Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; Psalm 125; James 2:1-10,[11-13],14-17; Mark 7:24-37Forabout three months or so now, it has become more evident to Terri and me thatour precious mini-doxie Duchess is getting older and having more health problems. We are noticing that the gray in her fur isovertaking the beautiful red coat she has had since the day we adopted herthirteen years ago. Her left eye isstarting to become cloudy. Her breathingat night seems labored and strained. At times,she is as vital and lively as a puppy and at other times, she is listless and tired. We know for the sake of our other youngerdoxie (Duke), we will need to introduce a new baby to our family. Terri recently began communicating with a youngwoman in Tampa who had a two-year-old black and tan male, for which she could nolonger care. Guess what, he’s now ourlittle boy … we picked him up Thursday afternoon and in a short period of time,we both realized that introducing a new dog into the house, is quite a challenge.
The establisheddogs were resistant to the newcomer’s exuberance, playfulness, and energy. The old timers (Duke and Duchess) were leeryof the new boy’s toys, bed, his smell, his sound, and his actions. The dogs that have been with us since we 1999were not ready to change or accept this newcomer (Tyson) without a fight, nip, pick,growl, chase, screech, and yelp, which seemed to go on for several hours theother night. We have noticed over the pasttwo days, that our three beautiful little Dachshunds are getting along much better,and seem to be finding their place in our home.
Humansand dogs in a strange way are not that different when it comes to accepting,inviting, embracing, loving, and allowing an outsider to integrate into, and havean impact on the pack; the community. Itseems in our society, when new folks enter our circle, eyebrows raise, hairstands up on the back of our necks, we become frightened, threatened, and uncertainof our own place. Sometimes when the newdog joins the pack, we tend to try to put the newcomer in their place, so wecan feel better about ours.
The gospelnarrative we hear today reminds us of how we create barriers between eachother, barriers that the Good News of God in Christ rejects. The story is about an encounter Jesus hadwith a Syro-Phoenician woman whose daughter was possessed by anaffliction. The woman was desperate for reliefand her plea to the young rabbi for help, would become one of the puzzlingencounters of Our Lord’s ministry. Weneed some background information, to understandfully what is going on in this story. “Syrophoeniciawas an ancient Semitic Canaanite civilization situated on the western, coastalpart of the Fertile Crescent and centered in Lebanon.”(1) The woman was both a Gentile, but also Hellenistic. She more than likely spoke Greek and probably was a woman of adifferent socio-economic class than Jesusand his disciples and thus, two cultures collided through this conversation. Another interesting tidbit of background on this story is the fact that many of the peasant Israelites cultivated andharvested the food, which was consumed by the aristocratic, Hellenistic classto which this woman belonged. Even so, becauseof the social class distribution of food and many other goods, most of thepeople who actually grew the food (the Israelites) lived with an unnecessaryscarcity. There was a distinction, rift,divide between God’s children (both Jew and Gentile), and it resulted in a battleof “us against them,” which pervaded the interactions between these two groups(Hellenistic socialites and peasant farmers).
Now,some of these socialites were not the only ones who embraced an ethos of class/ethnicsuperiority. From the Israelite’s perspective,all Gentiles, all people outside the House of Israel, were held with greatdisdain, so much that they were commonly referred to as “dogs.” “Dogs” was a disparagingmetaphor, a derogatory term popular at the time for describing all Gentiles andit is interesting how it finds its way into today’s pericope. (2) This story is found in both the Gospelaccording to Matthew and according to Mark. Today, we have Mark’s version and if we merely gloss over Jesus’ remarksto the woman, one could get the impression that Jesus is no better than thefolks who ostracized the Gentile, cast out the leper, diminished the lame,blind or deaf, or desired stoning for the adulterer.
Whenat the woman’s request for Jesus’ help he responded with, “Let the children befed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to thedogs." Jesus was not saying, “You’re on your own here lady.” Some scholars believe the meaning behind hiswords was, “my mission right now is this, but in due time the rest will comeinto the kingdom.” Other theologiansbelieve Jesus was not using an abusive meaning of “dog” but was referring to little“house puppies,” or household pets who were allowed in the house and gatheredat the foot of the table and received scraps. Either way, when we hear his cutting words, weare surprised at Jesus’ response to a woman who was seeking his help, and itleaves us a bit uncomfortable. TheologianWilliam Loader asserts, “When God’s election of Israel becomes the basis forJesus' initial refusal to heal this girl, we cannot avoid feeling indignant.”(4) Could it be that the discomfort we feel comes from our own experiences ofhow we have witnessed for ourselves, the atrocities weighed against the outsider? We can find some comfort that an ethnic/social/racialevil is not the heart of this story. Evenso, the dialogue leaves us with an uneasiness and a tension, that challengesour own biases; the “demon” that is human inequality, injustice, and lack ofdignity.
“Dogs”was a diminutive, common term of abuse in that society. We have those unspoken terms used in ourculture today do we not? We dare not say them here, right? Early in my retail career, when I lived inthe deep, rural south of Mississippi and later in Alabama, I remember hearingabusive labels hurled at folks, labels fueled by hatred and racism. I have alsoheard terrible prejudices used with vicious intent, with an evil so hurtfulthat a cutting blade or bashing stick could have done no more injury to theperson. I have heard such diminutiveterms used on a close family member because of their sexual orientation. Such abuse is a demonic perpetuation ofinequality, injustice, and dignity-robbery . So, when we here Jesus use “dog” to label the Syro-Phoenician woman, weare for a moment, rocked off our pristine Christian heels. Keep in mind, there is much more going onhere and the entire dialogue between the woman and Our Lord in a unique way, isopening the door for us to realize that Christian community, the life of theChurch is not about exclusion, but inclusion.
"Sir,even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." The woman rebukesJesus preoccupation with his ministry to the chosen, and makes it clear thatshe, even though not in the House of Israel, is in God’s house and needs to befed by God’s abundance. The woman is proclaimingthat now ,"the gentiles are no longer outside in the streets; they are nowin the house." And in a moment—thanks to this loving mother's theologicaldiscernment—the dogs "will be at the table," the place of truefellowship.” (2)
In amoment, the tables are turned, the mission expands, the focus is no longer justthe insiders, the path is widened, and Jesus invites ALL, not some, to thebanquet. This unusual story depicts a pivotalcrossroad in Jesus’ ministry at which, it becomes clear his saving power is inclusive,and goes beyond physical healing. Jesusis using a little irony to make the point that all are welcome at the table! The gospel writer in his inclusion of thisstory, is not diving into the psychology of Jesus, he is being very clear thatJesus is crossing the boundary of human divide, and bringing the Kingdom to all… even the dogs! Jesus’ rebuke of the Syro-Phoenicianwoman is not really the focus of the encounter. “Mark's focus is on what he did. Jesus agreed to the woman's request;Jesus crossed the boundary; Jesus exemplified and legitimized what by Mark'stime had become the reality which he celebrates: the community of faithinclusive of both Jew and Gentile.” (5) Jesus I believe was not testing this woman’s faithto see if she would stand up to the oppressors … I believe he was actuallyinspired by her. I believe Jesusactually had an epiphany of sorts. Ibelieve Jesus became clear about who he was, and what he was called to do. I believe Jesus is helping us to become veryclear about who we are as the church, and what our mission is to become.
We must break down barriers to the table, to God’sKingdom that we knowingly or unknowingly put up! Mark eloquently captured a culture that judgeda woman on the externals, on her heritage as a gentile, but she would have noneof it. She challenged Jesus and she challengesus by asking, “Where do I fit in, in the Kingdom you so eloquently preach about?” She asks Jesus, and she asks us, “Can I get ascrap of grace from you?” I love thisstory because like theologian Stephen Fowler asserts, “the Syro-Phoenicianwoman understands that God's election of Israel entails Jesus' feeding of thechildren of Abraham. She does not argue with the fairness of God's choice.Rather, as if she had studied the Old Testament, she recognizes that such anabundant overflowing of grace must result in "all the nations being blessed."The key to understanding the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman is to recognizethat in this moment of his ministry,” Jesus opened himself up to mission to thewhole world, he opened his church to the world. Now we are to open ourselves tothe whole world in mission.”(2)
Yesterdayin the Englewood Sun, St. David’s was on the front page in a well-written articlethat announced the official opening of our Jubilee Center in October. Even so, if you read merely the surface story,you might miss another announcement , deeply embedded in the words of celebrationabout our new ministry. The headline, “DaySchooltransformed to Jubilee Outreach Center” really proclaims a new narrative aboutthis parish. The new story is that St.David’s is a parish who more and more each day welcomes the stranger, theoutcast, the misfortunate, the least, the lost, and the lonely. We are a people who believe that when Jesussaid, “Love your neighbor,” it was not merely a casual suggestion, a passing thoughtof “love ‘em if you have time or especially if you have nothing better to do onyour agenda.” The headline reads, “St.David’s is a parish that is being flooded by the Spirit of justice, equality,human dignity, mercy, grace, reconciliation, and love! We are being transformed and at the same time,we are welcoming the transformation, which others who join us, are bringing tothe pack. God is at work in this placeand with these people. We will not be achurch that embraces exclusion and an ethos of clubhouse. We will love our neighbor. So, if you ever hear someone ask you because ofan uneasiness about new dogs joining the pack “Who let the dogs in,”I encourage, no I implore you, to loving look into their eyes and with graceand love respond I encourage you toyou say to them, “the Master of this house, who gave of himself to bringreconciliation, grace, love, mercy, life (and life abundantly) to the world andall who are in it, sits at the head of this table, and all, not just some, are welcome to join the feast.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenicia
(2) Husted, Heidi A. "When The Gospel Goes To TheDogs." Christian Century 117.23 (2000): 829-22. ATLASerials, ReligionCollection. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.
(3) Perkinson, James W. "A Canaanitic Word In TheLogos Of Christ; Or The Difference The Syro-Phoenician Woman Makes To Jesus."Semeia 75 (1996): 61-85. ATLASerials, Religion Collection. Web. 2 Sept. 2012.
(4)Fowl, Stephen E. "God's Choice." ChristianCentury 123.18 (2006): 20-22. ATLASerials, Religion Collection. Web. 6 Sept.2012.
(5)Loader, William R G. "Challenged At The Boundaries: A Conservative Jesus In Mark's Tradition." Journal For The Study Of TheNew Testament 63 (1996): 45-61. ATLASerials, Religion Collection. Web. 6 Sept.2012.
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