Tuesday: Crumbs for the Dogs
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 6th of August 2024
Read Mark 7:24-30. What important lessons are found in this story?
Following on the heels of the challenging passage in yesterday’s study, the story in this passage also raises troubling questions. Why does Jesus respond so harshly to this woman, in so many words calling her a dog?
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He does not openly explain, but two characteristics in His response to her suggest what He is teaching. In Mark 7:27, He says that the children should be fed “first.” If there is a “first,” it seems logical that there would be a “second.” The other characteristic is that Jesus uses a diminutive form of the word “dog,” not meaning puppies but rather, in context, dogs allowed inside the house in contrast to street dogs. The woman picks up on these two markers in her response to Jesus, which helps explain her response.
The woman’s response is rather pointed. She replies: “Lord, yet even the . . . dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28, NKJV).
How did this woman come up with this response to Jesus? Certainly the love for her daughter drove her forward. But Jesus also encouraged her. He said “first,” implying there could be a “second.” Furthermore, He implied she was a dog under the table. Just as the dog was in the house under the table, so she was at Jesus’ feet pleading for her daughter. So, she claimed a dog’s right to the food that fell on the floor.
The woman’s response reveals her faith. Calling the mighty miracle of healing her daughter from a distance a “crumb” indicated both that Jesus’ power was especially great (if such a miracle were a crumb, what would a whole loaf be?) and that granting her request was a small matter for Him. Jesus was moved and granted her request.
“By His dealings with her, He has shown that she who has been regarded as an outcast from Israel is no longer an alien, but a child in God’s household. As a child it is her privilege to share in the Father’s gifts.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 401.
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Why is prejudice against other races and nationalities contrary to the teaching of Jesus? How can we seek to be purged of this evil? |
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The Tyre-Sidon region was about 50 km from Galilee and that would take 2-3 days to walk. When I exercise every morning, I walk for about 5km in roughly an hour but that is walking at a fat-burning pace and I could not keep that up for 10 hours. (It works by the way) My guess Jesus' visit was not just a casual visit to the coast to see the sights of a Mediterranean beach.
Tyre and Sidon were Phonecian/Canaanite cities on the northern border of Jewish Palestine and were regarded as Gentile. I think that in the context of the other events recorded in this chapter, this visit was purposeful so the disciples were given an insight into the scope of the Gospel.
Some read the conversation with the Syrophenician woman as confronting. Some of us picture Jesus talking in measured tones in olde Shakespearean English (I know some films portray him like this) but I suspect that Jesus was much easier to listen to. He was well aware of the Jew/Gentile fracture and would have had a twinkle in his eye as he and the woman engaged in repartee. She gave as good as she got.
And, the disciples would have seen the conversation develop from the stereotype to one of healing and understanding. This was for their benefit as much as for the woman and her daughter.
Exactly!
Amen, Sr.Inge--agree wholeheartedly!
Indeed l believe this to be the case. Matthew 15:23,24., adds more light. In particular "And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said…"
The fact that JESUS did not do the expected action and send her away, even though His disciples begged Him too. (I guess they were trying to protect His already dwindling good reputation amongst the scribes and Pharisees), but instead answered was proof enough for this foreign woman that JESUS was going to answer her request. JESUS by engaging with this ‘dog’ was the evidence that He had accepted her and would honour her request, even though the initial answer might not have been the way she might have expected. She was granted her request.
This was a Gentile women asking a Jew for help and Jesus was seeing if her faith was genuine. His statement to her and her reply helped to establish her faith in Jesus first and possibly the planting of faith in God.
Is this a blueprint of how to engage with the poor and outcast among us in society?
Yes, Jesus engaged in the conversation with the woman to teach a lesson.
What are we trying to achieve though when our conversations with the marginalized in society are less than wholesome????
I feel no, it's not a blueprint, because
1. We are not Jesus who knows exactly how to relate to people's circumstances (I'm not saying God can't reveal this to us too, but we need to be humble about our limits)
2. The Bible has a different cultural context that doesn't translate into our world exactly. The principles do, but not always the patterns.
I feel this story is more for us to learn about persistence and our own potential prejudice. I would not try to copy Jesus tactics unless absolutely sure they are God-inspired.
I think that the story of the storm on the lake and the the story of the gentile woman give contrasting views of how people see God. The disciples had faith that Jesus could do something to help them or they wouldn't have appealed to Him. But they thought that He didn't care and had abandoned them to their fate. Consequently Jesus reprimanded them for their lack of faith. The Syrophenician woman not only thought that Jesus had the power to heal her daughter, but also believed that He cared enough to do it, even when His words seemed to indicate otherwise. It was that faith in the loving, caring attitude of Jesus that allowed Him to heal.
In all my 50 plus years of my Seventh Day Adventist Journey, I have yet to hear a sermon about "The Crumbs that fall from the Childrens Table." And I also have never heard a sermon about the Woman that washed Jesus Feet with her hair and even Jesus was clear about this one to be preached in all the world. And we claim to have "The Testimony of Jesus," but how can we when we neglect these Spiritual Lessons and fail to preach about them?
Hi Pete. All I can say is that your preachers have missed out badly. I have heard several sermons on both topics here in Australia.
Hi Pete, I am wounding if you went to any of our campmeetings or attended any of our academies and or collages. I have heard sermons in the U.S. of A. regarding the faith of the Greek woman in S.D.A. inviroment. I have lived in America all my life. 60 plus years. God bless you.
I have heard it - my pastor at the time preached on it. And a theology student preached on it. I think I've heard a sermon on the woman washing Jesus feet too, but it doesn't come to mind right now.
My guess is some pastors avoid the "crumbs" sermon because they aren't totally sure about it but perhaps you might challenge your pastor to preach on it. I actually suggested it to my pastor and he took my challenge! Only do this if you have a good relationship with him/her!
I too have heard many sermons about the woman washing Christ’ feet. That is sad that you haven’t.
Crumbs are Enough
Dr Kendra Haloviak Valentine from Azure Hills
Did Jesus prefer to serve Jews first before Gentiles?
I like the woman's persistence.Thsts faith!
I don't think it's a preference as much as the plan that salvation was designed to go to the Jews first. This made sense as they had the Scriptures, the temple service etc. and would be well-positioned to share Jesus with the world in that context. It's not about favor as much as God's ideal plan.
I agree with Christina, but also you have to go back in scripture and see that God had chosen Abraham because he was a heathen (so to speak) but he believed in the true God, so God promised him he would be the father of many nations, and he had great faith. Many years later they were called Jews. God chose them to take the message to other nations and they felt they were more important than the other nations.
This story represents a woman who had somewhat similar supplication as Psalm 34:6. Christ gave her the crumbs and more. Thats the way Christ is, He gives more. The more was atouch of her heart with the Love of God.
first questioning why Jesus seemed so harsh made me wonder, but then God revealed to me that praying without ceasing takes on a new dimension for me. I saw myself thinking like the disciples "send her away she is not one of us", but Christ was teaching them and me that salvation is for everyone, He is no respecter of person, and neither can I be. I prayed for myself, my shortcomings, and my weaknesses. So without praying, there is no change in us, and Christ's examples stemming from these parables has shown me that prayer plus faith gives me growth and strength in all situations.
Yes, I agree, salvation is for everyone. And this embraces people on the outskirts of society. Dogs, even as pets, were considered unclean. The woman, Jesus encountered, accepted this designation, but not accepting that she was outside of the benefits of Israel. (Isaiah 56:3-7)
In his attitude of rejection Jesus was reflecting the behaviour of the Jews at that time without condoning this praxis. This Syrophenician woman was considered as unclean as even pet dogs.
God`s ways of salvation sometimes seem strange to us, but breaking down walls of separation. God commanded the ravens, unclean birds, to feed the Prophet Isaiah with bread and flesh: without going through the rituals of ceremonial hand-washing. (Mark 7:3-4; 1 Kings 17:4-6) When the brook was dried up and the Prophet had no more water to drink, God commanded him to go to Zarephath belonging to Sidon. There he was to dwell with a widow who would feed him. (1 Kings 17:8-9) She, a heathen woman, was preparing her last meal with her son accepting the Prophet as guest of that last meal, experiencing the benefits of Israel in the oil and meal miracle. (1 Kings 17:12-16)
We are reminded to consider the walls of separation within and without the church to be broken down.
Winfried Stolpmann
Thank you, Winfried - I very much appreciate your pointing out that our God is no respecter of persons, nor that He considers man's traditions regardless if established by His own people or by others. The Holy Spirit manifests itself in all seeking His Righteousness by faith - thank God!
Jesus made a point to let those present know that God will share His Bread of Life and His Water which will forever quench all thirst for righteousness with anyone. Though it was given to the Israelites first, all who reach out to Him by Faith will receive it.
Spiritual truths contained in God’s Word are easily distorted by focusing on by man established norms and customs. Noticing this, Jesus acknowledged that she was correct to expect to benefit from the 'crumbs' – from God’s blessings given to Israel -, as they are awarded to all by faith.
As I understand it, ‘first’ relates to God having given His New Way/Teachings to the Jews first, encouraging them to learn to worship God in Spirit and Truth. Though, Israel as a nation did not rise to this special status, Jesus' teachings empowered individuals among them to accept His His bread and water which fills all who hunger and thirst after righteousness - Jesus' testament to life-saving faith.
I appreciate Ellen G. White’s finding included in this lesson. This Faith, promoted and then fostered through God’s Word having become the New Life, should have become rooted in Israel first. Instead, Jesus found it present in a women from a heathen nation – ‘Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth’. He then chose this occasion to demonstrate that the God He represents is no respecter of persons - titles, place of birth, or culture, as God's Truth is transmitted through the Holy Spirit to all equally.