Crumbs to Pets (Matt 15:21-28)

In this reading Jesus has been seeking, much like us, some peace away from the ministry in the region of the coast.  In the Mark version it says that Jesus entered a house and wanted nobody to know it, but he could not be hidden.  I so know how that feels and yet there are moments of gold in it all. Shelley and I have been on retreat in these last two weeks.  This was our break away from ministry and machine testing to take time out as it were to plug in to the source and recharge your batteries.  Christian friends graciously allowed us to use their Mt Maunganui place again; a quite luxurious three storied apartment.  From there we took walks on the beaches the of the ocean side or the Harbour side, even around the mount which we did. Many coffee shops were less than a minute away, restaurants, picture theatre, shops and of all types.  It is a beautiful place to be and a contrast to the beauty of the Canterbury scenery.  Boats moored on a place at harbour, surfers sitting on their boards waiting for the waves on the ocean, people relaxing over a coffee after walking around or up to the top of the mount, even cheery good mornings from passers-by.  Here was a perfect opportunity to relax, reflect and recharge.

The reality is when we go north, that life can be as busy as at work because so many people want to see us again.  The first few days were hectic visiting family in the Waikato, our past cell group members quick to grab a hold of us for meals and pray together; their love obvious.  We did not get to see the grandchildren for four days because of other demands on us and the need to relax a bit. Then before we knew it the weekend was on us the girls were staying overnight and grand-children arrived with walks to the beach and their noise. The next night was the turn of the newest grandchild to stay, due in September and still cradled in his very fascinated mummy’s tummy.  Though it’s wonderful it is also quite tiring is to fit friends and family into your holiday.

This time we chose to stay at the mount rather than up and help families houses and let them come to us for this same reason.  This allowed us to spend time reading or walking beaches rather than travelling and enjoying each other. But in this reading a Greek woman, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, who has a demon possessed daughter is bothering Jesus in his place of hiding.  Jesus’ disciple’s are trying to tell her to go away but she persists.  Jesus admonition to her is on the grounds of his calling specifically to the children of Israel.  His father in heaven had called Jesus to be Messiah to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the lost sheep as he refers to Israel.

Jesus then refers to the woman’s national connection as little dogs!  Some people say that this means outsiders, rejects, infidels, heathens but actually it means something like a “lap pet,” perhaps as some sort of affectionate way we might talk to our cat or dog which lives with us. The foreign woman picks up on this and suggests that even the little dogs eat the children’s crumbs under the table.  Aren’t dog good at cleaning up under the high chair?  In fact all of us who have pets and the house will know how often the love we have for them means we sneak titbits from our plate for them. The woman is persistent and she overcomes this major hurdle when she refers to Jesus as master and herself as one of those loved pets of the house of Israel.  It is interesting how the woman perceives a miracle as an unwanted crumb or titbit from the table of the lord.  It reminds me of the parable of the wedding feast, how the guests were invited but did not want to come so the instruction was to go out into the highways and byways and invite everyone in. 

She refers to the help as a crumb unwanted by the children. Yes Jesus had found many in Israel who did not want him as the promised Messiah. They did not believe and yet here a household pet was happy to embrace the rejected one she knew as Son of David. You have to wonder how on earth she knew Jesus was the Messiah, the answer to her long maternal struggle in child rearing. The answer may be that a household pet refers to her being a proselyte or convert to Judaism. It may be this woman was living as an adopted Jew and the lap-dog comment may confirm this and why Jesus relented after his first dismissal. Otherwise this in itself would be quite remarkable, that an immigrant mother is asking a Jew for privileges in the Mediterranean trading port of Tyre. Jews did not normally relate with outsiders as the story of the woman at the well suggests when she was amazed that Jesus, a Jew, asked her to draw water for him. Yet Jesus did help her when she perceived Jesus as a prophet. It is acknowledging Jesus as Lord that we are saved. Here the gentile woman acknowledged Jesus and worshipped him as Messiah; something a lot of Jews were not comfortable with. This unbelieving state of the Jews refers to as the “lost children of Israel.”

The miraculous is that Jesus did not need, with a loud authoritarian voice, to command the demon to leave her daughter, but in Matthew’s reading Jesus simply said, “Great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Mark writes, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” Somehow Jesus knows; already it is done. To a minister this is an extraordinary revelation; even miraculous as an event. Think of it; Jesus was not willing to give her request but after a few simple words her need is already met.  I think a key word here is master or lord. She seems to recognise and verbalise her understanding of the lordship of Jesus over her circumstances with an unclean spirit and the demonic worlds. The gentile woman receives a miracle because she confesses her heart is in its right place with God. Jesus had just been saying: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you,” saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” Mt 15:7-9

Remember it is written that God does not look at the outward state of a man (or woman) but at the state of the heart. The shepherd boy David was chosen to be King over all of Israel above his older brothers because God said, “his heart is after my own heart.”  Jesus is in the heart of the Father and so anyone declaring the same heart for the son is declaring their alliance with the Father. You see people this is not about our works but the declaration and state of our heart.  It’s like the saying, “love me, love my dog.”  If you are hostile to a house pet you are likely also to be a bit out of favour with its master.  The bread is there for the children both of blood and of the adoption.

Where do you stand as church today? Where is your heart today towards those chosen by God to administer His favour?  Where are you with your brothers and sisters in the Lord today?  Ask yourself, “Do I stand for or against the workings of Jesus Christ through and to other people?”  If I ask will Jesus give bread, miracles, to me also? Jesus had said it would be better for Sodom and Gomorrah that for some of the towns to which he had come to minister but had been rejected in; and we know what happened to them in their day.  Matthew says the woman came and worshiped Jesus, saying, “Lord, help me!” This might also stand as our prayer also.