Food for Dogs

She came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to little dogs.” Matt 15:21-28

This story about the Canaanite woman asking Jesus to help her is troubling, embarrassing. He seems so cold. At first Jesus doesn’t even answer the woman, and then he says this heartless speech about not giving food to dogs- insinuating that this woman is a dog. It’s confusing. It’s inconsistent with the other messages Jesus has taught.

So I tried to step back- to look at the bigger picture of what is going on. Jesus just came from giving his inaugural speech in Nazareth where he uses two gentiles as examples of what it is to love. He talks about not judging others until we have taken the pikes out of our own eyes. And then here he is now, surrounded by his disciples, with a person- a woman and a gentile- who is asking for help. This seems like a teaching moment, a moment where he requires his disciples to take a look at the logs in their eyes while also choosing to give the woman a critical test- one that she passes with grace and humility.

In those days, self-respecting rabbis NEVER spoke to women. To give you a taste of the mindset of the era, a Jerusalem scholar Ben Sirach wrote a book of proverbs, which includes this gem: A man’s spite is preferable to a woman’s kindness; women give rise to shame and reproach (Sir 42:14).

To the disciples, Jesus ignoring the woman was a culturally appropriate response- it is consistent with the worldview with which the disciples were comfortable. You can just see their red-faced embarrassment. Send her away, for she is crying after us. They catch each other’s eyes and jog each other’s ribs- doesn’t she know this is wholly improper and unacceptable?

Jesus wants to address these ingrained prejudices. He JUST finished speaking about it and yet the disciples STILL didn’t get the clue. Rather than giving the disciples a lecture, he says out loud what they are thinking- he carries their mixed-up theology to it’s ultimate conclusion- this woman should be thrown out because you think she is no better than a scroungy dog.

It’s acutely humiliating to hear your deepest prejudices voiced. You’re forced to look at it- to see it oozing and unkind out in the open. That’s what Jesus did- because until the ugly is taken into the light, it cannot be healed.

And what about that woman? With all humility she lowers herself to the place of a dog. She doesn’t try to argue herself to a better social standing or try to justify herself as human deserving dignity and respect. She is unwaveringly confident in the goodness of Jesus- the One Who Brings Salvation to All. And He is impressed. And He is full of love. And He grants what she desires.

I feel without words. My insides ache, because I see that I am more like the disciples in this situation- I have ideas of How Things Should Be and my ugly is out there- oozing.

Holy God, heal me. Help me to have faith in your in your goodness- to trust that your love extends out to all, including to me. Let your spirit of peace rest on me.