,200 lives
and left a nation that was already in political turmoil in even greater need of
the basic tools of survival—particularly clean drinking water. Faith Lutheran
partners with the Beersheba Seventh Day Adventist Church which uses our worship
space on Saturdays. This church is made up of Haitian immigrants and
Haitian-Americans. Many have loved ones still in Haiti who are suffering.
No comments:
Post a Comment